So I watched Inception today and here's the once sentence verdict - You have to watch this one. First, the trailer -
I've been a fan of Christopher Nolan ever since I saw Memento. This one has only strengthened the respect I have felt for him. In Inceptionhe deals with a powerful subject - Dreams. Cobb (Leonardo Di Caprio) is a thief who uses dreams. He creates a world in his victim's dreams and the victim populates it with his subconsciousness. By designating certain areas or objects as safe zones, he forces the victim to automatically store their innermost secrets in that place. He then proceeds to steal that idea. Now instead of stealing an idea, he's asked to implant one - an Inception - in exchange for being able to go back to his kids.
Do not expect to sit back and enjoy the movie mindlessly. Christopher Nolan will push your brain. He'll make you think. You have to let your mind run with the idea to enjoy the movie thoroughly. Imagine the sheer power of the concept he's explaining here. The story is superb - I hope somebody writes a book with this theme if they haven't already. It isn't complicated enough for you to not understand it. But you have to sit down and watch this one with some concentration. It's written brilliantly. It's no mean task to make the audience comfortable with a complex concept and then run the rest of the film based on it. It's a tribute to his skill that Nolan is able to pull this off in an entertaining manner. The film is not slow or dull even in some parts - it runs pretty tight throughout. The last few minutes particularly make for edge of the seat watching.
The ending in itself is a masterpiece. The last few seconds of the movie in itself is so perfect. He does not intend the audience to forget the movie after they come out of the theatre. By leaving a crucial point to his audience's imagination he has made a master stroke. The 4th level dream introduces some twists to the story line in the last few moments - but in the hands of Nolan it doesn't seem forced or artificial. Lesser directors would've fumbled there.
The performances by the actors leave no room for complaints. Leonardo di Caprio makes for an excellent leading man with a brilliant but troubled mind portrayed effectively. Marion Cotillard plays Cobb's wife Mal. The other main characters have been brilliantly played by Ellen Page, Tom Hardy and Ken Watanabe. Nolan regular Michael Caine makes a short but well handled performance.
Music by Hans Zimmer stands out. The theme manages to convey the tension and the disturbance of the movie.