So sorry I missed this in the theater.

[gridlore]

Just finished watching Inception. Wow. What a sheer joy of a film. It hit on all my hot spots: good science-fiction, a heist picture, and a film that made you think. Christopher Nolan evidently waited close to a decade before making this film. Time well spent. I especially like how they didn't depend on CGI. The stunts and dreamscapes were mostly real sets and camera tricks. Made for a much better feeling film.

Really strong cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio. Once again, he shows that if you give him a meaty role he's one of Hollywood's best actors. Dom Cobb is a complex, multi-layered character that is really engaging. Ellen Page as Ariadne was great, and Michael Caine almost steals the movie with a grand total of three minutes of screen time. Has Ken Watanabe ever not been great in a film?



Each of the extractors carries a "totem", a small, usually heavy object that behaves in a predictable manner in a dream. Cobb's is a small top that doesn't fall over when in a dream. At the end of the film, we see Cobb reunited with his children and his father-in-law. He sets the top spinning on a table, then steps outside with his family. The camera focuses in on the top, which has a slight wobble then the screen goes black. Left unanswered is the question, did Cobb make it back to reality or is he in a dream? I think the important thing is that Cobb himself didn't stop to check. He ignores the top in favor of his family.. dream or reality, he's achieved his goal. Many people have also pointed out that his father-in-law (Michael Caine) is the only character that doesn't appear in a dream sequence, so his showing up at the airport and the house is a sign that this is the real world. I think that Cobb had reached reality. YMMV. I can see this movie creating many late-night con discussions as fun as the "Deckard is a replicant" arguments I've enjoyed over the years.

Comments

[johno.livejournal.com]

The hotel fight scene was done on a giant rotating set. Hunt for the video clip of the 40'+ long set rotating with cameras pointing down the corridor.

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I read that the final set was nearly 100' long. The hotel bar was also built to tilt up to 30 degrees. Incredibly effective, much better than CGI trickery would have been.

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

I also just recently saw it for the first time, and am not having much trouble with the nested dream concept ...but do have a couple of questions:

Did Michael Caine's character believe that Dom had killed Mal? (I think he did not believe it, but Mrs., uh, Pennyworth might well have... hence Dom's parents-in-law not dragging the grandkids to whatever country Dom could set up shop in).

Did Saito not have an opinion about whether Dom was a murderer, or did he just not care about potentially putting Dom's kids into danger? (I have a bit more of a problem with this one. Saito seemed to research his business associates pretty thoroughly, but I have difficulty believing that Saito would have more data on this than, say, Arthur had).

I look forward to my next viewing of the film :>

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I get the feeling the Caine's character knew that Cobb wasn't responsible. It's made pretty clear that he's the one who taught Dom and Mal to enter dreams; he probably carries a little guilt himself.

This appears to be a world where megacorps have no problem with killing underperformers. Saito seemed to be one step ahead of everyone the entire time. He probably had files on everyone Dom had ever spoken with.

[caraig.livejournal.com]

I also thoroughly enjoyed Inception. The camera work on the Escher staircase was fantastic; I thought it was CGI but when it was instead just a very well-done camera trick, I actually found it to be MORE impressive. I hope cinematographers take that to heart; CGI is almost cheating.

The 'prequel' to the movie, 'The Cobol Connection,' gives some backstory that isn't necessary to enjoying the film but does flesh it out. I think you're right that megacorps in Inception are about as bad as most cyberpunk makes them out to be.

The characters had some excellent chemistry, as well, some great interactions.

Not sure I'd want to game in such a world, but I wouldn't mind seeing... not a sequel, but a different story set in that world where that technology is available.

[johno.livejournal.com]

The bit you pointed out about Cobb not checking the top, clarified that final scene for me.

I passed it on to someone tonight over dinner and got a "ahhhh...." and a moment of silence from him.

[claidheamhmor]

I really enjoyed it too - though I didn't find it nearly as complex as many reviewers did. And DiCaprio is great; he's really good in some roles, and has matured well as an actor.