In search of his masterwork..

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2010)

Cerebral like a Kubrick infected Egoyan, possessor of a Spielbergian touch, sharing Cameron's technological mania, Nolan is (at least) four directors in one - but that's merely an understatement. Far from being perfect or entirely original, Inception proves to be the, so far, magnum opus of a distinct auteur in search of his masterwork. For this Mr. Nolan most certainly is. A one-man-league director, shot out in his entirely own universe of filmmaking, a craftsman who knows how to divide his action and create a (sort of televised) montage of suspenseful situations (Lord of the Rings calling), a man who addresses action operatically and melodrama as an action set-piece. Thematically speaking this one is a "pick and choose" work – almost worthy of the "masterpiece" term accompanying it. Guilt, the search for familial redemption, dream as the imprint of an iconic civilization, the list goes on for 2 ½ hours. And it does so in an emotionally accomplished manner. Few negative reviews have mentioned a lack of heart at the core of it – but this is the Kubrickean aspect Nolan seeks. If that's the game he's after, he definitely has to ease on the wordiness, slow down the pace, look for a different composer and restrict himself to talking about fewer things vertically than more, horizontally. In any case, his masterpiece breathes nearby ahead