So there I was, sitting on one side of a see-saw, wearing a chicken costume while on the other side was Winston Churchill. At first, anyway. Then he turned into the hot Latin woman from "Modern Family." But then it wasn't me on the see-saw, but my dog, and I was now watching them through binoculars from on top of Mount Rushmore.  And you know who the dog turned into?  YOU!  That's right.  Why were you in my dreams?  And then suddenly we were playing soccer.  And then I fell off of the top of the soccer field and that's when I woke up.  But I was still wearing the chicken costume!  But then I woke up again.

And then the other night, I saw a film about my dream!  Sure, the details were different, but it was totally just like the dream I think I had recently.  And what's even weirder is that my friends all say that it's just like THEIR dreams.  

This film is, of course, Christopher Nolan's "Inception."  Easily the best film of the year and I have a feeling it will only grow in stature as the newness wears off and we all start to truly appreciate it for the masterpiece (yes, I said masterpiece) that it is and debate it endlessly.  

Any detailed description of the film will only serve to ruin the many many surprises and twists and turns that await the viewer.  If you've seen the trailer, you haven't seen anything.  It only gives you a tiny fragment of things that happen in the film, but the film is not about anything in the trailer.  

In fact, I'd go so far as to say even if you HAVE seen the film, you haven't seen anything.  More than any film since "The Prestige," I can't wait to see this again to attempt to unravel the movie's many secrets.  This film isn't like "Sixth Sense" where knowing the twist takes all the air out of the viewing experience.  Even warning you going into this film that there is a lot to see and a lot to pay attention to won't help you recognize the clues that (I think) are planted throughout.  It's more a desire to see it again to have my theories confirmed or shattered.  

After seeing the film at a midnight screening, the group I was with (which included several filmmakers as well as our kids) gathered at a Denny's for a solid hour doing a detailed post-mortem on the film, and what we discovered was that we each had a slightly different, but equally valid, interpretation of the events we witnessed on screen.  We were each forced to question if we were even remotely correct about our perceptions.  I can't stress enough that this film is truly a mindbender, and I can't wait to see it again.

While the film is packed with Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated actors who turn in award-worthy performances, the true star of this film is Christopher Nolan.  This is the work of a master at the top of his game.  As a writer and filmmaker, I stand in awe at the flawless structure and execution of every aspect of this film and feel my heart sink as I contemplate trying to make any of my projects as airtight and resonant as "Inception".  

I'm on record as saying Nolan is the best filmmaker going right now.  He has yet to make a single turkey, and most, "Memento", "Dark Knight" and "The Prestige" among them, are some of the strongest films from the past decade.  This is the first film he's done where he was sole writer and director, and what he's created is a new mythology and probably a new franchise that we'll .  After the film, the group I was with were immediately using the concepts and terminology from the film, like "inception" and "architect" and "totem" like it was second nature.  I don't see that happen as often as I would expect (or as often as I'm sure the studios would like).  It'll be interesting to watch the process as this film's concepts seep into pop culture.  

As a budding filmmaker, it's easy to watch a film or TV show and pick it apart and discuss how I'd do it differently (or better), but "Inception" is that rare film that completely defies peanut gallery second-guessing.   And while I look forward to Batman 3 in two years, I'm more anxious to see what original ideas spring forth from Christopher Nolan's mind.  

Well done, sir.

Now excuse me while I climb into my giant french-fry helicopter and head off to my childhood basement where me and John Mellancemp are singing to 40,000 adoring fans who are now turning into babies and/or hockey players.