overall

Rating: 10/10 (15 January 2019)

The performances are good. DiCaprio is properly anguished, Marion Cotillard does well as his tormented wife, and Nolan's good-luck charm Michael Caine brings his trademark charisma to a throwaway role. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who's always good, is permitted to contribute a few (very few) lighter moments to an otherwise deadly serious narrative. Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, and Dileep Rao complete DiCaprio's "team," adding life and color to the ensemble.
But the result, for me, is a muddle. Even at the early press screening I attended, I heard cries of "Brilliant!", so I know my opinion won't be shared by everyone. I admire Christopher Nolan's ambition and intelligence, but I don't think it's necessary to jump through endless hoops to tell a good story, or to digest one. I'm of the "less is more" school, but Nolan and his followers apparently believe that more is better.