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Let me just apologize for my tardiness in giving a response to Inception, but I had to see it one more time before I could write anything coherent about what I saw on screen. For those of you who fancy yourselves “creative” types, what Christopher Nolan has delivered to theaters will make you want to do a gainer into a deep, deep ravine.

I can honestly say that I've never experienced—and it is most definitely an experience—a movie with a plot as complex as Inception's and still felt like the movie was enjoyable and comprehensible. The plot is so fantastically convoluted that you feel like a champion when you get to the end of the film without your brain slowly seeping out your ears.

I don't want to give any spoilers here (even though by now I'm sure most of you have already seen it), so the best I can do here is provide a couple of tips about going to see the movie.

First off, you should treat going to see Inception like it's a game. The objective of the game is to leave the theater understanding as much of the movie as possible. A good portion of the film is, in fact, learning the rules of “dream sharing,” and there are quite a few rules to remember. If you, the viewer, lose focus, if you blink...you lose. Maybe it's not so dramatic, but if you go to the bathroom, you will almost certainly miss an important explanation of how dream sharing works or a plot point, and it will leave you in a state of borderline panic and confusion.

Second, maybe take some ginko, or a 5-hour, or some kind of ADHD medication before you show up. Inception runs to about 150 minutes, which is a long time to keep yourself focused. You'll need that brain of yours to be as sharp as a tack because there is some heavy story layering and more than a few threads to keep track of. Which leads me to the next tip:

Don't bring small children; it's wasted money.

I don't mean to make Inception sound all cerebral with no boom-boom. There is plenty of action spread nicely throughout this movie. One scene in particular featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer) will have you feeling like you've just watched an amazing filmmaking magic trick. Inception may also be the birth of a new badass in Tom Hardy (Star Trek: Nemesis) who plays the role of Eames.

The acting is outstanding all the way through by mostly the entire cast. Leonardo DiCaprio deftly plays Cobb, a man tortured by deep loss, and Marion Cotillard (who in my dreams I'm also married to) coolly, yet insanely plays Cobb's wife. There were a few points here and there where I felt like Ellen Page (Juno) was overdoing it, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a little too cool a cucumber for my liking, but for the most part I enjoyed their performances as well.

If you want to see a movie that respects the mind of the moviegoer, rather than delivering mindless sexplosions, this movie is for you. If not, it is still for you.

Inception is a must-see.

I wanted to talk about it for three days after I saw it, so what did you guys think? Best movie ever? Overrated? I need to talk to someone about this movie!

-Andrew

Adam
7/21/2010 02:15:38 am

I felt that Inception was quite possibly the coolest movie ever because it challenged, nay, dared us to understand. The acting was superb and the plot seriously f'd with my cerebral cortex until it experienced orgasms.

I also was a bit put-off by Juno's acting. Every other actor in the movie seemed established and comfortable in their role, whereas she kinda of didn't seem to fit in until well into the movie. Also, Tom Hardy (Eames) should be considered one of the more entertaining actors in the film, just as I believed he was in "Rock N Rolla." His ability to play the "I'm cool and funny but I'll still kick your ass" role is pretty impressive.

But I couldn't help but laugh when I pictured Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as the long haired, alien-hippie-teen from "3rd Rock from the Sun." In my mind this movie should help establish him as a more credible actor.

Great review of a fantastic movie.

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Andrew
7/21/2010 03:42:17 am

Yeah I get what you are saying about the cerebral cortex orgasms. I was getting goose bumps every ten seconds from one thing or another. Most of the time it was the music, or the movie's signature low "BWOOOOM"

I knew I had seen Hardy in something recently! I didn't remember it was 'Rock N Rolla.' Aside from Leonardo DiCaprio, his performance was the best out of everyone.

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Erica
7/24/2010 01:55:57 am

This is by far one of my favorites. It made my brain hurt and I still need to see it a few more times. After watching this movie I had one of the weirdest dreams, but I must say Marion Cotillard freaks me out now.

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Jesse
7/28/2010 07:37:43 pm

Literally one of the best movies that I have ever seen. I enjoyed every second of the movie and couldn't believe it was as late as it was when the movie ended. I actually really liked the character that Page played. I thought it was a nice contrast to the overly sarcastic character that she played in Juno. Sometimes it seems like an actor or actress does really well in a movie and we see that same character come up over and over again in later films. The whole movie absolutely blew my mind. I can't wait to go see it again!!!

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