Chris Nolan‘s Inception (Warner Bros., 7.16) “may be Hollywood’s first existential heist movie,” reports L.A. Times profiler Geoff Boucher in a 4.4 set-visit piece. “And though that may not sound like typical fare for the air-conditioning months, Warners and Legendary Pictures are banking on the movie catching on as a brainy Mission: Impossible by way of The Matrix.

“The globe-trotting movie may have had its subconscious baggage packed by Sigmund Freud, in other words, but it also carries a passport stamped by Ian Fleming. DiCaprio says Nolan is the perfect director to turn that unlikely combination into a July hit.

“‘Complex and ambiguous are the perfect way to describe the story,’ DiCaprio said in a recent phone interview. ‘And it’s going to be a challenge to ultimately pull it off. But that is what Chris Nolan specializes in. He has been able to convey really complex narratives that work on a multitude of different layers simultaneously to an audience and make it entertaining and engaging throughout.

“You look at Insomnia or Memento, these movies are working on so many different levels. That’s his expertise; it’s what he does best, as a matter of fact.”

As I said a few weeks ago, if Inception pays off even half as well as people are hoping it might it’s an automatic Best Picture contender, in part as a make-up for the Dark Knight snub.