Inception

We wish to make our dreams come true. We can't really materialize them unless we use film technology to do so. Inception is a perfect example of when dreams become reality and we can escape from reality into a dream. Unfortunately, we perceive it as exactly the opposite of the characters in the film. Two and a half hours go by like only a few minutes. (07/25/2010)

A perfect delight for Nolan's pleasure. What this directorial master has most enjoyed in his films, he enjoys to the very last second in Inception. Whether it's the main character full of internal conflicts in an environment much larger than himself, ambiguous conclusions, or, not least, several plot lines alternating at the center of the action (this delight, so proven in The Dark Knight, is taken to the furthest possible maximum here). In short, we are getting all the tricks that have ever made us shake our heads - in one impressive package that wraps around you so tightly from the first few minutes that there is nothing else to do but hungrily follow the fateful story threads. And when Leonardo DiCaprio finishes his acting megaperformance and Hans Zimmer finishes the music, it is clear. A new movie life-changer has arrived. (07/22/2010)

Inception is an incredibly precise film with a cold and detached perfection that reminded me of the Kubrick’s best (more than the oft-mention The Matrix) – that’s how The Killing would look if it was blended with 2001: A Space Odyssey. The way the script works with so many dream levels would be lethal for about 99% of today’s directors and screenwriters, but Nolan no longer needs to prove anything to anyone. This is a class on its own. Thanks to his mastery, the complex plot is easy to understand, at least at the most basic level. After watching it, I couldn’t sleep trying to find inconsistencies. There are films that don’t have an interpretation and will never make sense, no matter how hard the viewer tries, but I think the opposite applies to Inception. There will be several interpretations and all of them could be correct, though I believe it’s pointless to theorise too much, the true interpretation will be the simplest one, and the details (will it fall or not, and why) will remain up to each viewer. Either way, I must watch it again. I can’t tell which place (in terms of quality) Inception takes in Nolan’s filmography, but I liked it a lot more than the over-hyped and straightforward (though also great) The Dark Night. PS: Does it make any sense to talk about how great the performances of the entire cast are? (my favourite were Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Cillian Murphy). Edit: So, for the second time, a truly wonderful experience. The film is full of emotions, but you don’t have a chance to get them the first time (because you don’t know the twist) – Nolan’s rule of repeated viewings still applies. (07/23/2010)

And the top keeps spinning... Inception is like, erm, an apricot, perhaps. So many layers, sweet, so rich (in ideas, not in vitamins) and holds together beautifully. I should be economical with the word original, because the “only" unique thing is the combination of all ingredients into a whole that works like clockwork, surprises, innovates and, most importantly, is entertaining without losing any of its cleverness. But there’s no denying that we’ve already seen movies about dreams and really high quality ones. But in the places where The Matrix, for instance, lost its viewers in its complexity, Inception swims along smoothly, and avoids copying it at all. Nolan sticks firmly to the story within clear limits, doesn’t lose control over the world invented for the story and never breaks its rules. Everything works on a strictly logical level and the dreams are depicted accordingly. It doesn’t forget about physics, the manipulation of which creates scenes that you could never imagine in your wildest dreams. You see, dreams usually try to cling to reality and so most of the action reminds me more of Heat than Speed Racer, which suits me. Damn, I wanted to avoid comparison with other movies. Too bad. The main essence of the story, Cobb’s story where we gradually find out what happened (to him) in the past and why he is in the situation he is, is very original. I thought I knew the answer, but in the end it turned out to be slightly different (but I was close, seriously) and better in the overall context. In fact I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that and about inception, about its potential and how Nolan handled it with such genius, but also so simply. You see, it wasn’t so much about dreams, but about memories, decisions and guilt. A simple story in a maze of dreamlike realities. The cast, headed by DiCaprio who simply must win an Oscar this year, fit their roles perfectly and everybody is given a chance literally to shine. The action scenes are a feast for the eyes, which makes me even more annoyed that the Czech distributors weren’t able to buy even one copy for the IMAX, because the fight in the lobby throws your guts about even in 2D. Quite possibly movie of the year. Cameron played the emotional card last year, this year Nolan gives us reason. I am impressed. (07/26/2010)

The beginning could best be characterized as a combination of Cronenberg's eXistenZ and the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix. A magnificent high-budget summer blockbuster that is surprisingly smart and multi-layered for its category. Of course, like The Matrix, it can be criticized for its gratuitous action scenes, the shallow plot in relation to the promising premise, and a number of other shortcomings, such as the underutilization of the "defensive dream team" built into Cillian Murphy's character's brain. If he were endowed with intelligence and not just serving as an action element that fills the screen with a series of bullets and dead bodies, there would be a truly thrilling battle. On the other hand, given the nature of the film market and the producer's expectations, it is clear that these limitations are entirely logical and that Nolan could not have bypassed them. In fact, I can't recall any blockbuster that required the viewer to strain their brain so much. Strictly speaking, the script does contain some logical errors, but they can be brilliantly explained by the fact that the story takes place in a dream. Furthermore, the very clever final scene and the view of the moving object on the table clearly indicate how things actually are and whose head the story is unfolding in. Nolan's film offers top-notch cinematography, bombastic special effects, and a gripping dramatic plot without compromising on the high demands for other film elements. It also has an excellent cast led by one of the best contemporary American actors, DiCaprio. For me, it's the strongest film experience of this year after Scorsese's Shutter Island. Overall impression: 95. (08/09/2010)