About half-way through this I thought "this is a masterpiece". The combination of scope, ambition, cinematography, acting and other elements was just compelling.

Sadly, for me, somewhere in the second half this feeling went away. I didn't get bored as such, but it lost me (or I lost it) and by the end I felt unsatisfied and a bit disappointed. Possibly more for the unrealised potential rather than anything I can clearly articulate as a criticism.

The great thing about Nolan is his level of ambition and with this he certainly succeeded (in my mind) in making a better film than 2001, which for me doesn't even have an ending at all, let alone an unsatisfying one. Normally, I'd say that I'd have to watch this again to really make up my mind... but firstly that would be a serious investment of my time and secondly and more fundamentally, I know I will never recapture that feeling of the first viewing, so I'd rather not try.

There are so many great things about this film, though, that I'd unreservedly recommend it to anyone yet to see it.