Inception

I admit it - I wanted this movie to be awesome. As a whole, I have been unimpressed with movies lately, and I saw this as almost a last-gasp effort to be truly impressed with cinema again. I was far from disappointed.

As a film major in college, this was the type of movie that we all wanted (and still want) to achieve someday - a truly fascinating movie that is as much a feast for the eyes as much as it is a puzzle for the mind. The story revolves around Cobb (excellently articulated by Leonardo DiCaprio), and his team of unusual characters who make a living by extracting the secrets of high-powered people, which they they are usually tasked to do by a competitor. Until now, they have focused primarily on extracting secrets. But then, a client has a tall order - can they actually plant an idea into another's mind? The story unfolds brilliantly from then on, twisting and turning and throwing in loopholes left and right, forcing you to do mental acrobatics.

Any review of Inception would be incomplete if it didn't also mention the visuals of the film. In short, they are nothing less than breathtaking. For me, I am often drawn out of the moment of a film by wondering "how did they do that?" or thinking "wow, this CGI is horrible." There was little to no moments for me like that in this movie - I was completely engrossed the entire time, and the computer graphics (what there is of them) blend seamlessly into the rest of the film.

While I know that The Dark Knight made a bigger box office draw (thus far), I believe that this will be known as Christopher Nolan's masterpiece. He truly creates a different world for the viewer. Plus, if the last five to ten seconds of the film aren't a conversation starter, then I don't know what is. Highly recommended.