User reviews

You only get to watch this for the first time once, so choose your state of mind carefully. It is a film about movies and dreams and reality, and what sort of life it is best to find when you leave the cinema and return to whatever you left to enter. It is spectacular, and brutal, and enigmatic and disturbing. It is beautiful and absorbing. It is about one of my favourite characters ever to grace the screen. I don't see it often, in case it's not as good as I like to remember it. That is my secret, that I lock away in my safe in the basement. That somewhere there is a perfect world for us all. For some, perhaps it is in the cinema watching this.

When you wake up from a good dream, you feel the reality is harsh. When you wake up after a bad dream, you will be sentimentally attached to the beauty of reality. But as long as life is good, reality and dreams don't matter.

The 20th Century had Casablanca, Star Wars, the Godfather, Blade Runner, and others - this is the first of the 21st Century masterpieces. Truly in awe at how amazing this movie is, an astounding show of all aspects of films. Amazing story and cinematography accompanied with actors worthy of telling the tale. Remarkable and breathtaking.

When I first watch this movie, I was just shocked with it's twist. I'm not gonna mention details, because can't share any spoilers.

Simply this movie makes a complex story, that makes you question so many things. "Why he is keeping her in his dreams?" or whatever your question is answering with some well written line. That scene is the key to the whole movie. That line between Cobb and Mal answers all your questions at once.

That's why I like this movie so much. Some movies has that potential. Making a complex story that someone could answer with only one sentence. You're waiting for that line for whole content. But most of the contents (I mean movie or TV Series) are not managing that well.

Besides the greatness of the storyline this movie has a really great cast. So Acting Performances are also great. Award Winning Cinematography by Wally Pfister was too great. Original Scores by Hans Zimmer was brilliant. Visual Effects are unique. So not only the Screenplay but nearly all the technical details are great.

There are those who seek to dive into your mind, take your secrets and whatever else they find, espionage, conspiracy, infiltration, skulduggery, through worlds that are all conjured, well designed. They've been asked to plant a seed, start an idea, change the course of an industrialists career, but it needs dreams within deep dreams, an architect to build the schemes, and the consequences, could be quite severe.

Imaginative beyond words, elegantly crafted and constructed, presented and performed by legends of the screen with a great storyline that keeps the viewer constantly engaged and on the edge of their seat - what more do you want out of movies.

Inception is my number one favorite movie off my twelve years on earth! It's absolutely impossible to explain the incredible that Inception has. Inception is Sooooooooo dang exciting, edge of seat, mind blower, and I wish there were more movies like it and more Christopher Nolans out there. Congratulations to the well deserved best director, writer, and producer of films (in my opinion). Also the acting is fabulous, everyone did an amazing job, and Leonardo was fabulous at explaining the dream concept. Also the CGI and effects are amazing. Go watch Inception because it is incredibly amazing in every aspect, and is my number one film of my twelve years on earth. Bravo to the Inception crew and wow at this fabulous movie!

Inception is truly one of a kind. A concept which has long gestated in Christopher Nolan's mind, his eye for drama mixed with his large scale sensibilities ring true in Blockbuster season making Inception a true original in the sea of reboots, remakes and sequels.

To try and explain Inceptions many plot twists and incredibly intelligent arcs, would be a foolish task. As Nolan himself has been reluctant to. The best way to approach the film would be with an open mind, if you are prepared to be taken on a ride of a lifetime, then trust that you 100% will. If Avatar was a seminal film in technology (although coming out as a rather poor film, in my opinion), then Inception is seminal in it's storytelling. With a 148 minute running time, you would expect a lot to take place, but what you wouldn't expect is the pace of it all. I did not think at one time in the film about how long was left. I was simply blown away by the depth in every single part of the film. If my enthusiasm for the storytelling aspect of the film has left you worried about the spectacle, then don't worry. They are, as hinted in the trailer, incredible, looking real and unbelievable simultaneously. The most pleasing thing about the action set pieces, is that they are genuinely used to illustrate the story, rather than to blow stuff up a la Michael Bay.

