Inception (Blu-ray)
Kristy Sturdivant
December 7th, 2010
To try and explain a film like INCEPTION is near impossible. It has action but I wouldn’t call it an action film. It is dramatic but would never be solely classified as a drama. It makes you think and keeps you on the edge of your seat but is way too smart and is so much more to be considered a psychological thriller. INCEPTION has all of these qualities and the subtle blending of these attributes is what makes this film a true masterpiece and a movie that requires multiple viewings to catch every detail.
Technology has come to a place where people can enter minds through dreams and create worlds to expose secrets, weaknesses and even plant ideas. A team of thieves take on a job to plant an idea into a businessman’s head, but to do that they will have to enter his mind on many different levels before being discovered by the subconscious they are trying to invade.
Director Christopher Nolan has once again blown away audiences with his storytelling. The way he maneuvers his actors through these complex scenes and intricate storyline seems effortless and unbelievable. Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Cobb, takes the audience on an emotional journey through his subconscious (as well as others’ subconscious) where he torments himself because of the guilt he feels from his wife’s (Marion Cotillard) death. His performance in this film is so brilliant that if he isn’t nominated for an Academy Award then it will be a crime.
The set design on this film is like a dream itself and a wonder to behold. Nolan has literally created a world that seems both real and fantastical at the same time which makes me wonder if his own dreams are this intricate. The way he moves his characters from one scene to the next could have easily ended up being muddled or choppy but he does it so that it seems like you are gliding down a serene river. Nearly every dream sequence is a wonder to behold with colors and details so rich it is literally breathtaking.
Although this is definitely a film driven by Leonardo DiCaprio, the supporting characters are vital to the story. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur exudes a calm confidence that perfectly balances Cobb’s nervous energy. And Ellen Page, as Ariadne, is used to slowly unlock the inner workings of Cobb’s brain so that his inner psyche is revealed to both him and the audience.
INCEPTION is one of those films that you need to just sit back and watch it as it unfolds before your eyes. If you try to figure out what is going on or what will happen next then you will miss something because every scene is vital to the overall story that falls into place at the end. I encourage you to just take it all in and afterwards find a nice quiet place to reflect on everything you just saw. If I could choose one film for anyone to see in 2010 it would be this one. This is filmmaking at its best from directing, to acting to cinematography. Go out and see immediately.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video (1080p High Definition 16×9 2.4:1)- Stunning transfer, everything is beautiful and clear and the colors are rich and not too oversaturated.
Audio (DTS-HD 5.1)-Perfect levels and every explosion feels just like you’re there.
Extraction Mode: This is a mix between screen-in-screen mode and director, cast and crew commentary. After certain scenes in the movie we cut away to watch a short segment about whatever you just watched. Of all movies, I think INCEPTION was the best one to use this technique on because you don’t have to turn your attention away from the scene to listen to what is going on in the background and vice versa.
5.1 Inception Soundtrack (29.58): This was kind of strange because we basically listen to all the tracks of the film but with no video, and when I mean no video I mean the screen is black. I guess this beats buying the soundtrack/score separately since this is in 5.1 DTS-HD.
Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious (44:29): This is a short documentary hosted by Joseph-Gordon Levitt and is about dreams. It’s full of personal stories, scientific evidence and interpretations. This is very interesting but doesn’t really shed any light onto the actual movie, however, if you are at all interested in dreams and how your subconscious works then this is worth watching.
Inception: The Cobol Job (14:28): This is the job that Cobb and the team do before they go into Saito’s mind at the very beginning of the film. It’s done comic-book style and although it wasn’t necessary to add it into the actual movie, it’s still cool to watch.
Project Somnacin: Confidential Files: This is where you can access files that reveal the Inception of dream-share technology
Extras include conceptual art gallery and promotional art archive
Trailers and TV Spots
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