"Inception" - A Review

What is reality? It is difficult to answer this question when you have been trained to create alternate realities inside your dreams. For Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), dreams are his livelihood. He and his partner, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), are skilled thieves who enter into people's dreams to steal valuable information from them. It's very complicated, and Inception does a better job of explaining it then I can. However, it is also possible to lose touch with reality in these dream worlds, as is illustrated by Cobb's wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard). As a result, Cobb and Arthur have created items which they call totems that they use to tell them if they are awake or asleep. Despite this, Cobb feels himself losing touch with reality - as is evidenced by his constantly checking his totem to make sure he is awake. All he wants is to be able to go home to his family, but he can't because he has been implicated in the murder of his wife. That is until the head of a large corporation named Saito (Ken Watanabe) promises to help Cobb return to his family if he will help him in a very specific mission. This mission is to destroy Saito's competition by placing the idea into the head of Robert Fisher (Cillian Murphy) that he should break up his deceased father's company. Cobb accepts, and the ultimate heist begins.

This film is indeed a heist film, though it is unlike any other heist film ever made. This is something that Christian viewers must consider with regards to this film. At the end of the day, this is a movie about a group of thieves trying to take down a corporation. Granted, Cobb is doing this because it will allow him to see his family again, but the others are just there for the money. This goes back to something that was discussed in my post about Suicide Squad in which it was observed that because Christians are supposed to think upon whatever is true, it is unwise to watch a film that will cause them to route for characters who are doing something wrong.

In addition to this, the film's overall theme is problematic. Director Christopher Nolan has stated that the point of the film is that what is real doesn't matter. What matters is that you are happy. This philosophy goes against Scripture because it denies that there is an absolute truth. It implies that truth is what you make it out to be. Truth is whatever makes you happy. However, Scripture declares that there is an absolute truth and that we must live in accordance with the absolutes that are set forth in Scripture regardless of whether or not it makes us happy.

This is not say that the film doesn't have its good points. The film does uphold the sanctity of life and it also values the family. Technically, the film is well made. The pacing leaves the viewer in suspense, and the visuals are stunning - especially since most of it was done in-camera. The acting is phenomenal, and the cast has a very organic chemistry. However, none of this excuses the film's ideological problems.

Don't get me wrong, I really liked this movie. It was very entertaining and I enjoyed every minute of it. However, I am torn over whether or not to recommend this film. On the one hand, the film is a great piece of cinema and it would be a shame to recommend skipping this one. However, on principle, I am not sure I can recommend a film with so many ideological problems. My advice on this one would be to do your research and be discerning with this film. It is a good film that can serve as a good conversation starter. However, those who chose to watch this should be careful to not allow this film to not influence their thinking about ethics.

For more information about the content of Inception, check out Plugged In Online's review here.