With this complex movie in it's high concept, a stellar cast is needed. And Nolan as always, delivers with just that. This is vintage DiCaprio, perhaps only equalled in The Aviator, which is even more impressive as his role as Cobb in Inception is not a showy one, needing DiCaprio to be the constant at the centre of the film. And he pulls off Cobb's emotional contradictions sublimely. The rest of the cast members all shine in parts of the films, Cillian Murphy shows off his usually non-existent tender side, Gordon-Levitt bottles his usual charm for his confidently reserved turn as the reliable Arthur, Watanabe is devilish as the seemingly ambiguous Saito, Page shows why she's the next big female star and Tom Hardy revels in being the comic relief of the film compared to his recent turns as decidedly psychopathic characters.

Overall, Nolan has indeed surpassed himself. He has created a world as expansive as his Gotham, a plot dwarfing the intricacies of Memento and one which blows The Prestige's cinematic reveal out of the water. This is truly unmissable cinema. Revel in it, we've still got to wait a whole two years before Batman 3.

Christopher Nolan's "Inception" (2010) is a complex science fiction thriller about a group of people with varying specific skills that create a perfect team of dream-sharers. Dom Cobb, the main protagonist, is an extractor who is able to find out people's secrets by intruding into their dreams. His right-hand is Arthur, who researches and plans what they are trying to accomplish in a dream. Bright graduate student Ariadne is the architect for the dreams, meaning she literally constructs the physical aspects of a dreamscape. Eames is a professional at turning into anyone else in a dream, almost like shapeshifting. Lastly, Yusuf is a chemist who creates perfect concoctions of sedatives to achieve ideal conditions for the dreams to take place. This elaborate combination of characters is asked by a rich businessman, Saito, to infiltrate his dying competitor's son, Robert Fischer's, dream and place an idea in his mind so that Saito's business can become more successful. Traveling through the layers of someone's mind and making them think of an idea on their own is what they call "inception." Cobb is dedicated to making this happen so that Saito can arrange for Cobb's return to America to see his children. Without Saito, Cobb would not be able to return to America because of his alleged criminal background, but Saito has connections and power to clear his name. Some members of his team think achieving inception is impossible, but Cobb convinces them to be on board and they must come up with a mastermind plan with no room for error to achieve this extremely difficult yet imperative task. They begin a three-layer plan that involves elaborate depths of the dream dimension, taking advantage of Fischer's sensitive and dysfunctional relationship with his father, practiced methods of leaving a dream and entering the next, all while trying to avoid Cobb's wife Mal who lives in his subconscious and often sabotages his plans. The shocking ending leaves viewers at a cliffhanger and fans theorizing.

Now that I've gone over the plot, let's talk about the other components of the film. The marketing strategies did an excellent job gathering hype for the film. The movie poster features the famous actors that everyone was excited to see, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, and the rest of the dream crew. It also says "Inception" in a large red font and notes that is directed by the same director of "Dark Knight," which was an insanely successful and highly rated movie that was premiered two years prior to Inception. Dark Knight scored a 94% on rotten tomatoes and is #112 on IMBD's most popular movie list. This likely drew in the audience from Christopher Nolan's movies and set a high expectation for the quality of Inception. Another great marketing move was the contents of the teaser trailer. The trailer features a brief voiceover of Leonardo DiCaprio and amazing scenes with impressive cinematography taken out of context that show the viewers the production value and exciting action contents of the film all while confusing them so that they go see the film when it is released. I think the shock factor and science fiction aspect of the trailer is owed to the scene where a city block starts to fold over top of itself.

The content of the film stayed true to the marketing because the cinematography, directing, and acting is quite well-done. Starting with the cinematography, the zero gravity scenes and cityscape building from the ground up were very realistic looking and intensified the movie watching experience. There was a lot of attention to detail. The directing of Inception is very montage based. It draws amounts and amounts of suspense. For example, the montage near the end of the film with the van, the fortress, and the hotel was painfully long but created such thick suspense. For the acting, I only have compliments and no complaints. Inception was casted beautifully and everyone fit their roles perfectly. Leonardo DiCaprio did an excellent job as Dom Cobb, especially in the emotional scene with his wife and two kids in one of the dreams. My personal favorite performance was Cillian Murphy's role as Robert Fischer. He played as his character really well and he captured his relatively constant sadness surrounding his father situation.

