Simon Dillon reviews the film

David Lean once said he disliked directors striving for realism at all costs, and that films ought to feel like dreams. This is a philosophy that Christopher Nolan has taken to an extreme with Inception; a film that feels so original and makes such an extraordinary, expansive use of the cinematic canvas that it invites comparison not only with Lean, but also Kubrick, Spielberg and other legendary visionaries whose classics have stood the test of time. Inception is, I believe, a masterpiece.

As a writer and director, Nolan's back catalogue is already an embarrassment of riches, but with Inception he has made his best film yet. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is involved in a unique form of corporate espionage. He steals ideas by literally invading dreams and extracting them from the subconscious. However, his dangerous work has left him on the run and separated from his children. He is contracted for "one last job" that will mean he can be reunited with them, but this job is different. Instead of stealing an idea, he must plant one in a tricky process called inception - a kind of subconscious Mission Impossible.

Nolan takes his time in the first hour carefully establishing the rules of his universe, and the many twists and turns of the story that follow are carefully built within this framework. Needless to say, the inception job doesn't quite go to plan and soon Cobb and his associates finds themselves up against a "militarised" subconscious that is fighting back. Complicating matters are peculiar visions of Cobb's dead wife, whose presence threatens the entire operation. Inside the subconscious of the subject are various levels of consciousness or dreams within dreams, all of which exist with their own timelines passing at different rates (a bit like the way only a second of our time passes when years in Narnia pass). Nolan has added non-linear realities to his usual non-linear narratives, and the sheer array of bewildering and dazzling concepts on offer here are impossible to absorb in a single viewing. But in spite of the many reviews that have drawn attention to the narrative complexity, the story is not to my mind overly confusing and can, at its most basic level, simply be enjoyed as a daring and gripping science fiction thriller.

The film is not entirely without precedent. Those familiar with the writing of Phillip K Dick will note certain themes he dealt with. 1984's Dreamscape had a similar premise, and there are certainly comparisons that could be made with The Matrix, but Inception is vastly superior to both. Indeed, it is extremely rare to watch a huge budget blockbuster film and genuinely not be able to predict where it is going and how it will end. Nolan is always at least five steps ahead, and it is because of his genius that it is such a pleasure to watch. Throughout it's almost two and a half hour running time, it feels impossible to tear your eyes away from the screen, and not a second is wasted.

Performances are uniformly brilliant, especially from DiCaprio who arguably tops his stunning turn in The Departed. The rest of the cast - Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Pete Postlethwaite, Lukas Haas and Tom Hardy - all contribute excellent support in well written roles. The sets and visual effects are staggering, as is Wally Pfister's vivid cinematography. Lee Smith's bafflingly complex yet always coherent editing deserves a special mention, as do the sound effects. In addition, Hans Zimmer, a composer I don't normally rate highly, contributes a very fine music score.

There is also an absolute deluge of metaphysical food for thought which cannot be discussed in detail without spoiling the film. Suffice to say themes of life, death, faith and the afterlife are present and correct, though exactly what is being said will probably depend on individual interpretation. There are potential allegories about heaven, hell and (for those with a Catholic faith) purgatory, although it is also possible to read these in a more secular way simply as psychological processes. It also deals with the pain of lost love, guilt and despair, as well as suicide and what causes and prevents it. Whatever interpretation is taken, Inception is fascinating, like a Kubrick film but with a warmer, more redemptive view of humanity (albeit one with a certain amount of moral relativism). Because the very notion of what is real is so rigorously challenged the viewer will inevitably end up pondering big questions about their place in the Universe, which as far as I'm concerned can only be a good thing. Who knows? Perhaps that was Nolan's intention all along.

If that makes it all sound too cerebral then don't be put off. This is still first and foremost a fantastically entertaining summer blockbuster movie packed with edge-of-the-seat suspense, incredible action set pieces (often taking place simultaneously in different levels of reality) and some really, really cool explosions.

Thrillingly exciting, intellectually ambitious and emotionally charged, Inception is a riveting and immensely satisfying piece of work that absolutely must be experienced in the cinema on the biggest screen possible. Twice. At least. I'm going again next weekend and may well add some further thoughts to this review. In the meantime, there are absolutely no excuses for missing this. Even the most "I'll-wait-till-its-out-on-DVD", "I've-got-a-big-screen-at-home", "I-don't-live-near-a-cinema" and "I-can't-get-a-babysitter" stick-in-the-muds should make the effort in this case. Inception is that good.