Inception – a review

Inception is a big idea. Almost too big for one film to handle. Thankfully with the deft touch of Christopher Nolan, good writing and the some stand out performances (most notable from the leading man) its an idea that works. Just.

I say just because whilst in the middle of the film, such is the pace and panache of what you are watching you swat away any niggles.

You see, sometimes, to get from here to there, to bring you along on this journey, Mr Nolan has to use some very broad brush strokes. This is not necessarily a bad thing and there may be a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, such is the complexity and imagination around the central conceit, the film could find itself weighted down, getting lost and muddled, especially in then hands of a lesser director. It would be easy to confound and bore the watcher. This does not happen. For a film of two and a half hours long, I was not bored, I was not fidgety, and for someone who believes most films do not need to be longer than 90 minutes, this is a testament to the quality of the experience. Secondly, given the subject matter, those broad strokes could be viewed in a different way, as part of the bigger whole, as exactly what the film is trying to achieve. This can be reflected, more than anything, in how it ended. Exactly how it needed to end.

Either way the film has invaded my sub-conscious. As time passes the gaps, the leap of faiths, the inaccuracies come to the fore and I find myself pondering them more and more. This is not a bad thing. I know I need to see this film again. I know I need to sit in a pub afterwards with other people and discuss it long and hard. I know that I throughly enjoyed the ride I was taken on. Some people will feel cheated when they are asked to think. This film is much cleverer than your standard summer blockbuster, more cerebral. However, it can just be enjoyed on the simplest of levels, but thats missing the point.

I don’t get to the cinema as much as I like. I was determined to see this because of my respect for Christopher Nolan as a director. Film of the year? Absolutely.