Inception

A perfect delight for Nolan's pleasure. What this directorial master has most enjoyed in his films, he enjoys to the very last second in Inception. Whether it's the main character full of internal conflicts in an environment much larger than himself, ambiguous conclusions, or, not least, several plot lines alternating at the center of the action (this delight, so proven in The Dark Knight, is taken to the furthest possible maximum here). In short, we are getting all the tricks that have ever made us shake our heads - in one impressive package that wraps around you so tightly from the first few minutes that there is nothing else to do but hungrily follow the fateful story threads. And when Leonardo DiCaprio finishes his acting megaperformance and Hans Zimmer finishes the music, it is clear. A new movie life-changer has arrived. (07/22/2010)

Nolan has failed in the most difficult cinematic discipline of filming “the reality of a dream" (although it is true that I always imagined lucid dreaming like this); Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind thus remains the only film that has succeeded at it. Nolan's dreaming is deprived of randomness, surprise, absurdity, and surrealism, and, thanks to its coldness, depersonalization, and pragmatism, it is more interchangeable with virtual reality. Which is not a criticism, just a statement. From the beginning, a complex, detailed, multilayered world is created, where a simple but not stupid plot unfolds (a classic heist movie format about a cunning plan where everyone has a fixed role). Moreover, it is perfectly crafted; it is admirable how well he works here with five (or even six?) scenarios at the same time. What I really applaud Nolan for is the final shot lasting several seconds, which in its simplicity is more perfect (and timelessly Blade Runner-like) than the best shocking punchline. And the best part is, it's built to work the same way for both theories. P.S.: I only realized after multiple viewings that for me the most attractive thing about it is Cobb's personal catharsis through the form of Mal aka the materialization of an un-self-acknowledged act that haunts Cobb and does not leave him in peace (although it may be otherwise, but for me the magic of Inception lies precisely and only in this interpretation, so thank you in advance for not taking away my illusions, however captivating and viable the “movie illusions" are). (07/21/2010)

We wish to make our dreams come true. We can't really materialize them unless we use film technology to do so. Inception is a perfect example of when dreams become reality and we can escape from reality into a dream. Unfortunately, we perceive it as exactly the opposite of the characters in the film. Two and a half hours go by like only a few minutes. (07/25/2010)

Christopher Nolan really nails it! Fantastic direction, perfect music. A film that surely messes with everyone's head. Even in the cinema you could tell how excited everyone was and how would love to see it again. Therefore, I join the opinion that this film is a drug and deserves the highest rating. A full 100% and more. (12/04/2010)

Inception is an incredibly precise film with a cold and detached perfection that reminded me of the Kubrick’s best (more than the oft-mention The Matrix) – that’s how The Killing would look if it was blended with 2001: A Space Odyssey. The way the script works with so many dream levels would be lethal for about 99% of today’s directors and screenwriters, but Nolan no longer needs to prove anything to anyone. This is a class on its own. Thanks to his mastery, the complex plot is easy to understand, at least at the most basic level. After watching it, I couldn’t sleep trying to find inconsistencies. There are films that don’t have an interpretation and will never make sense, no matter how hard the viewer tries, but I think the opposite applies to Inception. There will be several interpretations and all of them could be correct, though I believe it’s pointless to theorise too much, the true interpretation will be the simplest one, and the details (will it fall or not, and why) will remain up to each viewer. Either way, I must watch it again. I can’t tell which place (in terms of quality) Inception takes in Nolan’s filmography, but I liked it a lot more than the over-hyped and straightforward (though also great) The Dark Night. PS: Does it make any sense to talk about how great the performances of the entire cast are? (my favourite were Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Cillian Murphy). Edit: So, for the second time, a truly wonderful experience. The film is full of emotions, but you don’t have a chance to get them the first time (because you don’t know the twist) – Nolan’s rule of repeated viewings still applies. (07/23/2010)