Whether dreams are a strange series of events where you fall off buildings and leave the house naked or whether they are mystical interpretations of life, there is no doubt that the potential to control the events in our dreams would be a magnificent architecture of the mind. Christopher Nolan explores dreams in a powerful way, by writing, producing and directing the science fiction epic that is Inception. Lauren Wentzel reviews Inception for The Socialite…

In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio plays our hero Dom Cobb, the most talented thief in the art of extraction, which is the process of stealing secrets from someone else’s mind whilst they are dreaming. This talent is valuable to the corporate and political powers in gaining information that could cripple their enemies to the ground. Cobb however, worked his way to this prestigious level at the cost of becoming a fugitive on the run, separated from the people that he loves most. The film is centred on Cobb’s opportunity to finally clear his fugitive status and return to his family with one last job for the powerful Saito (Ken Watanabe).

 The job is unlike any performed before, the catch being that they have to plant an idea rather than extract it, known as Inception. The challenge really lies in creating a dream where the mind of the dreamer believes it has created the idea on its own, like true inspiration. The team that is hand selected for this job is quirky and offer the audience some minor comic relief from the film’s intensity.  Ariadne (Ellen Page) is the physical creator of the dream space where the master plan will be carried out. She has a young rebellious architectural spirit and can create worlds beyond compare. She also provides a valuable support to Cobb in managing a dark secret that could lead to the frightening destruction of the team. The dark secret haunts his subconscious and follows him into dreams, it is connected to his relationship with beautiful wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) in a chilling way. Like a dream catcher, the mission is a web of dreams within dreams that overlap and impact on each other in a way that that is visually hypnotic and just plain amazing.

The film will still appeal to non science-fiction junkies but this is not your film if you are looking for neat conclusions or Mandy Moore feel good fuzzies. Take caution if this is a date movie because the film is not conducive to stealing kisses in the dark, let alone breaking your attention to forage for popcorn. Unfortunately the film is so multi layered and loaded with information that in trying to keep up with the plot some of the enjoyment can be lost as you feel the desperate need to hit rewind at numerous points in the story. This being said, the chase and guessing game will submerge you into parallel worlds where you join the cast in a quest so fantastical that you may begin to question the boundaries of your own dreams and reality.

P.S. If you have already seen and enjoyed Inception, look out for Shutter Island. You will see why…