Anything Is Possible

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2010)

If there is anything that Inception has taught me, it's that anything is possible with films. There are very few films that I have seen that deliver this message. Star Wars delivered a galaxy full of imaginative creation. The Matrix showed us a world where rules could be broken and people could dodge bullets. Avatar took us to another world the likes of which we have never seen. Now, Inception takes us to places we can only dream of.
I will start by saying two things that may contradict each other. The first is that this film has something for everyone. There's plenty of action, drama, noir, suspense, and mind games for those who like to be intrigued. At the same time, this will not be a film for everyone. The nit-picky will find all the little tiny things to question, most notably the logic involved in the whole subconscious sneakery and 'whose dream are we in?' logic. But quite honestly, any possible holes are completely forgiven. Not only is this the best written film of the year, but this is one of the most imaginative films in years.
I really have to applaud Nolan for taking a chance. Few filmmakers would dare to go out on such a limb and not only try and create such a complex web of dream logic and rules, but also make sense of so many things going on at once. At one point in the film there are four different realities occurring at the same time. There are only a few filmmakers I can even think of that would dare try and create such feat. Even fewer I can think of that make it work. And Nolan does. At first, all the dream logic had my head buzzing, but it mattered little once we hit the dream world. While dizzying, the exposition fits. It's so fascinating and so far from anything that we have seen that the first hour, which is mainly made up of explanations of how things work, is rather welcome as opposed to frowned upon.
Nolan's writing shines here. He does what The Matrix once did and bends rules, even breaking some to shape a wholly different reality where cities topple and even gravity gives way to a change in the rules of reality. It's completely fascinating and suspenseful. I even found myself exhaling out loud. And while it may seem like nothing much more than a whole bunch of pretty images and special effects, this is all supported by a strongly written main character and well acted supporting cast. Although the only really deep relationships here are between DiCaprio's character Cobb and his wife and Page's character, the cast as a whole is enjoyable. Joseph Gordon Levitt is the action heavy, doing a lot of the physical fighting, while Tom Hardy is the comic relief (when comedy presents itself). There are a few a members who could be called one note. Watanabe's character is a fairly one note evil corporate head type and Cillian Murphy plays the gullible victim. But even these characters have moments of humanity which shine through.
While the film deals in reality defying moments, there are some very entertaining, more practical elements, like the shootouts and the heist planning. These play out like their subsequent genre staples, and I'm very thankful for that. The shootouts are practical and exciting. The heist elements will be familiar to anyone who is familiar with the heist sub-genre, but in this case it's all about people who deal in cerebral elements and must plan their actions around mental manipulation and subconscious trickery.
I don't think I could say enough about my enjoyment of this film, but I will say that it is truly one of the best film events in recent memory that I have enjoyed. While this summer has been filled with disappointment at the theater, Inception was worth it. If this film doesn't grab your imagination by the balls, then I don't know what will.