MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Inception Rated PG-13

Directed by Christopher Nolan.  Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Photo © 2009 Warner Bros. Pictures
Movie Review by Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

There are smart movies, dumb movies and really smart dumb movies.  Last year’s Shutter Islandwas a smart dumb movie that didn’t work; its pretentions and in-jokes proved tiresome.  Inception (starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who was also in Shutter Island) is smart, complicated, and ultimately somewhat silly, but you will probably be glad you saw it and may want to see it a second time.
Shakespeare once wrote: “We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”  I think Humphrey Bogart said it in The Maltese Falcon, too.  Hollywood has often been called the dream factory, and Inception is a science-fiction caper film that takes place (mostly) in dreams and in dreams-within-a-dream.

Leonardo DiCaprio is Cobb, an entrepreneur and thief who specializes in infiltrating the dreams of individuals to pry loose secrets – finding that lock box where such things reside.  He is assisted by a team of experts, who are skilled in the arts of impersonation, exploration and even building dreamscapes.  How does it all work and how do so many people get involved in the same dreams?  I have no idea, since my dreams usually involve flying, showing up late for an exam without studying, and being caught out in public without clothes.  My dreams are not worth investigating.
The new assignment is for Cobb to place an idea into the head of a person (this is called “inception”) so that they believe that the idea is theirs and will make an important decision that will be beneficial for the company that is hiring the team of dream experts. 

That’s all that I care to say about the plot, but I advise you to pay close attention from the very beginning of the film and plan to be mentally active for the next 2 ½ hours. 

There are two ideas that are the most interesting.  The first one is the reflection on the power of ideas.  As Cobb says: “What's the most resilient parasite? An Idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it.”  But the inception of ideas is even stronger. Every Sunday’s sermon and every Sunday School lesson has the potential to place revolutionary ideas into minds that have the potential to lead folks to life with God in Christ.  And, because of the power of ideas, we are also capable of doing great harm.  The second interesting idea in the movie are Cobb’s memories of his late wife, who resides in a place of limbo which he visits from time to time.  Here is where the inner doubts and fears reside, as well as the potential for healing and reconciliation.  Again, with a Christian worldview, the love of God is powerful enough to heal our memories and bring us to a place of peace. 

So, there is opportunity for deep reflection here, but you could also watch the film simply as entertainment, realizing after viewing that the film never bothers to wrap up any of its loose ends.  More than a few folks have gone back for repeated viewings only to discover that they are none the wiser, but they nevertheless still enjoyed the movie.  So, it’s a bit of a mess, but far more interesting in its unexplained mysteries than Avatar, which felt compelled to explain everything away.

And, for once, here’s an intelligent film that’s family friendly for older youth, a PG-13 that is age appropriate because of its mature ideas. 



Pitchfork/Halo Ratings:
Three halos. The philosophical ideas are intriguing enough to foster good discussions on the way home about dreams, reality, and even heaven.
One pitchfork.
For mild swearing and mildly dark possibilities that fortunately don’t turn entirely black.

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