Inception

***** - One of the most conceptually ambitious films I’ve seen, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is as mentally engrossing as it is visually compelling. It is a rare treat to see a movie that is complex enough to challenge a viewer while simultaneously logical enough to remain coherent and free of storytelling gimmickry. While this had some of the old “Memento”-style brain gymnastics that made that movie intriguing (although, I’ve always felt it is somewhat overrated), “Inception” adds something that the former film never even seemed to attempt: visceral, joyride action. In that sense, I imagine just about any viewer with even a moderate amount of intelligence will be able to grasp the basic idea and follow it along the fast-paced adventure that fleshes it out. The dream sequences that the majority of the film takes place in allow for amazing scenery (such as the fantastic arctic fortress and endless urban wasteland) and superb visual trickery. Another thing working in the movie’s favor is the nearly perfect score by Hans Zimmer, which strikes all the right notes and gives this already intense film an even greater sense of urgency. All-in-all, “Inception” is easily the best film I have seen this year so far, and probably one of the best of the last decade or more.