Dream-thievers

Rating: 9/10 (17 March 2012)

I actually didn't "get" some of Christopher Nolan's previous movies, like "Identity" or "The Prestige" and so was wary of the hype surrounding this blockbuster of his. I'm glad to say that I finally got it this time as this is a spectacular sci-fi thriller with more levels than the Empire State Building, demanding, but rewarding the viewer's full attention throughout.
It really impresses in every way possible, the imagination which fires the story, the lucidity with which it's complexity is brought to the screen, the pacing which is relentless throughout, but never wearing and the circular resolution of the story by the end sequence.
Yes there are holes in the plot, (like how did Fischer come to be ready for the team's attempt to hijack his memory?) plus the motivation for the elaborateness of the team's plan doesn't convince as it should, but this is an instance of "trust the teller, not the tale" as, futurist elements part, it rattles along, fuelled by Hans Zimmer's pounding background music.
The acting is uniformly good, Di Caprio leading his assorted "dream-busters" with aplomb, the acting by all executed with razor-sharp timing and conviction, which the story demands. The cinematography and C-Gen SFX are eye-popping, particularly Cobb's first dream-walk with Ariadne, the weightless fight-scene, the train's appearance in city centre traffic and much much more.
This film unquestionably is Nolan's best and raises the bar for tech-thrillers in the modern age.
It's one dream you won't want to end.