Inception, out July 16^th, is being rumored as the movie to save summer. (I won’t splurge further into this year’s mainly awful batch.) It may damn well be the most original and ambitious film we’ve seen in a while. That should be enough to satisfy any cinema junkie after sequels and remakes and big-wigs, oh my. Written and directed by modern hero Christopher Nolan, helmer of The Dark Knight, it’s hard to believe the guy has only made a handful of movies. Memento for the most part, or the part people end up recalling. So why are we as excited as we are for this member, and how can we expect so much from it?

Memento’s quiet embrace among independent filmmaking artists and those smart enough to pay attention, probably also saw Following, Nolan’s first official movie. The brilliant and refreshing aspect of Nolan’s work is ironically his films’ shy membrane, of events either yet to come or have already happened. A series of memoirs and letters to art forms lost long ago, soon as Hollywood discovered if they build it bigger and bigger more people will come. I would go as far to say most of Inception’s existence can be blamed on The Dark Knight, which officially brought Nolan into the public eye and oodles of cash for studio execs to bank on. I’ve been holding myself back from examining much critical analysis to avoid bias when this ecstatic moviegoer finally makes out to see it, but I don’t know how Inception could be anything like The Dark Knight. Grit? Certainly, though not unlike Memento, Insomnia or Following’s sake. To see what most would call the “smaller” movie between Batman films receive this much recognition in addition to a $150 million funding is thanks to the crusader, though it’s a mash-up of audience acceptance and resistances that’ll make Inception go down in history.

Also (curse my wandering eyes) the movie is praised as “Kubrickian”, a term few movies since Eyes Wide Shut and the filmmaker’s tragic passing have been able to properly hold down. The Matrix maybe? To imply something is comparable to a film of Stanley Kubrick’s is to offer an array of tastes and styles. I’m not asking Inception to live up to something as great as say, A Clockwork Orange or more relatable here, 2001: A Space Odyssey maybe? Most of the film’s secrets have been privatized; I could read you the plot description and you’d still have no idea what to wholly expect. That’s the beauty of the work here, not having yet seen Inception, that a single motion picture as large and as loud as the aforementioned dreamscape hold a nation by the balls with, what? Are those imploding cities? The potential here is immense, not only to take down Hollywood from the cross but for a glimmer of hope in the art of filmmaking. Inception obviously did not come easy and hopefully won’t go down the same way. Just when you think you have it figured out, another stop is pulled and you’re taken for a loop.

Again, I couldn’t tell you a lick about this thing even if I wanted to; I haven’t seen it. Having watched it maybe I could delve deeper into the film’s own subconscious, what it was trying to do and what it truly accomplished. Could Nolan have predicted this would be as big as it’s become? He himself remains a throwback to pictures past, correctly balancing storytelling and visual art by a man we’ve come to deem a master of his craft. And what craft is that, exactly? Raising questions, shedding light onto a grim subject, thrilling us by leaving us with more questions than we had when we originally entered the theater? The trick to, and by no means am I an expert in this, creating a substantial alternate reality is to wrap a story up, give it an ending, but never to actually tag it. The marketing for Inception doesn’t show a lot (thank God) because that shouldn’t be shown. It’s tough publicizing a movie about too many things to count, where each scene comes back to further haunt, without giving anything away beyond generic hype.

And what have I done here, we haven’t made a movie from Inception, because Inception is so much more than a movie. Like very few before it (at least in recent memory) something has come along to kick Hollywood in its ass, show us it’s the real filmmakers who are in charge. Be excited for Inception, but could I tell you why? Is it more built around expectations than a set-up of prearranged guidelines we’ve come to expect? This one is riding on a lot, and I mean a real lot. So is a lot to be seen in Inception, or should very little? Making it past a steady ad campaign (remember the orgasmic teaser trailer we got nearly 365 days ago?) and one that truly worked at that, much is to be made from a balancing act. Because what’s a lingering set-up without breathtaking checkpoints? Hearts beating, let’s hope it’s Inception.