Movies and TV Inception - Page 17

**Tribal Warfare** · 05:55 PM

Inception Rotten Tomatoes' Webpage

Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually.

Taco John · 07-24-2010, 05:32 PM

Going again tonight. Paying special attention to Michael Caine, Saito, and Leo's Totem - and I'm not talking about the top.

Thig Lyfe · 07-24-2010, 08:40 PM

I haven't seen another film that can twist your mind and have you questioning yourself for days afterward to quite the same extent as Inception. It's just so dense, yet at the same time so elegant, so artful. I've seen it twice and still struggle to process it, to figure out quite how to put into words what I've seen. But even if I never manage to find the right words, or come to the "right" conclusion, the experience itself is so immensely satisfying that it hardly matters. The film has done its job.

The way it ****s with our minds -- genuinely, meaningfully, not cheaply -- is an accomplishment in and of itself. A huge accomplishment.

googlegoogle · 07-24-2010, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H5N1

so, it has moments of memento in it?

When i see a comment like this then i know there are fans(fanatics) that aren't going to look at anything objectively.

Pretty sure the Dicaprio fans here are going wild.Can't stand the guy.

Not a big fan of the batman director either.

Huffmeister · 07-24-2010, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taco John

Going again tonight. Paying special attention to Michael Caine, Saito, and Leo's Totem - and I'm not talking about the top.

Ok, I'll bite. What is Leo's "real" totem?

Taco John · 07-24-2010, 11:57 PM

Ok. A couple things...

1. I think that Cobb's personal totem is his wedding ring. When he's in the dream world, he knows he's there because he's wearing it. When he's in the real world, he doesn't wear it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to clearly see at the end of the film whether or not he had his ring on when he finally spun the top.

2. What I didn't understand/appreciate the first time around is that Michael Caine is Mal's father. This seems very odd to me. I wish I understood more about what has gone on between him and Cobb. Apparently, he buys the story about Mal killing herself, and is still willing to associate with Cobb despite the tragic death of his girl. This is a little troubling to me because it's never explored at all in the film.

3. The possibility that Cobb is in a deeper state of limbo is there, and I have what I believe is a strong theory about it. They were very careful to show the progression that Adrienne went through as she moved up from limbo all the way through each kick. And when they got to the van level, they showed everybody breathing oxygen using scuba tanks and passing it around. They then escaped the sinking van. They shoed Cobb's limp, drowning body there, as they shrug and make their escape. Cobb had died on level one. The next thing they show is Cobb "waking up on the shores of (Saito's) subconsious." Saito was an old man who had built an empire for himself, and was "a lonely old man waiting to die alone."

Now, keep in mind that the entire reason that they don't wake up from the dream when they die is because they are under sedation. Also remember that Fischer was shot on level three and ended up in limbo until Adrianne threw him and herself off the building at the time of the kick. Also remember that Cobb and Saito had missed the kick and died on level 1. They were still under heavy sedation. Thus, shooting themselves at the end wouldn't necessarily bring them out, and could very possibly instead take them even deeper into limbo - a level that Cobb had never reached before, and his subconsious took over from there to set everything in order based on the ideas that he had decided on in the first level of limbo (ie. Mal is dead, it's time to move on).

This would explain why the kids look the same age - though the other simple explination for that is that the time that has elapsed since Mal's death hasn't been a significant amount of time. The first time I watched the movie, I had thought the kids sounded older. The second time I watched it, they still seemed very young.

Under this theory, Saito and Cobb end up braindead in the real world, despite the successful execution of their plan.

In my heart, though, I want to believe that they made it out safely. Either way, I think the show is great and easily moves into my top ten list.

KC native · 07-25-2010, 01:41 AM

Saw it tonight. Very thought provoking. I will more than likely return to see it again.

Simply Red · 07-25-2010, 07:57 AM

disappointed, grrrr... Figures.

Simply Red · 07-25-2010, 07:58 AM

some of the effects in relationship to how a dream 'feels' were cool, LD is always good. But man, I'm not sure why, but I just really did NOT seem to dig this movie. IAF, I may see it again, to finally decide.

Simply Red · 07-25-2010, 08:01 AM

also noteworthy, the garments were part of the plan, here. Lots of cool clothing. Stylish, if nothin' else.

