Inception (2010)

I’ve been a fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt for quite some time, so naturally I would have gone out to see the recently-released Inception for that sole reason. However, Inception sounded promising from the start. Considering Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) and Memento (2000) are among the most memorable films I have seen, I was intrigued that he would be directing Inception.

Add the excellent cast, and there was really a slim chance of Inception ever failing. Leonardo DiCaprio is undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of the last decade, and with 22 films listed as in development on IMDb, he has a lengthy career ahead of him as well. DiCaprio not only has the star power to gain publicity for the film, but also has the talent to play its central character. Aside from DiCaprio and Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard are fantastic in their roles, and though less important, I enjoyed Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine’s performances as well.

Inception is certainly fast-paced. It hardly felt like the 2 hours and 28 minutes that it lasts. It is an action-packed thriller with stunning visual effects, a deeply tortured main character, and a depth in story that unravels little by little. It is every bit worthy of being this summer’s hit blockbuster. I know, in several of the reviews I have read, there is criticism about the unoriginality or mechanical nature of Nolan’s conception of dreams. But Inception‘s greatest strength is its exploration of reality, not dreams. From the very beginning, and until the very end, you are forced to question: how much is real? From this perspective, the film fully succeeded.

A memorable quote from the film: “Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.”

On a side note, I really like the posters for Inception.

The set of posters for Inception are excellent. The color scheme give them a sleek, futuristic look. The red for the text contrasts very nicely.