Inception is the best and most original film so far this year. Writer/director Christopher Nolan has done it again given audiences everything they could ever want or expect from one of these movies. An intricate compelling story with plenty of spectacle, drama, and exceptional performances by the great ensemble cast. Nolan has proved with Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, and The Dark Knight his amazing talent as a filmmaker. This movie is no different. It's better to see Inception without knowing too much about the film. Leonard DiCaprio continues to show why he's one of Hollywood's best actors with his performance as Dom Cobb a dream thief or "Extractor" who enters the dreams of others and steals ideas from their subconscious. DiCaprio handles the emotional scenes very well and I wanted to see his character succeed this difficult task of planting an idea into someones mind instead of usually stealing one. The story of him wanting to reunite with his children was very much the emotional center which comes through in between the thrilling action sequences that are truly one of a kind. Ken Watanabe is solid as the mysterious businessman Saito "The Tourist" who offers Cobb the chance to get his life back by pulling off the difficult task of inception. Wanatabe's accent was a little strong at first but I could understand him better as the movie progressed you just have to listen carefully. Joseph Gordon Levitt is very impressive as Arthur "The Point Man" who gathers all the information on their "mark". Gordon Levitt's zero gravity hallway fight may not last long but the scene is an amazing sight to see on screen while it lasts. And the fact that he did most of it himself shows his commitment as an actor. Well done. Marion Collitard turns in a haunting performance as the projection of Cobb's deceased wife Mal making her somewhat dangerous yet sympathetic at times. Collitard had nice chemistry with DiCaprio in their scenes together making the love between their characters that much more believable. Ellen Page is good as Adrianne "The Architect" who helps the team create the dream world of their mark and navigate through that persons mind. She held her own against her co-stars and turned in a convincing performance. Tom Hardy is excellent as Eames "The Forger" who can change his appearance in the dream world of someone close to the "Mark." I haven't seen Hardy in much except the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers but he's very effective as Eames who can kick some serious ass when he wants to. He also got some of the best lines in the movie which he delivers perfectly. "I don't know. Not sure. See if he starts shooting at you. "You must not be afraid to dream a little bigger darling." Cillian Murphy shows he can play more than just villains as Robert Fischer "The Mark" who tries to be like his father. Murphy proves to be another great addition to the ensemble cast Nolan assembled for this ambitious film. Tom Berenger does the best he can with the small role of Fischer's godfather Peter Browning. And Michael Caine is a bit underused as Cobb's father in law Miles who taught him about dreams because his role is more of a cameo (considering he only has two scenes one near the beginning and another at the very end) but Caine is still effective as Miles none the less. The same can go for Lucas Haas who makes a brief extended appearance as Cobb's former Architect Nash. He still does a good job with his small part in the movie though. I honestly can't think of one weak link in the entire ensemble cast. The special effects are quite impressive which is used to the films advantage because they felt realistic with cities folding onto top of each other and slow motion shots that pulled you into the imaginary dream worlds Nolan created for Inception. The action sequences are crisp and thrilling with fist fights, gun battles, and chases that are mostly in full view so you can see whats happening on screen. The last hour or so is pretty much non-stop action but in a good way with the characters entering dreams within dreams to pull off their most challenging task yet Inception. In a summer of remakes and sequels it was nice to see something original for a change. Overall I can't think of one thing I didn't like about Inception. It's definitely the film to see and one not to be missed. So overall if you enjoy movies like this you can't go wrong with Inception. The pacing was fine which made the 148 minute running time fly by fast. I didn't once wonder how much longer was left. It has an interesting story, some character development (at least for Cobb), and drama while still being packed with exhilarating action especially the second half. So go watch this intelligent sci action thriller. You won't be disappointed.
