Inception - Dreamland  
| I've had trouble with so-called "smart" reality bending movies in the past. Both The Matrix and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind left me cold. I felt they were all promise and no delivery. They were smug in their "aren't we so cool" attitude but really the emperor was wearing no clothes and the stories kind of fell apart. That's why Inception is so satisfying for me. This is a "smart" movie that actually is smart.
Instead of trying to be so cool or trying to wow, Nolan actually just tells his story. He doesn't rely on the gimmick to sell the plot. Instead the dream images are essential to the larger, surprisingly linear, story that he's telling. Underneath the dreamlike world Nolan has created is a simple, compelling and passionate story that resonates. Those other movies fell apart when the plot had to resolve. Inception stays true to its story and unfolds in a lovely manner.
As I mentioned, Inception's story is one that is quite straight forward when you peel through the layers. It is also one that gets richer as you examine it closer. Therefore the questions it asks about our perceptions, our desires for redemption and how we experience "reality" are much more powerful and articulate than those in some other films, films that may have been more about spectacle. Here the spectacle is all contained in a manner which brings out the narrative best. Inception is simply a great story.
While it's hard to talk too much about these details without spoiling some of the story, I can say that Inception doesn't lead you down the garden path trying to distract you like a magician (a la Shyamalan) so it can pull the rug out from underneath you with a trick ending. It doesn't slip in unforeseen details to stump you. It's honest in the way it lays out the plot points, letting you experience it all. Unlike the traditional Hollywood film it doesn't give you all the details in the beginning (or worse, the trailer) so you know exactly how it will end. It does what good movies do, tells its story and if you are paying attention you will get a great deal out of it.
Inception is lighter than I expected. It's not trying to be a groundbreaking revolution of cinema. Instead it is a well told tale of the classic tragic hero wrapped up in a heist flick wrapped up in a waking dream. It is remarkable how well it all folds together and how well this smart little film is told.
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