A Movie a Day, Day 64: Christopher Nolan’s Inception

How can tell if we’re dreaming? Is “real” life more valid or meaningful than dreams? Can we control our subconscious minds? Should we?

A Movie a Day, Day 64: Inception
Photo: Warner Bros.

By the time I got around to buying tickets for Inception last night, the first showing that still had seats available started at 10:30. That means it was over at 1:15 a.m., but the packed theater was pumped, erupting in laughter and excited chat after the twist ending. I wasn’t thrilled by Inception, but I liked it well enough. And boy, does that Christopher Nolan know how to make a tent-pole movie or what?

Inception touches on some classic questions. How can tell if we’re dreaming? Is “real” life more valid or meaningful than dreams? Can we control our subconscious minds? Should we?

If you like philosophical or scientific explorations of mysteries like these, Inception is not for you. The thrills in this expertly constructed summer movie are more visceral than conceptual, its thinly developed characters careening from one level of consciousness to the next only to dodge falling objects and run from men with big guns. Think of it as a highly realistic, beautifully art-directed video game that becomes interactive only after the fact, when you go online to kick ideas around with other fans.

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Click here to read the rest of my review.

This article was originally published on The House Next Door.

Elise Nakhnikian

Elise Nakhnikian has written for Brooklyn Magazine and runs the blog Girls Can Play. She resides in Manhattan with her husband.

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