Review: Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan.

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard.

YOU'LL need to pay close attention to keep up with the dreamworld machinations of this mind-blowing heist movie, which is one of the first blockbuster classic of the '10s.

But you'll want to pay close attention anyway, because you won't want to miss a second of this thought-provoking spectacular.

To say too much about the plot would be a mistake, as the pleasure of watching Christopher Nolan's unpredictable thriller unravel in unexpected and inventive ways is half the fun.

All you need to know is that Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, the leader of a team of thieves that specialises in stealing ideas from people's subconscious by entering their dreams.

What follows is an elaborate cerebral actioner that delves into the power of the mind and blurs dreams and reality in exciting ways. It plunges the audience into dreams within dreams, resulting in some incredible sequences including a zero-g fight in a hotel corridor, a slow-mo explosion in a Parisian street, and the remarkable sight of watching the world fold in on itself.

But the film would be nothing without heart, but through DiCaprio's troubled Cobb and Cillian Murphy's billionaire heir Robert Fischer we get two emotional cores to help balance Inception's brainy concepts.

These concepts (which are Matrix-esque and then some) drive the movie, which makes it a bit exposition-heavy, but the ideas are fascinating and backed by great performances and jaw-dropping visuals that you won't mind the endless explaining.

This is not a movie for everyone. Comments heard while leaving the cinema included "I didn't get it - that was crap", "What a waste of time and money", and "It put me to sleep". But if you liked The Matrix and dig non-linear plotting, enjoy.

If you're looking for a big dumb actioner to switch your brain off to, don't bother. If you don't like actually paying attention to an entire movie, don't bother. If you don't like a movie to challenge you in unique ways, don't bother.

But if you're looking for a classic-in-waiting that will keep you guessing and thinking while you pick your jaw up off the floor, don't miss Inception.