This movie accomplished what it sought out to do

Rating: 10/10 (4 May 2010)

exemplary scene: Teddy is lying in bed, and suspects Cawley of conspiring against him. Then his partner replies, "Think he's bluffing?" Teddy responds, with a disgruntled look on his face, "I didn't say that."
As he turns his head to sleep, it is almost like he wants to ignore and even forget what his partner said. Dreaming sequence begins. He looks depressed for killing people in the war, his wife lectures him on drinking. This is what he was thinking about going to bed, and it manifested in his dream. As soon as his subconscious kicked in, he recognized that this reality was not the truth. Then, very smoothly, the scenery of the location transformed into a totally different one. The hidden truth reveals itself slowly to him, in very subtle signs. As the plot progresses, the truths of his existence will come forward to him when he is ready to face it. Whether he loses or finds himself is up to you to witness. And what more, is that as you watch this phenomenon, you cannot help but examine your own life the same way.
We turn away from the truth most of the time, most of the time we prefer the smooth road. But this is our cowardly nature, to give up the fight before it has started. And this we will not admit to ourselves- we are too proud. So we believe delusions to get us through our day. :) Happy Smiles...
This movie strikes at the existential level, and helps to reveal to you your true nature, that you are multi-layered and there are levels of which you have not stepped in. These places are the memories that we keep prisoner in the back of our heads so that we, our soul, our conscience, our decision maker, is blinded from their confessions. We don't want to face the truth.
I'd say that Scorcese succeeds in doing what his movie means to do- make you feel as insane as Leaddis