Inception is a staple film in the science fiction genre and is similar to a few other sci-fi movies as well. Inception is at #135 on IMBD's most popular movie list and has a rating of 87% on rotten tomatoes, so there is no doubt about its quality. In my opinion, Inception is pretty similar to the well-loved movie "The Matrix" (1999) starring Keanu Reeves. They are both iconic science fiction and action films with themes of alternate realities. The second film I think is very similar is a more recent film, Tenet (2020) with Robert Pattinson. Tenet is also about bending the rules of science and is also directed by Christopher Nolan. If you enjoyed either of these movies, I recommend Inception. I also recommend it to general fans of Christopher Nolan's directing, so if you have watched and enjoyed any of his films, you would probably like Inception too.

On my rating scale of one to five, with one being the worst possible score and five being perfect, I give Inception a five. It has no weaknesses in my opinion. Every aspect of this movie combines into perfection. The acting and cinematography is what takes it over the top, and I am a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy in all of the roles they play. This is a movie I have voluntarily watched multiple times and it only gets better with each watch. It is very complex and a complete experience to view. My favorite aspect of the film is the ending. Many people say they hate cliffhangers, but I enjoy them because it leaves it up to the audience to imagine. Basically, you can choose your own ending based on what you think makes the most sense with the facts you are given in the film.

I saw Memento very recently, something that turned out to be a great miss.I saw it again, just to make a couple of thins straight-and i'll definitely do the same with Inception.

Christopher Nolan keeps improving himself, with even more complex and multilayer script like this.And i thought Memento was hard to reach by most of the viewers, but no.Inception will keep you mesmerized and captivated by the genius, that's hidden behind it.And not just directors and screenwriters (or with other words-Nolan), but with acting and sound-and effects and editing as well.

When you have a cast like this-i mean Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Lewitt, Michael Caine, or Marion Cotillard (a personal favourite), the movie just keeps going flawlessly.Most of the crew is the same the Nolan brothers worked with on TDK and earlier in Batman Begins.So the Oscar noms in those categories are a certainty for me.

The only thing one could have against the movie, is the headache one could have.See, most of my friends go to the movies for brainless action, they enjoyed Iron Man 2 and The A-Team, but this movie-you have to see it at least twice, to understand it.The levels and the layers on which thing are happening are so many, that one surely'll miss something vital.This is a reason for not fitting to the mass audience, but i hope that won't happen, because Nolan is one of my favourite directors/writers, and he showed, that the brainless action flicks aren't all of it.There are still movies like Inception out there and still people like the Nolans to make those movies, so it's not all lost.And i hope this movie could show the audience that the story is still important for the experience one could receive, not the endless, constant explosions.Because this is really a one of a lifetime event.

Saying that, i must say, that in a world full of remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels and God knows what, this is a unique chance to see something different and unmatched so far-a strong movie, that, surely will be Nolan's latest masterpiece! My Grade won't change-it's the same for all Nolan movies-sheer 10!

Inception is a beautiful piece of film that has impacted a large part of the film industry. With everything from the actors to the cinematography to the music, this movie without any elaboration perfected almost everything there is.

Inceptions slow start is the only weak point of this movie. It begins intensely to then slows down for the next 20 - 30 minutes. While then finishing off as an impeccable film. Nevertheless, this is what brings the film down for me.

The director Christopher Nolan managed to create a masterpiece with little to no mistakes. At no point during this intensely long movie did I feel bored. Instead, I was always excited and on my toes intrigued.

The acting in this movie was phenomenal. A small number of great actors that all had their character arc while also doing incredible performances. It is truly beyond me how Dicaprio didn't win an Oscar for his performance.

Meanwhile, also employing the greatest composer in history with Hans Zimmer, the music adds significantly. The music adds an extreme amount of excitement and keeps you constantly interested. Few composers can make you notice the music, but Zimmer succeeds per usual.

