I'm not one for 'retaliatory' criticism. The sense that if something is widely considered to be very good, you'd review it differently than if it wasn't.
I think Memento, The Dark Knight, and Inception are all bloody fantastic films despite each having their flaws (which I've conceded and talked about in depth before), and the reason thinking about those issues doesn't instantly render them shite is much the same reason countless other masterpieces among my favourite films aren't ruined by their (many!) flaws. Those are 3 films that any director should be proud of having produced, but because they're extremely commercially successful and critically-acclaimed, people feel a need to bitch.
I don't consider Nolan a true genius in his field, but he's defo done fantastic things for the modern blockbuster. He's certainly no hack, that's a ridiculous claim I've heard many a time from inexplicably bitter internet critics. The facts that his films always have big ideas and huge ambition, epic in scope if not in storytelling mastery, means I'll always be compelled to check them out as long as he can keep that up.
And for those who adored and had their minds blown by the likes of Inception on first watch, but then found it dwindled on repeat viewings... that first watch has real value, you know. That first watch is the fucking spirit of Cinema. I'll never forget my first viewing of Blade Runner, or Alien, for instance [deliberately drawing parallels with Ridley Scott and Nolan there; Scott gets less shit for his own style-over-substance indulgences despite clearly peaking very early... because what a hell of a peak that was], and knowing exactly what's coming after seeing it many, many times since, or seeing things from it ripped off by countless inferior imitators cannot shatter that feeling for me. Inception wowed me after seeing it at the flix with no prior knowledge, I walked out of the theatre in a glorious daze of swirling notions. And that's what great filmgoing experiences are all about - if it doesn't stand up to repeat viewing, so be it. It still had that initial effect upon you, it worked its magic in that moment. Enjoy that, and let others.
