Inception...Layannn~

The director Christopher Nolan has a knack for making movies that demand to be seen twice - at least twice. I use the word “knack” instead of “gift” because seeing a movie a second time isn’t always a blessing. So far, though, it’s been a treat to re-watch Nolan’s films, from Memento to The Dark Knight. That’s also the case for Inception, a film that’s very good but not quite great. Like Nolan’s other efforts, repeat viewings allow us to understand the plot better, but we don’t necessarily become more emotionally attached.

This is a thick, multi-layered thriller that combines action, drama, science fiction and tragic romance into one mind-bending puzzle. It’s absolutely imperative you go into the movie alert and attentive because it’s easy to get lost. Whether that’s a credit or flaw to Nolan as a writer-director is up for debate, but as much as I admired certain aspects of this movie, its elements do not always come together seamlessly and for all its ideas and innovations, it leaves us at a bit of an emotional distance from the characters. Yet, as a pure endurance and intelligence test, we haven’t seen a movie like it in a long time.