Inception

Inception









Forget Memento.



Forget The Prestige.


Sure those are films which require some degree of mental input to track and understand in their fullest extent, but Christopher Nolan's latest epic takes things to the next level.

The term Inception refers to the process of manipulating someone to the extent that you are to implant into their mindset a particular feeling or behavioural intent. It is essentially a form of psychological headlock, engineering another person to believe something or to do something they wouldn't otherwise do.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a highly trained Inceptor, whose 'final job' it is to infiltrate the mind of the heir to a dying business tycoon in order to save the global markets and - naturally - to finally find his way home to see his children.

With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page on board as researcher and architect respectively, Cobb must find his way into the mind of Robert Fischer, the heir in question, in order for him to split up a business partnership and end his father's stranglehold on the world market.

Whilst the premise seems hard to consume or even accept at first, it is not the heist storyline which takes centre stage. Sure, the film's focus seems to be there, but the core mechanic is the idea of lost love, the idea of keeping hold of memories which define us as humans and which mould the way we live out our lives, affected by the slightest of emotional investment.

Many have alluded to the film's structure as a mere mirror to that of the world of filmmaking. The film itself refers to the idea of architecture, of researching subjects and of the execution of fantasy. These are all elements directors, producers and actors must explore and refine in order to bring the audience out of reality and into what is effectively - if the film does its job - transform the cinema into a world where fantasies can be lived out, where everyday people can become superheroes, millionaires or simply be a part of something impossible to imagine within the confines of their normal lives.

In this sense, Nolan creates a world which caters to his audience's requirements. A world which has few rules or barriers but which also allows the freedom to explore the concept of maintaining an elements of the past whilst also shaping the future. Dicaprio, as ever, is solid in his role as the troubled but authoritative leader, whilst Gordon-Levitt once again shines as a confident and mercurial sidekick. The former proving himself as one of the finest actors of his generation, the latter looking to follow in his footsteps.

Whatever people make of Inception, with its convoluted and layer-ridden belief system and sense of meaning, there is no doubting its ability to make people think. Whether the audience is baffled by the film's meanings or because of how it renders them questioning their own existance, it is a film which will be talked about for years. An easy film to interpret it is not, but Inception lays the groundwork for the audience to truly appreciate what they have in life, and to cherish anything they may have let slip from their grip.

7/10