Inception: a new Christopher Nolan masterpiece?

“What is the most resilient parasite: an idea!” - from the upcoming movie Inception.

I started paying attention to the style and personality of Christopher Nolan’s movies after I saw Insomnia (2002), starring a more serious Robin Williams - with that kind of creepiness we saw in One Hour Photo - and a cranky and sleep-deprived Al Pacino. The distinct impression I remember feeling as I finished the movie was that I had been following a very good story. This is the quality that I think separates Nolan as a director. He is a story teller.

I even remember thinking that The Prestige (2006) was a good movie, but it seemed to stand out in a way other good movies didn’t. There just seemed to be a personality behind the story direction. The story unfolded - as all stories do - in a certain style and with a certain temperament. Memento (2000) was the same way, as was Nolan’s utter revitalization of the Batman franchise.

What I am particularly excited about as of late is the upcoming release of Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, a secret agent who uses advanced technology to enter into the minds of rich geniuses to find their tricks and strategies for amassing wealth. His name is Dom Cobb. He steals ideas. After the secrets are found, he ‘sells it to the highest bidder’.

If you’ve seen the trailer, the special effects look incredible. In the mind, shapes can shift without warning and people can have powers not had in the real world. In my blog on the movie The Cell, you’ll remember that I loved it because it focuses on a theme I am especially interested in: the inner consciousness, the mind. In the preview, we literally see a cityscape folding back on itself! The soundtrack sounds amazing, with that rhythmic bellowing of the horn.

The movie has been shrouded in secrecy. When Nolan delivered the scripts, there were guards just outside the front door of the actor's homes, not letting anyone get a chance to know anything about the movie. But the testimony of the actors reading the script is enough for me. They are very excited. They were blown away by the story and the twists and turns.

I can’t wait to see it! I’ll probably miss it in theaters - in darn boot camp. Maybe I can sneak off base!