Jedi Mind Trick

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2010)

In many respects what Christopher has accomplished with this film is nothing short of miraculous in terms of escapist entertainment.
Among its stunning feats: 1) It creates a Moebius Strip/ M.C. Escher logic that is surprisingly easy to follow if you like that sort of thing. At one point the film cuts across 4 different levels of dreams & keeps everything pretty straight forward. (Editor Lee Smith should start preparing his award acceptance speeches now.) 2) It features the best hand-to-hand fight sequence ever. It recalls "The Matrix" but blows anything in that movie away. 3) Nolan has always played with the concept of time (except with "The Dark Knight") & the parlor trick that he brilliantly pulled off in "Memento" looks like kids stuff compared to this film. 4) He has always been slighted as a director of action (unfairly) but here the action matches just about anything that Paul Greengrass has ever thrilled us with. The action explodes with crackling intensity. 5) Leonardo Dicaprio has never been better. He couldn't carry "Shutter Island" or play the aging Howard Hughes in "The Aviator. His work here makes you care about his plight because if it doesn't the movie doesn't work (despite all the pyrotechnics). And he surrounded by excellent work by an excellent cast. This facet is a trademark of a Nolan film.
Some critics have said the movie left them emotionally cold. I had tears welling up in my eyes at least twice watching it.
About the only rap I may have about it is that is not as weird as some people may want it to be. "Inception" is not as "out there" as "2001" or "Brazil" (or "Walkabout" or "Koyaanisqatsi" or "Bladerunner") despite its dream logic. Ultimately I don't think Nolan was out to create a tabula rasa piece of cinema. It's a thriller of very unusual kind.