See This Now: Inception

If it seems like I've been gone for a few days, it's not because I've been a lazy fuck, but because I've been camping out for the premiere of this movie. That is a lie. However, I have been waiting for it intensely since I saw the teaser trailer last summer.

As what typically happens, oohs and aahs and "I'm gonna go see that" could be heard throughout the audience. I, on the other hand, forgot entirely about what movie I was seeing and started focusing on the imagery from that teaser. The top. The clock. The flying men in the hallway. Your mind as the scene of a crime. I've always had a thing for these mysterious teaser trailers and this one made me pee a little bit.

Fast forward to earlier this year, more and more information started coming out about the movie. It was vaguely explained as Leonard DiCaprio's character being a type of "thought thief", which he does so through entering dreams. Only after seeing the movie do you realize that you won't fully understand it until about halfway through, and then it just starts getting weirder.

I saw Inception yesterday and upon leaving I realized nothing would ever be as exciting as the film I had just experienced. Everything about the story worked - not only is it the most original blockbuster in years, but everything from the action scenes to the love stories are engaging, even as they transcend multiple dream levels. At it's core it's not a heist movie, and their main "job" is only the back story to DiCaprio's twisted relationship with his lost wife, played by Marion Cotillard. It becomes an exploration of broken and lost relationships through idealized memories came alive in dreams.

That's not to say it's not worth seeing for the action alone. While it's a pretty classic heist setup, the number of twists the dream worlds allow for create an entirely new experience. Yet there's enough character development, and stellar performances from both DiCaprio and Cotillard that you're engaged in the action beyond the visuals.

I have not seen as many movies as you probably have. But I found Inception to be as perfect as any of my favorite films. It makes Pulp Fiction seem as if it was written by a middle school student, and leaves you simultaneously appreciating the real world you live in, and begging to re-enter the worlds you just experienced. See this movie in IMAX as soon as you can. Four stars two thumbs up and a fucking pony for this movie.