Where do I begin?

Rating: 10/10 (2 August 2010)

Every other year, we are treated to a Christopher Nolan film and anticipation is always high as we are yet to see this man make a bad film yet. I first saw his majestic work with the tricky Memento along with his re-imagination of super heroes with the Batman films. This review however is not about the great man that is Christopher Nolan but rather, his latest (and possibly best) masterpiece, Inception.
As with all highly anticipated films, I could not contain my excitement on the way to the cinema and as I sat down to watch the film kick into action, I realised that the audience, like me were not distracted by anything like eating popcorn, talking to their partners or even looking at the time. They were trying their utmost to catch every line and event taking place in the movie and with all the pre-Inception reviews; they knew they were in for a treat as long as they paid attention.
The film itself throws you straight into the deep end with thought provoking occurrences but you know that in the mould of all great films, the story will come together. The cast in this movie are exceptional but from the very start, you always expect them to take second stage to the story and execution. I will talk about the cast however as they are all very respected actors in their own right and their professionalism ultimately help the movie realise its true potential.
The plot of the film is probably known around the world over due to the sheer fascination with this movie so I will not go into that with this review. A great critical debate was always inevitable however given the feat being undertaken here. The movie itself is like a labyrinth that demands exceptional concentration, with multiple potential ways it could go but at no time in the movie do you feel the director has lost control.
Everyone must know by now that the concept of the movie is the world of dreams and just how important dreams are for the protagonists to achieve their goals. The film does do more than that however, it shows the necessity of dreams in maintaining our way of life when all hope is lost, it portrays the desperation of people trying to escape to a world quite unlike theirs where they can be whoever they want to be. This kind of message creeps out of the film and just makes you appreciate the general message Mr Nolan is trying to send to all of us.
For those of us thinking the film will be too complicated when trying to comprehend the multiple layers of dreaming being spoken about on most internet blogs out there, I urge you to go there with an open mind and observe how it all comes together. I remember having to keep reminding myself just which layer of dreaming I was watching sometimes but that is just testament to the great story and fabulous execution.
The action set pieces are fantastic without being overdone; the crumbling buildings seen on the trailers are just a tip of the iceberg. Everything about this film will be nothing as you might expect as it is one of those rare films that simply have to be experienced. Regardless of whether we see a sequel or not, Inception will always be hailed as one of those great films that dared to be an exception to the norm. Once again, I thank Mr Nolan for challenging our thought process whilst giving us great cinema. Roll on Batman 3