Intelligent and gripping entertainment that remains with you

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2015)

What many have written as criticism for Nolan's latest cinematic endeavors, I applaud: Christopher Nolan takes himself seriously.
For me, personally, films that attempt to draw me into a story without requiring me to think or even to draw upon more profound emotions and/or intelligence don't remain with me for very long. I want to enjoy a movie in the theater or at home and then keep enjoying it because it's content or portrayal is so compelling that I find mind migrating back to scenes or experiences in the film.
I do enjoy sitting down to a fun, exciting movie solely for the purpose of entertainment. Inception, however, is not one of those movies.
Everyone has dreams. After watching Inception, I found myself musing on the impossibilities and possibilities of dreams. I found myself wanting write down my dreams more often. That's the kind of movie Inception is: the kind that becomes a part, even if it's a small part, of my life. It becomes a place my mind can roam to for engaging thought and feeling. If Christopher Nolan did not take himself or his films so seriously, I'm not sure this level of personal influence could be achievable.