Red Brooklyn · 07-25-2010, 08:22 AM

Excellent write up, Taco John. Thanks for sharing that.

I think you're right in saying that the possibility that Cobb is in a deeper state of limbo does exsist. The movie is designed for possibilities.

For me, though (at least until I see it again), I have to just stick with trying not to over think it too much. That feels like a trap. The kids look the same age because only 2 years have passed since Mal died. You're not going to cast different children to play a 3 and a 5 year old. And, practically speaking, since the movie didn't take two years to film, the kids look the same. I think it's that simple.

It's a catch-22 of a film like this. You have a passage of time that is not equivalent to real life. You make a choice. Cast the same kids, people get suspicious. Cast different kids, people either don't buy it or get even more suspicious. Nolan can't win. He can only make a choice and hope that people get it. Or hope that it's ambiguously satisfying to both sides.

Interesting thoughts about the wedding ring... I'll have to keep that in mind next time I see it. But I think the top still has to be his totem. Why else does he scramble for it so desperately sometimes? He uses it immediately (in at least one situation that I recall) to test his reality. If the ring was his totem, he wouldn't have tested the top, he would have just looked at his finger, right?

Red Brooklyn · 07-25-2010, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

disappointed, grrrr... Figures.

What, specifically, disappointed you?

Simply Red · 07-25-2010, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Brooklyn

What, specifically, disappointed you?

It was messy. The pace was too fast for the unclear plot. Look, I liked some things, but overall, I was disappointed, figured I would be and am usually correct. Oh well, if nothing else it's a renter to (again) finalize my opinion.

**Reaper16** · 07-25-2010, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

also noteworthy, the garments were part of the plan, here. Lots of cool clothing. Stylish, if nothin' else.

Yeah, Joseph Gordon-Levitt came correct with it.

Red Brooklyn · 07-25-2010, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simply Red

It was messy. The pace was too fast for the unclear plot. Look, I liked some things, but overall, I was disappointed, figured I would be and am usually correct. Oh well, if nothing else it's a renter to (again) finalize my opinion.

Cool. No judgement, man. It's not an easy movie. And there's a lot for people to potentially dislike or be turned off by. It's not a perfect movie.

Red Brooklyn · 07-25-2010, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Yeah, Joseph Gordon-Levitt came correct with it.

He's so good.

07-11-2010, 11:01 PM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $352813	Inception Inception Rotten Tomatoes' Webpage *Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually.* Last edited by Tribal Warfare; 07-13-2010 at 05:55 PM..
Posts: 42,218

07-24-2010, 05:32 PM	#241
Taco John Sapere Aude Join Date: Jun 2001 Casino cash: $3167937	Going again tonight. Paying special attention to Michael Caine, Saito, and Leo's Totem - and I'm not talking about the top. __________________ Ehyeh asher ehyeh. Donger's Razor: "The most establishment-friendly explanation that gives leftist and neocon politicians the most amount of cover is the only possible explanation, even when gaping holes and leaps of logic are required to get there."
Posts: 78,155

07-24-2010, 08:40 PM	#242
Thig Lyfe Banned Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Thigpen's America Casino cash: $10004900	I haven't seen another film that can twist your mind and have you questioning yourself for days afterward to quite the same extent as Inception. It's just so dense, yet at the same time so elegant, so artful. I've seen it twice and still struggle to process it, to figure out quite how to put into words what I've seen. But even if I never manage to find the right words, or come to the "right" conclusion, the experience itself is so immensely satisfying that it hardly matters. The film has done its job. The way it ****s with our minds -- genuinely, meaningfully, not cheaply -- is an accomplishment in and of itself. A huge accomplishment.
Posts: 25,680

