Great Play On The Mind!!!

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 2010)

Inception: planting a thought into a person's sub – conscious without stealing the idea; which is exactly what writer/director Christopher Nolan did in his newest acclaimed box office action thriller since The Dark Knight. He set out to do exactly what he planned by planting thoughts of unimaginable ideas and theories into the audiences mind. "Applying a vivid sense of procedural detail to a fiendishly intricate yarn set in the labyrinth of the subconscious, the writer-director has devised a heist thriller for surrealists," as cited by Justin Chang from Variety Magazine.
Our guide in this in this high stakes sci-fi thriller and espionage is Dom Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) whose job title is "extractor" because of the way he is able to invade a person's mind and extract valuable information which in a black market of corporate intelligence worth a fortune. What is so thrilling about Dom Cobb is that the main antagonist in this story becomes his own subconscious which is haunted by his late wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), who has a nasty habit of showing up in his mind and wreaking havoc on his missions. The battle amongst himself presents a romantic drama aspect to the story when Cobb plants the idea that "love never dies in your mind, and that imagining a life with someone for 50 years subconsciously where your mind makes everything real and you never age and then waking up again and spending the rest of your life with someone" presents a beautiful idea of how far a person is willing to go to be with someone, however the irony is never understanding what is real and not real. This aspect of the story plays on human emotion which adds to the suspense of the story.
In classic heist-movie tradition, various specialists make up Cobb's team: Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) his longtime friend, Eames (Tom Hardy) a "forger" who can shape shift; Ariadne (Ellen Page) the "architect" who builds the labyrinth in the victim's mind that the team must perverse and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), who supplies the powerful sedative that pulls Fischer and Cobb's gang into a collective coma. The casting is very calculated and well put together giving the idea that each character pulls their weight bringing their personalities into play with the exception of Ariadne (Ellen Page) and her "Juno-esque" side commentary which becomes annoying in some parts and refreshingly comical in other scenes.
The visuals are amazing reminiscent of the matrix style scenes and fast paced camera cuts that leave you feeling a constant rush as if constantly in a dream. The plot is a constant ride moving at speeds that can sometimes seem hard to understand but Nolan keeps you interested constantly with constant ideas and theories that leaves you questioning if the ideas can in fact be real. In agreement with Peter Travers from Rolling Stone Magazine: "The visuals, shot by the gifted Wally Pfister on locations from the steaming heat of Morocco to the snow-capped Alps, are astounding. One segment, in which a freight train barrels through a traffic-clogged street, is jaw-dropping. Just as impressive is the way Nolan stays true to the rules of his own brain-teasing game." In conclusion the movie a total knockout bring to the screen an aspect of romance, drama, sci fi, and a thrilling ride that anyone whom enjoys a mental roller coaster through unknown theories would enjoy. Christopher Nolan once again does a great job by playing a game with people's minds and leaves you're wondering if everything in the movie is truly possible.