Fresh Plot and Amazing Ensemble Cast Help Cement Nolan as Hottest Director in Hollywood

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2010)

This is exactly the kind of movie I love. Thought provoking but also very exciting and entertaining. Has an absolute dream cast- probably my favorite ensemble cast I've seen in a film. Tom Hardy, this has gotta be a star turn for him. He's one of my favorites. Joseph Gordon Levitt is one cool guy. Marion Cottilard is gorgeous and very talented, gave a great performance in this movie. Cillian Murphy is an awesome underrated actor. I wasn't expecting his role to be so large in the movie but I'm happy it was. I'm normally not a fan of Ellen Page but I thought she was great here, and Leo- what can you say about him? He is the ultimate movie star.
I had some reservations going in. Just based on the pre-release buzz. All of the critics that were beating the "not accessible" drum. Well I went in knowing very little about the plot, I hadn't read any of the reviews and I was expecting the complexity of the plot to possibly interfere with the viewing experience. I will say this was not the case at all. As long as you pay close attention and stay focused from the beginning, then the plot is not very difficult to follow. Yes it is complex, but confusing? Not really. Which is the way it should be!
I don't really want to get into plot details and there's not much more I can say that probably hasn't already been said, but this was just one of the ultimate movie experiences. Captivating from start to finish. Complex but not out of reach. A great cast. Leonardo DiCaprio strikes again. Inception and Shutter Island are 1-2 for me this year. The score was very Nolan. Sometimes I felt like it was a little fast, that it wouldn't let the movie slow down, but I was OK with it. And of course, Nolan seals his place as the hottest director in Hollywood right now. This has definitely lived up to the hype and my expectations. And I loved how the final scene leaves you hanging.
A