Film Review: Inception.

by Andreas Exarheas

It’s impossible to avoid the whirlwind of hype Inception has created lately. Whether channelled through unnecessarily aggressive television adverts or word of mouth, chances are you’ve heard good things about this film.


But are these good things true?

This same question was lodged in the back of my mind as I forked over the ridiculous price of £7.00 to watch the summer blockbuster, and the answer, it turns out, is a comprehensive ‘yes’. Inception is brilliant. From the very first minute Nolan hooks you in and just refuses to let go. A fact I was enthralled to experience after consuming my bodyweight in Sprite…

The storyline is intelligent, intricate and far too complex for me to do it any justice in this review. Instead, bear with me as I give you a very brief rundown, without giving too much away. Inception has us rooting for Cobb (DiCaprio), a refined professional who jumps into people’s dreams and steals their ideas. Cobb, however, is a troubled individual looking for his ticket home after a chequered past. This ticket is provided by Saito (Watanabe) in exchange for an animatedly complicated act labeled ‘inception’; the process whereby an idea is ‘planted’ into someone’s head. Cobb accepts the challenge and assembles a talented team before trying to complete the seemingly impossible task.

This is just the skeleton of the story though, add concepts of dreams upon dreams and the manipulation of the mind and you get a more fleshy idea of what Inception is really about. The film calls into question notions of ‘free will’ and ‘reality’ and will, no doubt, have you pondering its plotlines long after you’ve left the theatre.

Inception is much more than just a trippy mind-boggle, however. Witty dialogue and fantastic special effects meander throughout the film’s 148 minute running time. The acting is first-rate too. Leonardo DiCaprio excels as leading man Cobb and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great as Arthur, Cobb’s self assured, right hand man. Ellen Page, of Juno fame, also makes a strong showing here and subsequently exposes her versatility and talent as an actress.

This film is an exception. The summer season is usually a time for titles which focus on how lead role beefcakes navigate their way through numerous random explosions, not titles which require active thought. If you have an interest in films of the latter category then you have an obligation to go to the cinema and see this film, so that Hollywood fat-cats will take note and commission similar works of art.

Just remember one thing if you do decide to go and watch Inception…148 minutes is a damn long time to suppress a urinary urge…