To finish of the film was astonishingly shot. With beautiful eye-catching scenes. While also containing some incredible action scenes that might be some of the best action I've seen. With a thought-provoking storyline that finishes of with an unbelievable ending.

I highly recommend Inception to everyone and I promise you won't be disappointed.

I had the privilege of seeing this movie before it came out, and, like most of DiCaprio's films, it blew me away.

Inception is a well-made movie, filmed in about 6 locations all over the world. The directing was outstanding, there were only about two moments, maybe three seconds in total, where i noticed that visual effects were being used (of course defying gravity is pretty difficult).

The plot was very pleasingly intricate, with a twist-and-turn, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat type feel. I noticed that this film had similarities with DiCaprios thriller Shutter Island (which i also enjoyed very much)seeing as it left you wondering what was real and what was not. It's great to see a movie with a thick and emotional plot and not just grenade-throwing action heroes who achieve greatness in the end.

Inception also has a very well-composed score, which to me was the finishing touch to a perfect movie. If you're thinking about seeing Inception, definitely go! Even though i was fortunate enough to see a free show, it is worth every penny you pay.

Truly unique, like nothing i've ever seen before. Christopher Nolan certainly covered new ground with this film and wasn't afraid to leave us hanging with a spectacular ending.

Usually I try to be careful with over hyping a film, or setting the expectations too high, as film geeks all are guilty for, however for Christopher Nolan's Inception, this really is not possible.

This is possibly one of the only perfect films I have ever seen. It is absolutely confident in every way, something which is extremely refreshing, even more so than Avatar. Christopher Nolan gets some slack for making great to look at but ultimately heartless affairs, which I for one do not agree with, however I do not think anyone can argue that here. The emotional aspect of this film not only ties it all together but is really the centre of this film, it is the focus.

I do not want to over simplify the film, by simply calling it Kubrick doing Bond, or Gondry on a huge budget, because I am sure it will be called that but it is far more than that, it is something I do not think Kubrick could have ever made. It is pure Nolan, and pure greatness.

I hate writing something which is pure fan-boy gushing, but its really difficult here. I did not find a thing I did not like about it, I am sure if maybe I saw it a second time, maybe I would find something about it I didn't like, but not the first time. The way it is cut, means that there is always action on screen, if not, then the visuals are interesting enough to keep your eyes glued.

The final hour of the film, is possibly one of the most complicated action sequences put on film. You have to constantly be paying attention to remember all of the layers of what is happening. Without spoiling anything, all I have to say is that is what this film is about, that is what makes this film so great, layers. Once you have seen this you will now what I am talking about.

All of the actors are fantastic too, Di Caprio is the stand out here. Yes, this is probably due to the fact he is the star and given all of the emotional weight, but he handles it perfectly, similarly to his performance in Shutter Island. Ellen Page, whom I usually hate, gives a great performance here. Tom Hardy gives a break out performance here, he is quite the bad ass.

I hope audiences are ready for a film like this, a pure auteur driven film which does not sacrifice a single frame for the studio. I would hope this film will change Hollywood, as it is 100 percent the directors vision yet it is definitely a marketable film, much like District 9, yet I do not think it will.

I cannot recommend this film anymore than I have, I just have to say everyone and anyone should see it. Sorry about all the gushing, it is just so hard not too.

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I'm nearly at a loss for words. Just when you thought Christopher Nolan couldn't follow up to "The Dark Knight", he does it again, delivering another masterpiece, one with so much power and rich themes that has been lost from the box office for several years. Questioning illusions vs reality usually makes the film weird, but Nolan grips your attention like an iron claw that you just can't help watching and wondering what will happen next. That is a real powerful skill a director has. No wonder Warner Bros. put their trust in him, he is THAT good of a director, and over-hyping a Christopher Nolan film, no matter what the film is about, is always an understatement instead of an overestimate like MANY films before.

