Inception: The Review

Have you ever wondered what it is, exactly, that causes a dream, or why the course of events is so fantastical and random? Well, you might not get the scientific answers you're looking for through Inception, but you'll certainly think the Sci-Fi theme is, frankly, pretty awesome.

Leonardo Di'Caprio plays Dom Cobb, a dream-manipulator extraordinaire, who was sucked into the vortex of self-induced and controlled dreaming in his youth, after being taught to manipulate dreams by his father, a college professor. When a mishap occurred as a result of his constant dream-world inhabitation, he turned to con-artistry by practicing the art of extraction, or stealing ideas from people during the dream-state, when their innermost thoughts are exposed via their subconscious.

Cobb is a fugitive in the United States, but desperately longs to return to his children. When a powerful client gives him the option to return, all charges wiped clean, Cobb leaps at the opportunity. Said mission, however, may be impossible--Cobb is given the task of inception, or planting an idea in someone's brain, feigning "true inspiration," rather than extracting an idea. The victim is a high-profile businessman, which makes the task even more difficult.

Cobb assembles a team of con-artists, each member with a particular speciality, and develops an intricate plan for manipulating the targeted tycoon. If you stay completely tuned in, you'll fully appreciate all the possibilities of the dream world and the genius of Cobb and his team. If not, though, you can still enjoy the special effects, a few of which include impossibly dream-like architecture, flipped dimensions and, of course, explosives.

The film is filled with fantastic imagery and not-so-subtle, but well-executed, symbolism. Inception met and exceeded my expectations--it's enthralling, suspenseful, and it features an all-star cast.

Inception is the kind of film that requires reflection, and maybe even some discussion, post viewing--the kind of film that expands in your mind, taking the cinematic experience past the theater. Watching Inception must come close to what experiencing inception would feel like...
-Zoe Feingold