Artistic, thought-provoking, and original. I can't ask for more.

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2015)

My number one reason for liking Inception might seem fanboyish, but I'll say it anyway: it's a Christopher Nolan film.
Now, my reasons for liking Nolan's films are too numerous to count, but I'll say this: he is one of the very few directors who makes artistic, thoughtful films on a blockbuster budget. Starting out as an indie director with Memento, Nolan really hit his stride when he inherited the Batman franchise and made his Dark Knight trilogy (which I will cover later in this series). However, he always had a knack for taking original content such as the magician-focused novel The Prestige or creating his own original ideas.
This is where Inception comes in. How many films can you say have been made about the subconscious of the human mind? And how many of those got the budget of Inception? Nolan is ambitious, I'll give him that. Thankfully, he uses his ambition and passion together, making what seems as one pet project after another. His devotion to his craft is rare in today's industry. Inception evidences this beautifully: Nolan wrote his own script and, as is typical for his films, never allowed second unit filming, directing every single shot himself. He is also very particular about his effects, opting for practical, real stunts and visuals instead of generating them on a computer. Inception has less CG shots than even Batman Begins, which is quite obviously mostly real in its effects. This grounds his films in reality and makes them more fun to watch.
Speaking of visuals, let's talk about Inception's aesthetic. Most of Nolan's films are worked on by cinematographer Wally Pfister, and while he has done excellent work in all of his Nolan collaborations, this is his best. The way he changes the color palette through each layer of the dream is quite subtle but very effective, helping us keep track of where we are throughout the complicated climax. Other scenes, particularly in the lowest dream level, show us an excellent knowledge of scale and scope on Pfister's part. The best parts, however, are when he uses high-speed cameras to slow down the film to reflect the time changes between the levels. It ties everything together beautifully and helps us understand how that process works.
That moves us right on to the best aspect of Inception: the story. I can't really go into detail here without spoilers because this is one of the more complex plots I've ever seen. Just know this: repeat viewings are almost required. This is not for comprehension, but rather to pick up on all the nuances that are here. There is so much to this plot that I am still picking up nuances upon watching Inception for the ninth time and enjoying the film even more. In case you can't tell, this is not a movie where you can turn your brain off and slip mindlessly into another world. You have to pay attention or you will lose track of what's happening.
To keep this short, I'll say only one thing about the score and then move on: Hans Zimmer is the best film composer today. This film gave him that title.
Inception's cast is almost as big as I've seen in any film. Leonardo DiCaprio is the top-billed star, but that is incredibly misleading as this film is a true ensemble piece. He also doesn't steal the show in Inception like he usually does, leaving others a lot of room to work. The one thing that is starting to get to me about DiCaprio is that, as good as he is, all of his characters seem the same. They all struggle with their inner demons extensively throughout the course of the film, and Cobb is no different. Outside of DiCaprio, the acting is equally stellar, with Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy stealing the show. Hardy plays Eames, a forger for Cobb's job who is one of the very few characters with any kind of comic relief. He really shows his range here and proves that he can help carry a film. Murphy plays the subject of the final job, Robert Fischer. I feel that he best embodies how we react to ideas in our subconscious and really made Inception relatable to the audience.
Inception is a masterpiece, and an original one at that, from the man responsible for some of the best films of this century to date. Christopher Nolan really knows how to bring all the elements of a film together into one coherent vision, from the story to the casting to the aesthetic to the score. Every part of this film contributes to the overall vision. Inception is one of my favorite films because it challenges the mind and makes it think. In a world of escapist entertainment, this film makes us explore our minds and our ideas in a way I've never seen before.