07-24-2010, 11:57 PM	#245
Taco John Sapere Aude Join Date: Jun 2001 Casino cash: $3167937	Ok. A couple things... 1. I think that Cobb's personal totem is his wedding ring. When he's in the dream world, he knows he's there because he's wearing it. When he's in the real world, he doesn't wear it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to clearly see at the end of the film whether or not he had his ring on when he finally spun the top. 2. What I didn't understand/appreciate the first time around is that Michael Caine is Mal's father. This seems very odd to me. I wish I understood more about what has gone on between him and Cobb. Apparently, he buys the story about Mal killing herself, and is still willing to associate with Cobb despite the tragic death of his girl. This is a little troubling to me because it's never explored at all in the film. 3. The possibility that Cobb is in a deeper state of limbo is there, and I have what I believe is a strong theory about it. They were very careful to show the progression that Adrienne went through as she moved up from limbo all the way through each kick. And when they got to the van level, they showed everybody breathing oxygen using scuba tanks and passing it around. They then escaped the sinking van. They shoed Cobb's limp, drowning body there, as they shrug and make their escape. Cobb had died on level one. The next thing they show is Cobb "waking up on the shores of (Saito's) subconsious." Saito was an old man who had built an empire for himself, and was "a lonely old man waiting to die alone." Now, keep in mind that the entire reason that they don't wake up from the dream when they die is because they are under sedation. Also remember that Fischer was shot on level three and ended up in limbo until Adrianne threw him and herself off the building at the time of the kick. Also remember that Cobb and Saito had missed the kick and died on level 1. They were still under heavy sedation. Thus, shooting themselves at the end wouldn't necessarily bring them out, and could very possibly instead take them even deeper into limbo - a level that Cobb had never reached before, and his subconsious took over from there to set everything in order based on the ideas that he had decided on in the first level of limbo (ie. Mal is dead, it's time to move on). This would explain why the kids look the same age - though the other simple explination for that is that the time that has elapsed since Mal's death hasn't been a significant amount of time. The first time I watched the movie, I had thought the kids sounded older. The second time I watched it, they still seemed very young. Under this theory, Saito and Cobb end up braindead in the real world, despite the successful execution of their plan. In my heart, though, I want to believe that they made it out safely. Either way, I think the show is great and easily moves into my top ten list. __________________ Ehyeh asher ehyeh. Donger's Razor: "The most establishment-friendly explanation that gives leftist and neocon politicians the most amount of cover is the only possible explanation, even when gaping holes and leaps of logic are required to get there." Last edited by Taco John; 07-25-2010 at 12:04 AM..
Posts: 78,155

07-25-2010, 01:41 AM	#246
KC native Banned Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fort Worth, TX Casino cash: $10049239	Saw it tonight. Very thought provoking. I will more than likely return to see it again.
Posts: 24,946

07-25-2010, 07:57 AM	#247
Simply Red You Sweetie! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2021206219 VARSITY	disappointed, grrrr... Figures.
Posts: 71,691

07-25-2010, 07:58 AM	#248
Simply Red You Sweetie! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2021206219 VARSITY	some of the effects in relationship to how a dream 'feels' were cool, LD is always good. But man, I'm not sure why, but I just really did NOT seem to dig this movie. IAF, I may see it again, to finally decide.
Posts: 71,691

07-25-2010, 08:01 AM	#249
Simply Red You Sweetie! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2021206219 VARSITY	also noteworthy, the garments were part of the plan, here. Lots of cool clothing. Stylish, if nothin' else.
Posts: 71,691

07-25-2010, 08:22 AM	#250
Red Brooklyn Veteran Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Some Dude's asshole Casino cash: $8021398	Excellent write up, Taco John. Thanks for sharing that. I think you're right in saying that the possibility that Cobb is in a deeper state of limbo does exsist. The movie is designed for possibilities. For me, though (at least until I see it again), I have to just stick with trying not to over think it too much. That feels like a trap. The kids look the same age because only 2 years have passed since Mal died. You're not going to cast different children to play a 3 and a 5 year old. And, practically speaking, since the movie didn't take two years to film, the kids look the same. I think it's that simple. It's a catch-22 of a film like this. You have a passage of time that is not equivalent to real life. You make a choice. Cast the same kids, people get suspicious. Cast different kids, people either don't buy it or get even more suspicious. Nolan can't win. He can only make a choice and hope that people get it. Or hope that it's ambiguously satisfying to both sides. Interesting thoughts about the wedding ring... I'll have to keep that in mind next time I see it. But I think the top still has to be his totem. Why else does he scramble for it so desperately sometimes? He uses it immediately (in at least one situation that I recall) to test his reality. If the ring was his totem, he wouldn't have tested the top, he would have just looked at his finger, right?
Posts: 3,834