Inception

Quite a lot of hype had built up around Christopher Nolan's latest movie and so I was anxious to see whether it was justified. On balance after two and a half hours I am satisfied that it was, just about. With Nolan the viewer is almost guaranteed that they will be served up a work of thoughtful intelligence, this is no different. A multilayered plot arises naturally from the subject matter at hand, namely dreams and their impact, perceived or otherwise. Stories have emerged that Nolan worked for 10 years on this project. He is the Writer as well as Director. This seems long but there really is such a lot going on in this movie that ten years doesn't seem indulgent. The viewer can appreciate that there was a lot of painstaking research and quite a few what if's in the writing process. The result is that the viewer is rewarded and taken on a journey, much the same as Nolan pieced together an intelligent headscratcher in 'Memento'.
An intelligent cast helps Nolan to realise his ambitions. Uniformly excellent, particularly the anguish displayed by Di Caprio in the lead. This is the second film this year in which Di Caprio has been dealing with matters of the mind, the other being the excellent Shutter Island, and both times he has managed to convey both the confusion and emotion that accompany such matters.
The concept is definitely a fascinating one and Nolan realises it magnificently without ever patronising his viewers.