After the sensational success of "The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan didn't play it safe and direct another "Batman" movie, but instead implemented a very complex idea that he had been carrying around for ten years. This decision was exactly right, as Nolan's "Inception" is nothing less than a near-perfect masterpiece.
Repicting the content while doing justice to the complexities of the work is nearly impossible. On the surface, the film is about Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), whose unusual profession is stealing secrets from other people's dreams. And since Dom is the best in his field, he is given an almost impossible assignment by businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe): Dom is to perform what's called an inception. The idea is not to steal ideas, but to implant them into the target's consciousness. The plan that Cobb devises with his chosen team seems perfect. But dangers lurk in the various dream levels, about which Cobb deliberately keeps his team in the dark. And so, shortly after entering the dreams of the target, the entire enterprise threatens to end in disaster...
This synopsis admittedly does not do the film justice in the slightest. The mixture of classic heist-movie a la "Der Clou", science-fiction fantasy of "Matrix"-format and poignant love story is so full of twists and plot levels that this can not be reproduced in words and should be experienced by each viewer himself. But it has to be said: as impressive as the film looks, as grandiose as every single gear meshes into the next, it has to be acknowledged that "Inception" is not a simple film. Grasping the complexity of the action, which takes place on up to five different levels simultaneously, is nearly impossible on a single viewing of the film.
Nobody should be put off by this, however. Because even if the film is mighty demanding on the grey cells, requires full attention from the viewer and even then it is not guaranteed that you can follow the plot, the film offers enough elements to justify a visit to the cinema. There is, of course, the visual component. Nolan and his team have literally conjured up dreamlike images on the screen here. Whether it's a city virtually folding itself, houses collapsing like sand castles or the entire environment literally exploding, the viewer is treated to visual compositions that are true works of art in their own right.
In this dream setting, Nolan then also allows magnificently staged action sequences to pass. In the process, said action takes place on a dream plane in near-complete weightlessness. While Joseph Gordon-Levitt's ("(500) Days of Summer") fights his adversary, walls spin around him, the rules of gravity are completely suspended. Shot in two huge, rotating sets, this sequence is without question one of the highlights of the film. The lower dream level, on the other hand, feels like an homage to old Bond films, both in terms of design and the fast-paced ski chases.
Besides the intriguing story, great visuals and engaging action, the film also scores on another level: the cast. Here again, Nolan has shown a good hand. Leonardo DiCaprio is a more than convincing leading actor, who succeeds believably in embodying the different facets of his character. On the one hand, DiCaprio's Dom Cobb is a stone-cold thief, a cunning businessman and a consummate strategist. But on the other, he's a broken man plagued by guilt who can't banish his beloved wife from his subconscious - which has dangerous consequences. Cobb is driven by only one desire: to see his children again. And he'll do anything to get it. On the one hand, that makes him the perfect candidate to perform an inception. On the other hand, it also makes him a real danger to himself and his team. DiCaprio plays this complex role with a strength that he has already shown in "Shutter Island" and that makes him one of the best actors of his generation.
He is supported by a squad of great young actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Juno"-star Ellen Page or Cillian Murphy. Ken Watanabe ("Last Samurai"), Michael Caine and Tom Hardy round off the ensemble perfectly. Oscar winner Marion Cotillard deserves a lot of praise as well. She shows a great screen presence as Cobb's wife in most of the scenes without any words at all and proves that she deserved her Oscar. The scenes with Cobb's wife, which at times consist only of brief snippets of memories, lead to another successful aspect of the film: the editing. The way the individual scenes and layers have been put together here is a feat that absolutely must be appreciated.
All the individual elements, which also include the music by Hans Zimmer, make "Inception" a fascinating total work of art, sophisticated entertainment cinema that is not only seen, but experienced. A film experience that demands a lot from the viewer (and this doesn't mean the increased admission price due to the extra length), but which gives back every investment double and triple. For films like this cinema is made and therefore also applies: absolutely worth seeing!!!
Ein Artikel von Frankfurt-Tipp
