Inception Released 16 July 2010 Director Christopher Nolan Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Jospeh Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine Writer Christopher Nolan Producer(s) Christopher Nolan Emma Thomas Origin United States Running Time 149 minutes Genre Sci-fi, thriller Rating 12A

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You couldn’t dream this….

Every generation has its icons. People that completely dominated their chosen field, excelling far beyond the standards of their contemporaries and sometimes surpassing the standards set by their own influences. Much like Spielberg or Scorsese will be remembered long passed their death, just as Hitchcock’s legend still remains; with his latest effort Christopher Nolan has cemented his place as an iconic director, and this with only seven movies under his belt. Hitchcock directed sixty-seven.

Ever since Nolan’s second feature, Memento, his progression to the upper echelon of directing has remained steadfast, culminating with 2008’s The Dark Knight. For many, that movie is an ‘all time favourite’, but nevertheless had its flaws, most of which were overshadowed by Heath Ledger’s monstrous performance. Inception is a completely different beast, in fact it’s Nolan’s magnum opus, surpassing Memento and The Dark Knight, both in narrative, scale and even originality, although not in equal measure (Memento is of course one of the cinema’s most unique pieces).

So what is Inception? Well it’s something you’ve never seen before. We’re introduced to Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) an ‘extractionist’, someone who deals in ‘subconscious security’ and we’re told the best at what he does. What that is to be exact is the entering into specially constructed dreams and extracting their target’s ideas. Things get interesting when a new client asks him to implant (as opposed to extract) an idea in a competitors mind, using a process known as ‘inception’. Cobb takes the job for personal reasons and goes about assembling his team.

And what an ensemble we’re treated to. One of the great things about being one of Hollywood’s top directors is that, outside of studio backing and excess finance, you can handpick your cast. Staying true to form Nolan chooses wisely and they all deliver. Tom Hardy for me is the breakout star, a compliment I’m sure he’d shudder at seeing as he’s already got a mass of movies under his belt, but this is his meatiest role to date and as the boisterous Eames he’s a real scene stealer. Anyone who struggled to warm to Ellen Page in Juno or Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 500 Days of Summer can shelve their reservations, both are perfectly cast, with Gordon-Levitt in particular revelling in his most dynamic role to date. Nolan regulars, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe and Michael Caine again show why Nolan keeps availing of their services, while first time collaborator Marion Cotillard excels in a complex role proving yet again how good an actress she is. Another first time collaborator, DiCaprio, at this stage in his career as much an icon as Nolan, takes on the multifaceted role of Dom Cobb, the film's keystone and on whose performance alone the film’s success hinges. What DiCaprio achieves is an acting tour-de-force. He’s smooth, yet vulnerable, rational and eccentric. All while the audience champions him in his quest for redemption. While DiCaprio’s boyish looks still remain, there is now a graininess present too, that makes his rise as one of Hollywood’s leading men more plausible than ever.

Of course all plaudits should be directed towards Nolan. He has written and directed the most original movie in an age, a feast for the eyes, with two plus hours of blissful brain stimulus. To say this movie is layered with ideas and that it lacks convention is a huge understatement, and it’s to Nolan’s credit that he forms a coherent story, when that narrative seems to expand with new rules and revelations as each minute passes. I must admit that an hour into the film I was still struggling to get to grips with the storyline and began generating doubts that maybe the director was too smart for his own good, surely all those loose ends he created couldn’t be tied up? Plot holes would surely become an issue (at this stage I should have reminded myself this was the guy who directed Memento). Those reservation were short lived, Inception is one of the most complete movies I’ve ever seen. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a movie and couldn’t hazard an educated guess as to what would happen next. It’s also been a long time since I’ve completely lost myself in what I was watching.

To quote Christopher Nolan ‘The potential of the human mind is infinite’ and he’s right, but when he dreams I feel there is a lot more potential to be exploited than that in the average human mind. Inception is a modern masterpiece.

- David Prendergast