14 thoughts on “"Inception" reactions (cont’d)”

1. Sorry but I'm not sorry. I understand the point he is making but it still doesn't excuse the finale and denounment issues from the movie.

2. Nice analysis. As I was reading it struck me that this may wind up being the twenty-teen version of the BLADE RUNNER debate over whether Deckard is a replicant. It covers some of the same ground, too – what's real? Are we real? Are our memories real, or even our own?

   I thought the finale was great, but I must agree with Escarondito – the "denouning" scene went too far and was quite offensive.

3. Devin's analysis is a lot of nonsense. Sure, he's spot on about the "filmmaking" subtext, but on his major point, he's talking nonsense.

   You'd do better to read the recent interview with Dileep Rao (who plays Yusef in INCEPTION). There, he offers a much more reasonable, thoughtful approach:

   http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/07/inceptions_dileep_rao_answers.html

4. @Ryan H: That link you supplied is the best analysis of the movie I've seen yet. Thanks!

5. That's pretty much exactly the same thoughts I had walking out of the theater … this guy read my mind and stole my idea!

6. Hmm, that's a great interview with Dileep (who, I believe, also graces teh talkboards at Wordplayer) but he doesn't necessarily disprove the idea that the whole thing is a dream … he basically says he doesn't think so, and he doesn't want it to be that … but it's certainly open enough that it could be, mmm?

   And he says that one can almost hear the top falling at the end … but it doesn't fall, does it …

   But a great article, no doubt.

7. If this interpretation of Inception is the way Nolan intended it to be seen then this movie is much bigger failure than I previously thought. The action ostensibly takes place on four different levels and we are taken through those seperate levels. Action on one level can directly affect other levels. Now correct me if im wrong or just plain different to Christopher Nolan but I do not have four different streams of conciousness when I sleep. And it would continue that every scene where Cobb is not present is basically there just to fool the audience.

   This analysis does bring up a couple of interesting points though. I too thought it was strange that the children had not aged at all from when Cobb 'last saw them' but this isn't complete proof, it may have just been for audience familiarity. Also we have no idea of the time frame between Mal's death and Cobbs return home.

   The about the base reality and how it seemed incoherent and dream-like (i.e walls closing in) is intriguing. I feel these little quirks are there simply to provide a bit of ambiguity to an otherwise rigid and mechanical movie.

   I was disappointed with Inception. I guess I fell victim to the hype. There were moments were I was blown away and in awe of the intelligence of the film but at the end of the day a movie about dreams set on four different levels and time frames is too complicated.

8. Thanks Ryan, that's a great interview. Definitely made my day. I missed the connection with the 'rain' haha good stuff.

   I'm curious, did anyone else miss the pinwheel fan and picture connection? It wasn't til my mom pointed out the pinwheel was in the picture, did I realize the connection. Of all the times seeing the picture I didn't notice the fan once, as well as the others I mentioned it to. So probably would have changed that to have it be a more rewarding reveal, but loved the movie either way.

9. Disclaimer: english is not my first language, so sorry if this confuses you.

   I like the analysis Devin makes, the point about Nolan doing the movie as his 8 1/2. It somehow makes me tolerate the movie more even though it is all a dream.

   Personally I never like movies where in the end we know it is all a dream. I feel cheated.

   After I watched Inception, my first understanding of the ending is Cobb was shot dead by Saito, and the ending is where we see Cobb's limbo. But then reading all the reviews and discussion, it does feel like the whole movie is just a dream, and I felt quite disturbed by it.

   But then after a while, I don't think it matters whether the whole movie is a dream or not, because I see Cobb finally find his peace of mind. He's happy. Is it really important that he's happy in reality? Why is it wrong if he's happy within a dream?

   Which makes it a bit ironic, and also gives a nice balance. Cobb feels guilty because Mal killed herself after he brings them back to reality and Mal cannot take it, and in the end what makes Cobb happy might not be reality itself.

10. Peter Dwight: I think the picture with the fan in it appears in the shot directly after we see the fan in the safe. I remember that my a-ha moment was a beat after we first saw the fan.

11. Interesting angle, the o.y.s.

    Sort of like Sam Lowry at the end of Brazil… the last reel of that is just Sam gone mad at the hands of his interrogator Michael Palin. So in his lunatic state, he's shacked up and cozy with his gal (ironically enough, Universal's preferred ending) when in fact he's "gone away from us."

    Thus… a, um, happy ending??? Heh… works for me.

12. Interesting analysis from Devin and Dileep Rao.

    My own explanation is simple. What's important is the character's change. Domm Cobb's change. He learned to let go and forgive himself. That's the REAL THING.

    Dreams in this movie are just a road used through which Domm and Fischer reach to their maturation.

    This movie is so grand and complex. Can somebody snatch the script of this one?

13. I liked this film a lot. I was confused once in a while, but I usually caught on. I think the ending is quite clever. When Cobb was in the airport, and all the supporting characters were looking at him– I took that at first, that they were his sub conscious. I wasn't sure though. However, the fact the the thing didn't stop spinning makes me think he's still in a dream. And that can be taken several different ways.

14. Inception suffers from a surfeit and theme and plot, at the expense of characterization.

    Nolan, I get it. You're really good at elaborate plotting to create dilemma. And if I wasn't sure, there was always the Bat, er, Plot Signal: bombastic brass music. That says, SOMETHING DRAMATIC IS HAPPENING NOW. Whoa.

    But I had no emotional investment in your characters. Zero. None. Cobb is convinced (ah, the true inception) to let go of regret and the loss of his wife. Hard to care when I'm forced to sit through dopey gun battles and leaden exposition.

    I found the whole thing rather boring — and laughable by the end.