Won't leave your mind anytime soon

Rating: 10/10 (29 July 2010)

I went into this with high expectations and was still really impressed. This is one of Nolan's best, up there with The Dark Knight. With that said, I have to tell you that not everyone is going to love this. It's an allegory, if a subtle one. Brilliant and thought-provoking. It somehow also pretty much works as a Summer blockbuster, as it is quite intense and exciting. There is "room" for both aspects, and I would say that you might be satisfied if you are going for just one or the other, not both. It explores existentialism and psychology remarkably well, the philosophy especially; probably the greatest I've seen in a film(particularly for a mainstream movie). This is visually stunning, without that ever taking over. The FX are amazing, the animated things feel like they have weight to them. This does take concentration and attention, and it is fairly complex. You should know the gist of the ideas before going into it(Sartre, Plato, Kierkegaard). This is the first entirely original work by Christopher in ten years, and yes, it does bear similarities to The Matrix(and others like it)(note that this does not have the stylization or the John Woo-like approach to the gunfights and such that the Wachowski's trilogy does). That's because they are partially about the same thing. In 1999, that revolutionized science fiction. Honestly, I think we are witnessing the same with this. If you are looking for a surreal picture about dreams, this, overall, is not quite it... Mulholland Drive, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep are all excellent and *are* what you want. This isn't out to be as imaginative or otherworldly as those, and there is a reason for that. It is structured well, everything is set up and pays off. This explains the rules and then gives us an adventure in the universe it has created. The plot was successfully kept a secret... all I will say is that there are people who can enter others' subconscious. This is a psychological thriller. There is action, and it is well-choreographed, if awkwardly shot(on account of the director... it doesn't ruin it). The editing and cinematography are otherwise marvelous, building the atmosphere they need to. Everyone is well-cast and deliver solid performances. The characters are likable and them and their relationships are sufficiently(only a few of them thoroughly) developed and come across as natural. A little of the humor is slightly off, but not enough to be a bother, it doesn't try too hard, and this can certainly make you laugh. The ending is fantastic. Honestly, there is a reason this has been so well-received... it's #3 on the Top 250 as I type this. There is plenty of mild violence in this(actually, you can clearly tell that it was toned down to get a PG-13, here and there, on occasion, it can be hard to make out what happens). I recommend this to anyone who... uh... is currently breathing. Yeah. If you don't want to think(and you didn't like the green-tinted search for The One), or 148 minutes in a row is excessive, I guess you'll want to pass. If not, do yourself a favor. This is a debate-starter. 10/10