Most Cerebral Nolan Movie Out There

Rating: 10/10 (24 August 2014)

I decided to go back and review Inception because this would be my 100th review written for IMDb. And Interstellar is coming in a few months so I guess now is a good time to celebrate one of the greatest films of all time. After dozens of times watching this movie I ranked it as my third favorite movie of all time. Rightfully so, considering it's one of the few movies that changed my life and got me infinitely interested in film in general. From top to bottom this is one true cinematic accomplishment. Christopher Nolan created a worldwide phenomena and did it with an original idea. Popular and financially successful movies these days almost always have to be part of a bigger franchise. Inception made nearly a billion dollars while being just a solo outing. This wasn't Nolan's first home run twisting our minds and it won't be his last but he most likely won't create a more original movie than Inception. It's one of those movies that after you see it, you instantly want to go back and watch it again.
The cast is flooded with Hall of Fame level talent. Beginning with Leonardo DiCaprio in his first and hopefully not last film with Christopher Nolan. These two created a perfect team and I couldn't have pictured a better actor for the role of Dom Cobb. I love how the movie doesn't give us any back story on his character and almost assumes that planting ideas inside peoples minds is normal. Joseph Gordon-Levitt creates a good balance with Cobb in his role as Arthur. JGL was well known among Hollywood for awhile but Inception catapulted his career to a new level. He doesn't get his roles in Looper, Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises, or even get to direct his film Don Jon without starring in Inception. Easily some of the best scenes in the movie are him trying to calm down Cobb and understand why it is he cant focus while in the dream world. This is when the beautiful Marion Cotillard comes into play. She plays the recently passed wife of Cobb, but someone who doesn't seem to leave Cobb's subconscious. Her accent and seductiveness was perfect for Mal Cobb and also shared some of the not only epic but also psychologically thrilling scenes.
The rest of the team is filled with rising stars Tom Hardy, Ellen Page, and the ever-so-underrated Ken Watanabe. Page is one who in the trailers seemed to come across as annoying and useless but I was pleasantly surprised with how great her performance was. Overall the cast is one of the best ensembles ever put together, without forgetting the always good Michael Caine. But the real praise goes out to Hans Zimmer for creating my favorite and quite possibly one of the greatest scores of all time. 'Time' is my favorite single piece of music, but the rest of the score hits at exactly the right times. It's explosive and also emotionally moving when it needs to be. Zimmer found the perfect mix of brass and piano to use in this Oscar snubbed score.
But I think the real reason this film became so popular and re-watchable was because of it's forever debatable ending. What's my take on it? Well after replaying it for years and going back and forth on what my opinion is I would say that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he is suppose to be dreaming or finally back to reality. You know why? Because Dom Cobb doesn't care. When he sees his children's faces in the end that was the final straw. He doesn't even bother looking at the top spinning because it means he is getting to see his children. He is accepting the fact that his wife is dead and never coming back and moving on from that fact. I really do believe that he had reached reality but I always love hearing the new theories people come up with. I have basically heard them all at this point but it doesn't matter because Cobb has accepted his fate. True props to Nolan for creating material that people are sure to be talking about for years to come.
So after over a decade of Nolan having his idea for Inception he finally got it made. Warner Bros gave him the go ahead after he made them billions with the Batman films and could it have been a better decision? I don't think so. Nolan created a film that has impeccable practical effects with an unbelievable ensemble cast complimented with perfect cinematography and a haunting score. If there's ever such thing as a perfect film this is it. It's one of the few movies that makes me cry thinking about how great cinema is when its done with the care like Inception is. It renews my faith in Cinema.
+DiCaprio and ensemble cast give career defining performances
+Originality can't be topped
+Hans Zimmer's exhilarating score
+Practical effects (Hotel Scene)
+Forever debatable ending
+Gave America Marion Cotillard
+Final scene
+TIME
10/10