A Phenomenon in Storytelling, Visual Action and Debate

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2010)

Inception is a flawed masterpiece. You're unsure as to what to expect going in but you're positive Christopher Nolan simply will not let you down, and boy does he deliver. This film, quiet simply, is brilliant. Going in, I felt a connection with every character as I have seen most of these in other films I enjoy. DiCaprio, Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Page (Juno), Murphy (Red Eye, 28 Days Later) do an outstanding job while a few others that do a respectable job. Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies) gives a superb effort and a downright "Joker" quality performance at times.
Why do I call it a masterpiece? It is a dream. Take this as a positive or negative aspect, but you will literally forget what occurred in this movie a day later similar to a dream. Not all aspects, as few scenes in the film are unlike anything seen before in all of cinema and are simply unforgettable, but the main plot of the film will become a blur. Unlike Memento, where this occurred because of time-line transportation, this happens in Inception because of the several twists and turns it makes on the viewer. Several things go through your head trying to piece together what is happening that at times the movie watching experience becomes something greater. It is something unreal and new to the brain, and it is quiet difficult to convince yourself to believe. It's an extraction/inception "how to" lesson with outstanding visuals.
The visuals are like 3D done in 2D. It sucks you into the screen and makes you believe. It takes all our inspiring filmmakers self-esteem to an all-time low. It is simply unreal. Is it CGI? It looks too real to disbelieve but too extraordinary to believe.
I understood the main plot of Inception that I knew exactly what was occurring during the film, but there were too many times where little aspects did not make much sense. Also, Inception takes thirty-forty minutes to get going. I instantly realized that the action was a major factor in Inception's greatness. Once the first major action scene started, my eyes quickly widened. The storytelling and the action are equally important in Inception.
The scope of Inception is mind-blowing. It is as epic as the Lord of the Rings trilogy but is also set in a modern-esquire environment which is quite an accomplishment. Although it didn't transport me to a new world like a few other modern films with a contemporary setting, like District 9, it gave me a new thought process on the power of dreams.
Inception is a rare case where a film is demanded to be seen more than once. It is easier to view it knowing what you have seen already and incorporating it into the storyline from the start. But unfortunately, unlike other films that offer similar questions (Mulholland Dr), I also had a "so what?" feeling leaving the theater. I did not care enough about these characters to try to answer the questions Nolan puts forth, some of them unanswerable. I felt frustrated and confused throughout most of the film because certain aspects went against what I knew was going on. I wasn't amazed at the story itself but more on the idea of it, and the shootout sequences felt forced and annoying several times. But at the end, you question if these are actually flaws, or just aspects of a realistic dream. Nolan created a flawless film with possible flaws. I know.
While not perfect, the overall package, I believe, will become iconic. Nolan has crafted something unbelievably imaginative in Inception, one that will undoubtedly become a global phenomenon in storytelling, action and debate.