Inception

Nolan is lighting it up with "Inception", generating a fresh summer blockbuster that is not based on previous material. The rich narrative behind the film's dream heists is intricate, yet Nolan conveys material and concepts gradually via exhilarating, approachable action capers. The set pieces are among his greatest sequences, particularly the now-famous zero-gravity battle scene.

Nolan also shows in "Inception" that he could make an emotional narrative about families without devolving into melodrama. Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) only wants to reconcile with his children and protect them from his horrific secrets; without Cobb's strong reason, none of the visual extravaganzas would matter. DiCaprio does an excellent job of eliciting the viewer's sympathies, and Nolan surrounds him with a strong and memorable cast, most notably Tom Hardy (who portrayed) the time-traveling forger Eames.

Additionally, the epic duration does not sap your interest due to Nolan's precise pacing. "Inception" is among the shortest 150-minute films you'll ever witness, and the film's rousing concluding minutes are among Nolan's most beautiful and haunting, thanks in part to the unforgettable soundtrack by regular collaborator Hans Zimmer. "Inception" is a daring, magnificent epic that ranks among the most innovative films of the twenty-first century.

Year of Release: 2010

Stars: Leonardo Di Caprio, Joseph Levitt

IMDB: 8.8