An excellent and effective movie, but not absolutely perfect

Rating: 9/10 (6 August 2010)

Inception is a movie based on an Excellent idea that, if put on the wrong hands - that is, anyone but Nolan and maybe Pixar - would be ruined. This is not the case here: a brilliant, well constructed thriller that, although being quite simple, is of a VERY complex nature. Nolan could have spent more time explaining the structure of this universe, but he leaves the story to explain it - only using a couple of scenes between DiCaprio and Ellen Page to explain what could not be explained outside the movie's plot. Truly a movie that will be kept in your mind for a long time, and praised as one of the best ever conceived - a mix between the intelligence of Memento, the tension of men-on-the-job thrillers like Ronin or Munich, and the dreamlike environment of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
This movie, however, it's not without flaws. Ellen Page, as ever, "sinks" the movie with her sub par acting and her "teenage" acting stance, in a role that should require something better or more mature.
(Di Caprio is competent enough, Cotillard plays it safe, Cillian Murphy was brilliantly cast, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt FINALLY delivers something good enough to take him serious as an adult and serious actor).
Also, some of the mechanics and rules of the whole dream world gets lost with the fast pace of the movie. Filming dreams is always a problem due to the nature of dreams, they are too abstract for movies - and unless you pull a Felinni and do one hell of a misce en scene, you are bound to fail, as people won't buy it. I couldn't quite buy the whole thing, but Nolan keeps the whole suspension of disbelief going on pretty well so the movie isn't ruined, or not even scratched.
But... while far from perfect, it was possibly along with Toy Story 3 the best movie this year, and one of Nolan's best effort, up there with Memento and The Dark Knight. Surely a movie you SHOULD NOT miss. It has its critics - just see the user reviews on IMDb - but that is the final stroke of genius on this film: you gotta be intelligent to appreciate it. Sheep-like-minded limited individuals will HATE it. And all I can do is smile as I see confused faces come out of the movie theater - poor, poor minds...