The Power of Dreams and Nightmares

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2010)

First of all, it's all a big, dreamy metaphor! The best thing about dreams is that just about everything is possible in them. Nolan has put together a film where just about everything technical and aesthetic is wonderfully done; reality is shattered where every law of physics and logic is ignored, and our characters jump within realities in order to achieve what they seek, or is all just happening within a more limited space? In all honesty, the emotional weight of this movie is not as powerful as the dark forces that propelled the rivalry in the "Dark Knight". For instance, nothing comes close to the scene where The Joker and Batman face each other in jail, and they have to acknowledge that one can't exist without the other. One knows that is the corroded nature of both their existences, and a similar proposition is stated here, and it is up to the audience to decide whether that is true.
De Caprio does some good work here, not as emotional and consistent as his "Blood Diamond" turn or as relaxed and fun as "Titanic". As a matter of fact, it's a bit too close to his turn in "Shutter Island", another movie where the look overpowers the heart. Except that Nolan is a much better director when manipulating his audience, and he does an exceptional job here by showing us the alternate realities, and the dreams within the dreams. Particularly impressive are the last 45 minutes of the movie until it reaches its climax, and this is where the debates begin. What have we been watching for the last two hours? Is it one of the ultimate possibilities of science and its manipulation of the mind, as characters invade the private world of someone's dreams? Or are we looking at a very sophisticated of a personal nightmare that might be affecting someone's perception of reality? The ending is shattering because it could either solidify the whole concept, or imitate the universal reaction we all have after we have been part of a sensational adventure, only to realize that it is just a fabrication of our minds? Nolan's film is not a perfect film. It becomes at times a bit monotonous in its emphasis to be the perfect development of a fabulous idea. Yes, it has wonderful elements, such as Zimmer's score, and some solid acting, but there are moments when it invites a yawn or two. In the end, one can't say it is disappointing; yet it is missing some of the emotional forces that inhabited some of his other films. One can't help but wonder if De Caprio had given us an equal amount of pain as the one he showed in "Revolutionary Road" or the range he was able to show in "Catch me if You Can". Still, after some of the fare Hollywood has produced this year, this film stands among the best, and it deserves to earn Nolan some of the recognition he truly deserved last year.