Makes you think!

Rating: 10/10 (8 February 2013)

Inception is a wonderfully mind-bending, intellectual sci-fi thriller written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled dream invader that can infiltrate others dreams and steal their private information. Cobb has one desire of being able to get back to his kids, but his criminal record would have him arrested at customs. A powerful businessman promises to clear Cobb's criminal record if he can do one last mission of invading a competitor's dream to plant a thought, which is sure to cause the competing company to dissolve. The planting of a thought through a dream, or inception, is considered impossible and stupid because the risks are so high, but Cobb is determined to find a way to do it so his life can go back to normal. Cobb works with a dream team of Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Ariadne (Ellen Page), Eames (Tom Hardy), and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) to try and complete this dangerous and impossible mission.
Cobb will do anything and take on any risks to get back to kids. This theme really shows what Cobb took much of his life to find out, that nothing is more important than your family. In fact, Cobb thinks so much about his family that his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), keeps showing up at the wrong times and tries to ruin the missions. Cobb wants to complete the missions, but can't get over the realness of seeing his wife in the dreams and cherishes the moments, good or bad.
Inception is similar to the Matrix in a couple ways. First, they are both sci-fi movies dealing with different realities. Secondly, they both show the characters struggles with dealing with the differences in these realities while trying to decide over time which world they desire more and deciding what is most important to them.
The films lighting and color is done in such a way that the dream scenes feel dark, scary, incomplete, yet desirable. The movie is lit dimly and the colors are tinted blue or faded for many scenes, but in all of the scenes with Cobb's children there is bright, oversaturated sunlight and colors. This change in lighting and color helps to emphasize what most important to Cobb. The use of slow motion really adds a lot to the movie. In one of the most memorable scenes, there is a slow motion shot of Cobb in a chair falling into a bathtub full of water. The slow motion really adds to the intensity of the scene. The scenes where Cobb is picturing his children are slow motion as well to create passion and intensity.
Inception is a movie that will make you think for a long time after watching it and you will question dreams and reality. You will also have a desire for family and realize the joy that they bring. As Cobb realized early in in the movie, family is better than anything a made-up world can offer.