Inception for Oscar

Inception is the latest installment in writer/director Christopher Nolan's relatively short, yet brilliant, career. Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, an extractor who enjoys aspects of his job a little too much. As an "extractor" Cobb would enter a dream to obtain information that can not be obtained by any other means. Cobb is slightly addicted to inducing himself into a dream then chasing (or being chased by) his deceased wife Mal, played by the dauntingly beautiful Marion Cotillard. After Cobb and his partner Arthur(Joseph Gordon-Levitt)are exposed while trying to extract a file from Japanese energy mogul Saito, played by Ken "subtitles needed" Watanabe he hits them up with an offer Cobb can't refuse. However, this offer involves the nearly impossible task of inception.

Inception is essentially the opposite of what Cobb and Arthur have been doing with extraction, inception is creating an idea in the mind of the victim. When Cobb suggests inception to his new recruits which includes Earnes, the dream shape-shifter(Tom Hardy); Ariadne, the architect(Ellen Page); and Yusef, the pharmacologist (Dillep Rao)they half heartedly accept. Subsequently the group is told by Saito that Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), Saito's corporate competition, is the target of their sensational plan.

This is the area of the plot that has received some criticism from critics due to the dream within a dream within a dream premise. Inception would be difficult to watch if you are half-cut, stoned, or even tired during the movie due to the "specificity" of the plot; however, if you simply pay attention the movie will blow by with ease. Typically many viewers of summer blockbusters like to be spoon fed their plot points. Nolan does not subscribe to that formula. In fact, most of the movie is presented as an axiomatic truth.

Once the agenda is laid out Cobb and his counterparts ensue upon the most enjoyable 5 action movies in 1 I have seen in my life, well it is actually the only 5 in 1 I have ever seen in my life, but I digress. This movie runs 2 hours and 28 minutes and if you think this movie is too long, frankly you must have the attention span of a gnat because it flies by quicker than Michael Cane's amount of screen time.

The cast as an ensemble is phenomenal, which is to be expected due to Nolan's recycling of actors from movies past. However, Marion Collitard and Tom Hardy were standouts in this cast. Collitard must have known that originally Nolan had depicted his movie to be a horror as her countenance provides for some very terrifying scenes (it's no coincidence "Mal" is Latin for evil). Tom Hardy, who must be seen in 2008's Bronson, was a wonderful complement to Gordon-Levitt's strait man and coincidentally provide some needed comic relief with their tension towards each other.

The editing done by Nolan favorite, and two-time Academy Award nominee, Lee Smith was perfection as it needed to be to keep up with Nolan's brilliant script and sometimes frantic direction. However, some may be disappointed with Smith's untimely editing at the end of the movie which leads to a humorous lack of resolution.

Even though Memento (2000) will undoubtedly remain as the crowning achievement of Nolan's career, Inception has propelled him into new territory. Inception WILL win the Oscar for editing, should win the Oscar for cinematography, and if this lackluster year of movies continues, Inception may even win best picture. And yes, it is that good.

9/10 (see it more than twice)

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