Wednesday, July 21, 2010

My Take On Inception

I learnt a new word previously not in my vocabulary this month. The word is INCEPTION.

According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the definition of "inception" is an act, process, or instance of beginning or a commencement.

Yes, unless you are from another planet, you would have already heard about this much hyped and talked-about movie of the summer or probably the year.

Last year, Avatar blew me away. This year, it is without exception, Inception.

OK, before I go on, there are spoilers ahead. So if you have not watched this movie, read no further. But you might want to watch the awesome trailer below if you have not already done so.



I had attempted no less than three times to catch this movie. The first time something came up and I had to call it off. The second time, I had an unexpected urgent family matter to resolve. Finally, last night I succeeded in watching the movie in the best seat at the best cinema in KL.



Very briefly and without giving away too much of the plot, Inception is about a person called Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio of Titanic and Shutter Island fame) who can can enter the dreams of others to steal or obtain information that is otherwise inaccessible.

This ability had cost him coveted things and made him into an international fugitive. However, he is offered a chance at redemption in the treacherous world of corporate espionage.

But the interesting thing is instead of stealing information, Cobb and his team of specialists now have to do the exact opposite, and that is to plant an idea into the target's mind.



There were some pretty impressive scenes in the movie. One was the tall buildings folding into each other and the other was the slow motion destruction exploding around two people sitting at a street cafe.

But what I really liked about the movie is the fact that it made you work your brain cells more than usual. I would definitely not recommend this movie after a long hard day at work. Unless you are just watching it for the special effects and cool stunts without bothering to understand the story.



For the first time since Matrix, here is a movie that leaves you with things to discuss and debate long after you left the cinema hall. Yes, it is that engaging. I would say Inception is an original and contemporary sci-fi action film with deep, heavy stuffs that will either make you feel like you are not as smart as you expect yourself to be, or you are way smarter than you are! Haha!

There were no boring moments in the movie, at least to me, and in fact, it was one hell of a ride from beginning to the end. Scenes after scenes gripped me, not letting me go and at times left me totally speechless.



Leonardo DiCaprio did an excellent job as Cobb with his good acting skills and emotional depth. I liked him in Shutter Island and it was the same here.

I also like Ellen Page who played Adriane, the architect being trained by Cobb, with much subtle sophistication.

And Joseph Gordon-Lewitt is the major scene stealer as Cobb's assistant, Arthur. He looked ultra cool in all those anti-gravity and Matrix-like moves!

Marion Cotillard was also superb as Cobb's deceased wife, Mal, a central character in the movie.

In fact, all the actors and actresses did a good job in this movie and were perfectly cast for their roles. And of course director Christopher Nolan deserves a standing ovation for this brainchild of his!



For those of you who have watched Inception, did the movie leave you with many questions?

For instance, did you know why Arthur blew up the lift?
Why they could resuscitate Fischer Jr after he was shot dead by Mal but could not save Saito in the same way?
Why did Saito appear so much older than Cobb in limbo?
If Cobb and Mal grew old together in limbo, how come they looked young again when they attempted to kill themselves on the railroad tracks?

It took me some time to grasp the concept and answer the questions above. So I guess I was not smart enough for Inception!



As if these were not enough to keep your brain working overtime throughout the movie, it came with an unexpected surprise ending. So the biggest question that will remain unanswered will be.... Is Cobb still in the dream world in the end?

An almost perfect movie to keep you debating for hours or even days, I am rating Inception at 8.5 out of 10 points. Comes highly recommended and certainly, one of the better movies this year! Don't miss it!

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