Where to from here?

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2011)

Christopher Nolan really is proving himself to be one of the greatest directors of his generation, and certainly the best to come out of the UK for some time, by a long stretch! There simply isn't a flaw to this film; it's perfectly thought out and planned, and looks amazing, with a visual wizardry that is meant to support the clever idea, rather than replace it. Having Hans Zimmer on board meant the music was going to be nothing short of pitch perfect, with the score really stands out as a major character in the film.
Nolan's attention to detail is astonishing, and his ability to keep a vast, complex vision held together in a well paced film, without any obvious stumbles along the way, means parallels with Kubrick, Lynch or Hitchcock are not unfair to draw. I also don't envy his editor, Lee Smith; with the density of this material, keeping it flowing with perfect continuity made it immediately Oscar worthy!
Another film to which you can return over and over and see new things, and which at no point patronises the audience, or checks if you're keeping up. Some say it is complicated, but I don't think it is, so long as you watch and listen; "Inception" demands a lot of you, but rewards the audience's attention greatly.
Nolan may well have outdone himself, and after movies like "Memento" and "The Prestige", I remain curious and excited about what he will offer us next, beyond the next "Batman" of course! Whatever it is, at this rate I certainly don't foresee Nolan expecting us to leave our brains at the entrance of the cinema in the near future.