Inception
by Ed Owens

Dreams have been the subject of movies since the very birth of cinema over a century ago, at least partially because of their "anything goes" nature. The only bounds of dream movies are the imagination of their makers and the limits imposed through their own rules...and therein lies at least part of the problem. Many dream movies fall prey to their own inconsistency, setting up an internal logic that they then violate either without knowing or without caring. Christopher Nolan's Inception, the most recent entry in the dream world sub-sub-genre, elevates such breaks in logic to a new art form, creating a visually striking tableau that is ultimately emotionally barren and intellectually dishonest.

The plot, which Nolan takes an inordinately long time to set up and almost no time whatsoever to actually explore in any meaningful thematic way, centers on Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a highly specialized thief who steals corporate secrets by entering his victim's dreams, a process known as "extraction." A fugitive unable to return to his stateside home, Dom is offered a chance at redemption in the form of a twist on the traditional job--planting an idea rather than stealing one (the titular "inception"). With the help of his team of supporting caricatures, including Joseph Gordon Levitt as Dom's right-hand man Arthur and Ellen page as the not-so-subtly named architect Ariadne, Dom sets out to on what he sees as one last job, one which will reunite him with his estranged children.

As with most movies set largely in dreams, Inception excels on the visual level, with stunning cinematography courtesy of longtime Nolan collaborator Wally Pfister and solid editing by Lee Smith. That and a handful of sharply directed set pieces (including a brilliantly choreographed brawl in shifting gravity) showcase Nolan's strengths as a director. Unfortunately, everything else only serves to highlight Nolan's weakness as a writer. In addition to poorly drawn characters, the script relies far too heavily on blunt force rather than subtlety, from overtly symbolic character names (Ellen Page's "architect," the team member responsible for creating the labyrinthine dream world, is named Ariadne) to the seemingly never-ending string of gibberish-like exposition that dominates the first hour, establishing the rules of the dream only to change them halfway through--what could have been an interesting intellectual exercise becomes a barely stable Jenga tower that falls apart at the slightest provocation.

Worst of all, what starts out as a potentially thought-provoking premise (though not nearly as original as many critics have claimed) quickly devolves into mindless action complete with ridiculous car chases, silly shoot-outs, and enough explosions to make Michael Bay drool. As visually impressive as some of it might be, it quickly grows tiresome in the absence of compelling characters or even the superficial development of the first act. One of the biggest casualties is the stunning yet wasted Marion Cotillard as Dom's dead wife. What Nolan obviously intended as the film's emotional core instead plays out as a narrative contrivance, one that pops up when needed (and as needed, given the somewhat murky development of both the character and "her" motivations).

Arthur (Levitt) carries a loaded die as his totem, a small specific item to help him distinguish between dreams and reality. It's a fitting symbol for the film itself, being the very embodiment of cheating, as Nolan layers cheat upon cheat until any appeal to reason or logic becomes an exercise in futility (in fact, any critical analysis can be summarily and arrogantly dismissed using only the cheat inherent in the film's premise). As slick as it may be, Inception is nothing more than a lavish shell game, one the viewer can't win.

©2010 Ed Owens
CineScene