February 1, 2011 | 8:05 am

Lessons from “Inception”

Posted by Misha Henckel

Follow JewishJournal.com on

“Inception” delivers the mind-blowing it promises, and from start to finish is worth the watch.

Quite a few friends have mentioned that they had a hard time figuring out what exactly was fact and what was not, within the story. They found it hard to keep up with the action, or to be clear about what was happening at any point in time. For me it was all very simple: forget about Leo DiCaprio, Ellen Paige or Marion Cotillard. There is only one star of “Inception,” and that is unquestionably, writer/director Christopher Nolan.  What we are getting is a 148 minute tour of Nolan’s psyche. Once you’ve figured out that the movie is all about him, you can stop worrying about what you’re not quite getting, and begin to enjoy the twists and turns and changing speeds of what is really quite a fascinating story.

It is a brilliantly conceived notion set within the landscape and architecture of the mind, that reveals the ways in which the innermost sanctum of our being can be penetrated and invaded by outsiders, seeking to know our deepest secrets and to gain control of us by planting an idea in our consciousness. It’s clear to me that the film finds its own inception in what must be, some degree, of extreme paranoia. If I were interviewing Nolan, I would want to ask him about what drives him, about what he fears the most, and about what exactly it is that he might be hiding.

What can we learn from this movie?

More than anything, “Inception” can get us to open our minds, question ourselves, and to look again at how we shape our lives from within: 
                                             
1. Some of what we believe is real, may in fact be merely figments of our imagination.   
                                 
2. We may be walking around in the architecture of our own minds. Creating our own reality and then getting lost in it.

3. If we redesign our mind – our ideas and beliefs – our lives could well be very different.

I am doing a series of posts on the films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Up next: Lessons from “The Kids Are All Right.”

Misha Henckel guides individuals to live their ideal lives. Follow her on Twitter @mishahenckel. Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)