Inception

I’d been wanting to watch Inception pretty much since it was announced. Not only I’m a big sci-fi fan, but I also love Christopher Nolan‘s films. I think he’s one of the best directors around. I love everything about his films: the way they look, the way they feel and, most importantly, what they tell. I love how they tend to be incredibly long. Just like I love how his smart thrillers usually talk about so many more things than they seem to do. You just have to look for them.

So yeah, Inception was out today and I’ve just seen it… and I must confess I have (mild) mixed feelings about it. Personally, I have found the first 45  minutes unnecessarily confusing. It takes a while until you know what’s going on, and then it turns out to be really simple. This first part of the movie is supposed to be what sets you up, what tells you what’s going to happen, what lays the film’s universe rules so that you can understand the second part (The Dream). However, The Dream itself explains its rules better than this long introduction which just makes you feel slightly frustrated.

The good thing about this is that the film gets better (something quite unusual in Hollywood). In fact, once you’re inside The Dream, Inception becomes an amazingly fascinating and intelligent movie. It’s so well built (and arquitecture is really important in here… no matter how weak the foundations may be), so well acted, so beautifully crafted. Pure cinema magic.

I’ve always loved how Nolan’s films are photographed. They look very austere, even if they’re big on special effects. And this is no exception: the chases, the fights, the imaginary places,… they are all visually innovative, yet strangely familiar. Just like a dream.

The soundtrack also helps build the film’s tense atmosphere. Scored by Nolan’s regular Hans Zimmer (and with Johnny Marr as guest guitarist), it might resemble previous director-composer collaborations, but still works so well.

Little can be said about the cast. There are so many good actors in here that it’s ridiculous. From Nolan’s favourite Michael Caine and the gorgeous Cillian Murphy (who also repeats with the director) to indie starts Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon Lewitt. And then you have Leonardo DiCaprio, who just gets better and better.

Story-wise, the movie is full of layers. Yes, it is a sci-fi thriller that talks about stealing from dreams… and implementing ideas on dreams. But it also explores so many other things, especially feelings (guilt) and what strong power they have in our subconscious. Still, I think the first part of the script could have been resolved in a better way. Inception was written by Nolan himself and I tend to think that his best films are those written by his brother.

However, Inception is an extraordinary piece of clever filmmaking. In fact, I have the feeling that it’s the kind of movie that stays with you for a while, just like it’s the kind of movie that might need a second viewing. At least I want to see it again.