Who planted the idea in Nolan's mind?

Rating: 9/10 (19 July 2010)

Nolan conceptualized and developed the script for Inception in 2002 and has since visualized key scenes he would want in his dream project. His greatest forte as a story-teller remains his ability to draw people forward into the movie by creating enough complexity for the audience to expect this - the next scene will explain what just took place. But that does not happen. Well, then perhaps the next one. And before one knows, it is past two and a half hours, and one only gets the gist of it. But that's alright! Watch a few more times and one will eventually figure out those specifics.
Now, was it worth the time and money? Perhaps. In this era of cliché movies, Inception is certainly worthwhile. But if one is averse to thinking through a movie, then this is not the one. Remember the Matrix? What was that about? Yes, the stunts were mind blowing, the attitude was cool, the music broke all hell loose, but no matter how well Morpheus explained the Matrix to Neo, it was never meant to be understood at the first attempt. The question after coming out of the movie hall was, "Dude, so what is the matrix?" At least back in 1999. But with Inception, the plot is not outright complex. Even if one does not understand the specifics, the story-line is pretty straightforward.
The theme of Inception is not entirely novel. Dreams and convoluted dreams have appeared in a few movies. For example, The Cell is the story of a psychologist who develops a scientific device to enter a serial killer's mind. But Nolan's objective was not only to build dream sequences, but to intensify the visual and mental power around them. He has always mastered renditions of existing entities by giving it a mature and refreshing taste. As one of the greatest risk-taking directors of the century, he builds these interpretations of his own backed up by some thorough research. We can all expect Inception to maintain a 9+ on IMDb.
So, what exactly was wrong with the movie? If you ask me, this was not his best. Every time I criticize a movie, people say, "Come on, it's just a movie. It can have flaws." True. But again, someone has to raise the bar; if not, movies will remain just movies and nothing more. Take Memento for instance. The plot was simple but the direction changed everything. Running the movie backwards created an extraordinary thrill and complexity like never before, literally driving the audience insane. His movies, Following and Insomnia, did not win much acclaim so let's not talk about them. Then came the Batman sequels. Neither of the movies stood for super-heroism. His interpretation of Batman went far deeper than ever. It's roots lay in the fundamental understanding of criminal psychology. It was based on ancient philosophy of good and evil from both, the hero's and the villain's perspectives. Both sequels produced quality dialogs and memorable scenes. The Joker. Heath Ledger's epic performance was not just about him as an actor but the complete showcasing of a psychopath criminal mind. Every statement and every move the Joker portrayed a new aspect of criminal mentality and human psychology. "This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object," "Madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push!," You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Very true and powerful quotes. Well, for Inception, I can recall only one right now - "What is the most resilient parasite? An idea." Unfortunately, I found the lack of a central character in the plot not doing justice to the facet of dreamscaping. Some may argue that DiCaprio is the central character, but his role was not anything DiCaprio like. It could have been Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Nolan himself. Ken Watanabe's role was not of any significance, whatsoever. His being a Japanese businessman meant nothing in the movie. The initial scenes shot in Tokyo might as well have been L.A. or N.Y. Explosions and gunfire seemed to be used beyond need in many scenes. Chase sequences did not add much value except time. Michael Caine had nothing to do in the movie. Hans Zimmer's music was below par, when compared to Dark Knight or Gladiator. It did not go in sync with the movie's pace. While the concept of the movie was genius, none of the characters depicted ingenuity. Not even DiCaprio. Ellen Page seemed promising in the beginning, but her intellect was mostly overshadowed by DiCaprio's apparent 'experience' as an 'Inceptor.' The movie cannot claim to be a science fiction, mainly because of lack of reference to the very device that took them into people's dreams. In contrast, every detail of Batman's apparel had a sane scientific explanation through Lucius Fox.
The best scenes in the movie were all visual. Sheer brilliance. And all of them, believe me, all of them were shown in the previews and trailers. In a way, the trailer seemed to have been made much better than the movie. It created enough anticipation to watch the movie and enjoy those very scenes on big screen. They were truly breath-taking. The anti-gravity scenes were surreal. But it almost appeared as if these were the scenes that had to be there in the movie and the story was woven around it.
Chris Nolan is a genius. And I could not care less whether he wins awards for the movie or not. His presence remains a shining beacon in this banality of Hollywood cinema. My criticisms only reflect my rising expectations from this brilliant writer and director and these would not have existed if there never was Dark Knight, Batman Begins or Memento to compare with. I, for one, am obviously going to watch Inception many more times because I have to decipher the whole script and ravish the visual feast.