Not since the eras of Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky and Alfred Hitchcock has there been a more brilliant director than Christopher Nolan. He is, undoubtedly, one of THE most brilliant and gifted Hollywood filmmakers in history. Filmmakers like him come but just once in a lifetime. He has the ability to seduce our eyes, ears and most importantly, mind, and then delivers what he intends to deliver in full blast. Rarely have blockbusters have the gall to deliver such amounts imagination and intelligence at the same time. And yes, it is similar to the excellent anime film "Paprika" in the whole "invading dreams" plot, but the similarities end there as Nolan brings the film to a whole different level.

Visuals and intelligence rarely come together in movies at the same time, it's either all-visuals-no-smarts ("G.I. Joe", "Transformers") or the exact opposite ("Doubt", "Invictus"). In this film the excellently directed action sequences combined with immensely groundbreaking and jaw-dropping visual effects are combined smoothly with a heavy dose of intelligence and believability.

Although having an ensemble cast and financed by a Hollywood giant studio (Warner Bros), this film is a very personal film for Nolan, he wrote the film as well as directing it, and as you watch the film you get many glimpses of Nolan's perplexing, increasingly imaginative thoughts and dreams in the dialog that he writes and the plot that he sets up. Ideas have never felt more interesting and put to good use than in this film. This film is NOT for the popcorn muncher, rather it is a film for thinkers. Honestly I can't explain the plot for fear of spoiling the movie for you readers. Even the slightest hint will ruin the experience. The viewer will walk out of the cinema feeling dazed, confused and ultimately breathless. It's like a puzzle, both physically and mentally, and you have to pay attention throughout the film for the clues. However Nolan controls the spectacle of the film and is careful not to let it overwhelm the film's humanity, and this is where "Inception" shines. It is a very deep film that will have one thinking and asking questions for years to come. That's right, years.

Once the film ends, you'll want to watch it again, for there's something new every time. This is a film that requires multiple viewing for someone to truly comprehend the film's ambiguous themes, and will be discussed by many in the future. This is an original film, no adaptation, no sequel/prequel, no remake/reboot, which is extremely refreshing having gone nearly three years of mostly unremarkable visual effects roadshows ("Avatar" be damned).

Of course, a film is not complete without the actors. Leo DiCaprio delivers an Oscar worthy performance, similar but better than his previous effort "Shutter Island". He shows glimpses of a flawed, grim, fragile man, who has knowledge about everything else but yet can't seem to come in grips with himself and his demons. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Marion Cottilard, Pete Postlethwaite, Lukas Haas... Nolan really brings out the best in this unusual yet extremely talented group of supporting actors who make their roles their own.

Nolan is of course, a master behind the camera, a real virtuoso when it comes to film. His direction is taut, focused, gripping, and extraordinarily fascinating. The detailed and complex original script is no surprise from Nolan, considering the fact that he turned Batman the superhero into pop-culture art two years ago ("The Dark Knight"). The action sequences are unique, exciting and fresh, something absent from the cinema which has since been interested at things popping towards the screen and stuff blowing up every two milliseconds. The visual effects are awesome and imaginative, and best of all they do not bring down the movie's quality one bit, rather it makes the movie more fascinating to watch. The cinematography is absolutely, beautifully shot, so we can see the action and emotion in all their glory. Production design is top notch, with terrific design of sets and locations. Hans Zimmer's complementing music score is simply outstanding, and knowing the man, that's really all I have to say. Together all of these elements combine to deliver a mesmerizing movie experience like no other this year.

Christopher Nolan has once again outdone himself. He truly is a gifted filmmaker, arguably the most imaginative in Hollywood today. And "Inception" can proudly stand alongside "Blade Runner" and "2001: A Space Odyssey" as science-fiction masterpieces that push the boundaries for movie making and become a different experience altogether.

There are two types of films: the crowd-pleasing blockbuster and the intelligent indie/art film. Nolan has combined two of these tropes together into one exceptionally brilliant package, pulling off that rare, now nearly-extinct Movie Magic that has since been wiped off the planet by sequelitis and reboots. Movie of Summer 2010? Movie of 2010? Heck this is possibly the first masterpiece of the decade! Nolan is a genius and I applaud him for treating his audiences as intelligent people.

Missing this film and not getting the film's point is a crime.

Overall value: 9/10 (Excellent)