"One simple idea can change everything". In anticipation of Christopher Nolan's science-fiction space adventure Interstellar, we look back at one of his best films, as well as one of my favorite movies of all time. Inception is one of the most original and complex films ever made that dives deep withing the story and world that it created, giving great depth to all the characters and delivering one of the most widely discussed ending ever put to screen. Here is my review/analysis of Inception.

Inception tells the story of Dom Cobb, a skilled extractor with a complicated past who steals information deep with the subconscious of someone within the dream world. Because of his hidden past, he has become a fugitive who cannot return home to his children. He is offered redemption when he is given an inverse task by Mr. Saito to do the impossible: Inception, the implantation of another person's idea of deep within a target's subconcious. Now he must set up the perfect team in order to complete the impossible and return home to his children.

This is going to be a very long, detailed review that will be more of an analysis of the film. In order to tell this review/analysis, I will be separating it into four sections:The Dreams, The Characters, The Filmmakers, and The Ending. For obvious reasons, this article will contain some SPOILERS.

The Dreams

Like the idea of Inception itself, the film is deeply layered in many aspects through the dream aspect of the film, the characters, and most importantly, the ending. One of the best part about Inception is how Nolan is able to capture the idea and make it work into our subconscious. Nolan was able to bring this concept and make it seem possible for the real world. This is a director who goes into immersive research in order to make sure that whatever he creates can become a possibility. The handling of the dream sequences and each level each deliver the message that as we go deep into our subconscious, we discover something deeper within ourselves.

One thing that always bewildered my mind was that "what if the idea of Inception already exist?". In the film, the characters are going through deeper levels of the subconscious in order to plant an idea. As the character in the film states, one simple idea can change everything. This is a great representation on how sometime our subconscious already has an idea set deep within. It is our task as to expose this idea and make it into a reality. This is something that many people are dealing with our real life, as even though we may plant an idea in our head, it is the task of bringing it into reality that provides the difficulty.

On the surface of the film, the dream sequences and the building up to the plantation of Inception into the main target is an entertaining thrill ride that keeps you invested. All of the dream levels that they created was done to amazing detail and each given their own world and environment. In short, every dream state is unique and original. Most of all, there are risk for the characters. Usually when something involves a dream, there is no tension because it is not real. However, Christopher Nolan was able to bring tension and thrills within the dream world. It is because if the idea of Inception fails, all of the character's lives will be at tremendous risk. That way, whenever there is a moment of suspense, it makes the audience care about it.

The Characters

The characters in the film are each given their own identity and personality. Leonardo DiCaprio does an excellent job as Dom Cobb, the Extractor and the leader of the team, bringing a demanding and haunting performance crucial to the story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives an excellent supporting role as the Manager/Researcher of the team Arthur, who provides a great friendship with Dom. Tom Hardy as the Forger/Identity Thief Eames does a great job of being the comic relief and delivering some of the films lighter moments. Dileep Reo brings the scientific aspect as Yusuf, the Chemist. Ken Wantanabe is one of the most essential part of the characters as Mr.Saito, also known as the Tourist. He is the character that is in control of the outcome of the characters. Ellen Page is the most important supporting character as Ariadne, the Architect who creates the dream world. More importantly, she is the one who must help Dom to make sure that his past doesn't effect the mission, as she tries to help him overcome his past and move on from it.

Dominic Cobb is one of the most complex characters out of all the Christopher Nolan movies (well, other than Batman). He represent someone who has his past affect who he is as a person, and he cannot simply find the courage to move on. Most of the past is through consequences that happened between him and his wife Mal, potrayed by Marion Cotillard. Marion Cotillard does an excellent job potraying the femme fatale of the story, as it is the relationship of Dom and Mal that really carries the character and story arc of Dom Cobb. It represents how someone may have difficulty in moving on from the past.

Here is where the next aspect of the film lies. The essential story arc of Dom is to move on from your past, as it will lead to consequences in the present. Although this may be a difficult process, moving on from your past gives you a sense a relief and makes you lose one aspect of burden. This is something that many people can relate to, as we all have something from our past that can control any aspect in the present moment. Sometimes it can have a negative force on you. But by moving on, you learn how to become a better person and stop carrying guilt and negativity inside you.

