Inception

[brekin]

No Inception thread yet?

I just saw it last night. Strangely it reminded me a lot of Shutter Island. DiCaprio's character had a lot of parallels with the one in Shutter. DiCaprio seems to be almost the poster child for the meme "Reality is negotiable" right now. Kind of a more intense frowny Nicholas Cage going after the more intellectual Matrix/A Beautiful Mind crowd.

I enjoy Nolan films but the cognitive dissonance in them leaves me jangled and drained. Some lady brought her kid (7? 8?) to Inception. Even though it was rated PG-13 with some fantastic architectural effects it has absolutely nothing to offer a kid that age (except for a few scenes of a top spinning maybe). The kid started crying half way through and even though the movie isn't really graphic at all I felt and thought maybe a few others in the audience did that he was doing more so out of being overwhelmed and not boredom. His cries were so plaintive and not tantrum like. I doubt the kid was able to follow the storyline (I couldn't fully and would need to see it again to tie up some holes) and I wondered if that what was frustrating him?

As an adult it was hard to maintain coherency and to try and reason things out. I feel like after awhile you just have to suspend reality and just accept what you are being shown and not expect "things to make sense". Overall I thought it was great, but it is such a house of cards with so much wind being blown that it ultimately felt to me that it didn't "work". There is so much that you have to accept unquestioningly but understand fully at the same time that it was like watching a great bank heist film in a foreign language.

[8bitagent]

I hate my area suburban area; when I saw it yesterday people just seemed bored, high schoolers were just goofing off, etc. I kind of questioned how this movie could be rolled out nationally simply on the Noland and Dicaprio name, since I can't see much here that would be for mainstream audiences.

That said, for two and a half hours I reallllly kept wanting to be wowed. To be blown away. Maybe I've seen too many films, but Dark Knight impressed me a lot more. I kept *wanting* the film to "go there and beyond", to really go crazy. However, the "secret", the main thrust and plot device, etc didnt pack much of an interesting punch to me. Heck I thought Shutter Island was more effective in that. If one is going for the visuals, there's hardly any scenes not shown in the 2 minute trailer. If ya want really trippy visuals, I'd suggest The Fall, The Cell, or 2001.

Films I felt followed through in the mind bender mystery department: The Game, Fear X, The Village, Oldboy, etc

Still, it is nicely shot and provides some interesting concepts. The floating hotel people scenes stood out for me.

Though, if you think about it...is there really much of a difference between this and The Matrix? People who physically exist and are strapped to a chair, while their minds/alter selves are in a dream world, with bullet time panoramic gravity defying gun scenes, "twisty plots", a strong male and female protagonist lead, etc.

[Nordic]

Haven't seen it yet but a lot of friends are wowing over it and are going right back to see it again.

FWIW.

My stepdaughter's going to see it this evening.

I want to see it, because I love Nolan's work. Two of my favorite films of recent years are The Prestige and Memento.

I think The Dark Knight would have been a lot better had they simply removed Batman from the movie. His character did nothing, and when he did show up the cheese factor shot way up out of control. What was with the magically sweetened voice, anyway? That couldn't have been Nolan's decision. It was stupid.

[vince]

I also didn't care for "Dark Knight"......

[82_28]

Inception Screening Shut Down — with Christopher Nolan in Attendance

If you’re Christopher Nolan and your film Inception is about to gross a $21 million Friday, wouldn’t you want to sneak into a theater to check out audience reaction? Unfortunately for Nolan, he chose the wrong screening last night.

According to one of our spies, the big show at Los Angeles’s Arclight Cinemas was shut down at the 100-minute mark after the air conditioning malfunctioned, turning the theater into a sweltering hotbox:

Arclight Cinerama Dome. 8:15 show. At about 10 o’clock, the light suddenly went on and the projection cut out. After 5 more minutes of heckling, a lamentable usher came out and announced that due to air conditioning failure, they are stopping the movie. Which was odd, because it was warm inside, but nothing that would warrant pulling the plug on an sold-out show on opening night.

Bedlam ensued. Folks were dumping their soda on the floor. In the lobby, they were handing out free Arclight passes to furious attendees.

Spotted outside the theater were Chris Nolan and Dileep Rao looking really concerned about the whole situation. Both were working their phones furiously (while signing a few autographs) and appeared to head back towards the theater as we headed out to find another screen to watch the rest of the film.

Attendees had the option of watching the film again from the beginning in another screening room — a mighty thing to ask of moviegoers who’d made it 100 minutes into a 148-minute film. