After the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” back in 2010, I wrote a review on my earlier blog site praising the film. After several more viewings I would continue to applaud it as my favorite film of that year. But as excited as I was over “Inception”, I still don’t think my previous review did justice to what has become one of my favorite movies of all time. I still find “Inception” to be one of the most original and most ambitious movies I’ve ever seen. But ambition doesn’t always equal a greatness. Thankfully “Inception” not only aims high, but it succeeds in creating a movie unlike anything I’ve seen before.

It’s hard to pigeonhole “Inception”. It’s a heist film, a tragic romance, science-fiction, and an action film. But what impresses most is how it uses all of these ingredients flawlessly. The bulk of its success can be traced right back to Nolan. Christopher Nolan is one of our greatest working directors. He wrote, co-produced, and directed this film which I believe only he could have pulled off. It took him almost ten years to write the script, and it was the huge success of “The Dark Knight” that secured the much-needed funding. But you sure can’t argue with the results. “Inception” ended its box office run making nearly $840 million worldwide.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor Nolan had wanted to work with for some time. He plays “Dom” Cobb, a dream thief for lack of a better title. He, along with his partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), are paid to infiltrate the subconsciouses of their targets via their dreams and steal information. When the dream extraction from a wealthy Japanese businessman named Saito (Ken Watanabe) goes wrong, Cobb and Arthur learn they were being tested. Instead of extracting information, Saito wants them to pull off an “inception” on a business rival. The idea of inception is that instead of stealing information, you plant it in the target’s subconscious while they’re dreaming. Dom wonders if inception is even possible, but he’s enticed to take the job when Saito promises to use his influence to clear Cobb’s name of a mysterious murder charge that has kept him from returning to his two children in the United States.

To do the job Cobb needs a crack team of experts. Eames (Tom Hardy) is basically a forger (or probably better described as an impersonator). Once inside a dream, he has the ability to take on the identity of anyone. Ariadne (Ellen Page) is the architect. She is able to construct mental labyrinths inside the dreamer’s subconscious. This is essential if the team is going to know their way around the dream. Yusuf (Dileep Rao) is basically the team’s pharmacist. He’s the one who controls the sleep via his numerous concoctions. Saito also insists on going to keep an eye on his “investment”. Nolan takes us through the formation of the team, shows their training, and of course their attempt at inception. As the story moves forward Nolan plays with our minds, placing dreams within dreams. And it only gets more complicated as their well-planned heist hits some unexpected roadblocks.

One thing I’ve always loved about a Christopher Nolan film is his ability to put to gather the perfect cast. This may be his best yet. This is DiCaprio’s first time working with Nolan and they two gel well. Dom knows his business but he’s a tortured man with loads of emotional baggage. Leo handles all of this perfectly. I also loved Tom Hardy who steals nearly every scene he’s in. Eames is a confident wisecracker who doesn’t take his work lightly. Gordon-Levitt gives another strong performance and is given one particular action sequence that still blows me away. Then there’s Page who brings a needed sense of caution and reality to the mission.

But there are some other great performances that are equally important to the story. One of my favorites was Marion Cotillard as Mal, a mysterious woman with a special bond with Dom who repeatedly appears within his dreams. Cotillard’s performance is multi-layered and fascinating. Michael Caine, a Nolan favorite, is very good as Dom’s father-in-law and caregiver to his children. The always great Cillian Murphy plays the team’s central target for inception. It was also great to see Tom Berenger given a nice role while the great Peter Postlethwaite shines in what would be his last performance before his death.

Of course Nolan also treats us to some incredible eye candy. The movie was filmed in locations all over the world including Tokyo, Morocco, Paris, and Alberta. Each of these places have their own distinct look and feel within the movie, whether they take place in reality or in a dream. This was an intentional move by Nolan who wanted to place his film in the contemporary world while also playing with our perceptions of what is real and what’s not. And of course since we’re talking about dreams, Nolan has a spectacular and diverse visual sandbox to play in. He wows us with several amazing special effects sequences that include rotating hotel rooms, trains barreling down big city boulevards, and a shootout at a fortified arctic base. “Inception” hits you with one spectacular set piece after another and all of it fits nicely with the movie’s deep and layered story.

“Inception” isn’t a movie with a straightforward, by-the-book narrative. It’s a film that requires you to pay attention. Some people have pushed back, calling it overly and unnecessarily complex. For me it’s refreshing to have something completely original that challenges its audience. And it’s amazing to watch how well it all unfolds. Nolan constantly throws new kinks into his story to the point where I questioned whether he could bring it all together. But he masterfully corrals everything in an exhilarating final 20 minutes, culminating in one unforgettable last shot.

For me, everything in “Inception” works – the special effects, the action sequences, Nolan’s phenomenal script, the perfectly tuned cast, Hans Zimmer’s pulse-pounding score. To be honest, this is why I go to the movies. Nolan dodges the overused conventions and trappings to deliver something incredibly new. And he surrounds with such expert craftsmanship. That said, be prepared to think. The story is a challenge which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But the magnificent payoff makes it worth every ounce of effort.