The Filmmakers

The filmmakers has a lot of things to do with making a successful film. One of the main factors of why this is a technological experience is through it's cinematographer Wally Pfister. Wally Pfister is able to capture excellent action sequences and wonderful tracking shots, as well as capturing the authenticity of the dream world. The biggest example of Pfister's cinematography has to be the hall room fight sequence, where it does a great job of capturing all of the characters as the whole room is spinning around in zero gravity. The camera follows every action, and the best part is that there was no visual effects used. All of this sequence was filmed with authenticity and it is the reason why this scene is one of the best action sequences in many years.

The other aspect that helps elevate the experience is the outstanding soundtrack from Hans Zimmer. There are only five albums that I own. This is easily my favorite soundtrack that I own. Hans Zimmer is able to combine excellent music and give the scene more authenticity. The music does a great job of capturing the emotion and tone of what the characters are going through. The best music piece in the soundtrack is "Time", presented towards the end of the film. The best way to describe this piece of music is beauty. This is literally the best music to my ears. "Time" is the soundtrack I listen to whenever I feel hopeless, whenever I have to think, whenever I had a huge revelation or about to change something in my life. For that reason alone, Inception has one of the best soundtracks ever made, as it is beautiful to listen to and captures the emotion and action of the characters.

The real star of the film, and the reason why it works, is the writer, producer, and director of this feature film, Christopher Nolan. Here, Nolan is able to tell a very detailed film that goes above and beyond a normal blockbuster film, forcing the audience to use his brain in order to understand it. He  is able to balance drama, action and heart into this film while also delivering a film that can be analyzed and not affect the viewing of the film, but enhance it. The way he executes a film with great detail and thought in a way that audience will understand is the key strength of the direction that Inception is under. This is a film that is best described as a labyrinth, as it will make many analysis in order to capture the full understanding of the film. Nolan does a great job in showing the four stages of our subconscious. This is easily one of the most original films ever made, as it is able to turn a concept such as dreams and give it an epic story.

The Ending

This is one of the most talked about aspects of the film, as well as one of the most talked about endings in film history.This is an ending that is up to the audience's interpretation. Many have had their speculations, including myself, in which I would discuss towards the ending of this section.
In the end of the film, Cobb and his team has completed the impossible and planted the idea of Inception onto the target. The mission was a success. Mr. Saito is able to give Cobb redemption, and Cobb, for the first time in many years, is about to see his children. Cobb is about to determine whether or not he is in a dream, but ignores its outcome as he goes over to great his children. The camera pans back at Cobb's totem, the spinning top. The spinning top is still spinning, it looks like it could go either direction, and then we fade to black.

Towards the film, the spinning top represents whether or not Cobb is still dreaming or not. If it stops, then he is in reality. If it keeps on going, he is in a dream. Many have speculated whether the ending of the film is either a dream or reality. There has been many articles discussing the ending of the film. I will put a link at the end of this section. Even I have speculated on whether or not the ending is a dream. However, for me, it doesn't matter what the ending of the film is. Here is a quote from Director Christopher Nolan about the ending of the film:
"I've been asked the question more times than I've ever been asked any other question about any other film I've made... What's funny to me is that people really do expect me to answer it....The real point of the scene—and this is what I tell people—is that Cobb isn't looking at the top. He's looking at his kids. He's left it behind. That's the emotional significance of the thing."
This is what I believe the ending of Inception means. This is a true meaning of it. There is no answer to it. What matters most is the emotional connection between the characters.

Inception is one of my favorite films of all time. Christopher Nolan made a film that like the idea of Inception itself, has so many layers that can be deeply explored. He does a great job on giving us an original, breathtaking story that involves dreams and subconscious, as well as the contrast between dreams and reality. It is rounded up by interesting, complex characters, excellent cinematography, brilliant music, and one of the most ambiguous ending of all time. This movie is a MASTERPIECE.