Inception

It's hard to believe ten years has passed since Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated Inception released in cinemas and it's fair to say I loved it at the time. Nolan had two hugely impressive Batman films under his belt, and had also found success with The Prestige in 2006, but Inception would be his biggest original film yet. It had a starry cast and a mysterious plot that would see the internet dissect the trailers for more information. The hype was there and it delivered for many but now as we wait for Tenet, how does it stack up today?

Nolan's spin on reality sees a device that allows people to share dreams and exist in a world they can create so not far away from the likes of Minecraft but this technology can be abused. The film begins with Leonardo DiCaprio and his crew sedating company owner Ken Watanbe in order to steal his company secrets through a clever deceptive performance in a dream. Dreams within dreams. It left many of us scratching our heads throughout but Nolan manages to guide the audience through his twisty world successfully, and rewatching this again was a lot more relaxing give or take a few scenes.

There some films, like Alfred Hitchcock's who I discussed recently, which reward second viewings but then are those which works once and when the surprise gone on a second viewing, the story doesn't always deliver when its secrets are exposed. Films with an eleventh hour twist sometimes fall into the latter but Inception is a tricky one to place because Nolan seems to welcome repeat viewings. Sure, the surprise that comes in certain scenes might be spoilt but knowing I could relax having gained an understanding of this sci-fi tech with dreams offered more enjoyment from the story.

From a visual perspective, Inception looks gorgeous and the cast are all on fine form. Some special effects have aged a little and Hans Zimmer's fantastic score has caused the rest of Hollywood to rely on fog horn noises but Nolan's creative ambition makes this such an engaging experience, and the practical effects are still just as impressive. DiCaprio isn't given an Oscar bait role but he is great in the leading role. Ellen Paige has the difficult role acting almost as the audience's avatar, raising questions that almost seem written to help us, but is great as well. Tom Hardy charms his way through this in a role that really put his name out there, while Cillian Murphy gives so much in one of the smaller roles that it's a testament to how great he is, and the same goes for Marion Cotillard in the femme fatale performance.

Inception is one of the biggest films of the last decade and I'm glad to say it is still worthy of the praise it received at release. Nolan and his team have made a fine film that pushes the envelope with what mainstream films can offer, and it's important to have influential names like himself in the industry that dare to create something new. When we look at all of the big films delayed by COVID-19, how many of those aren't a sequel designed to cash-in on an existing franchise? As much as I might enjoy those films, the answer is too many and hope the industry can survive in a way that will enable more filmmakers like Nolan to continue being as creative.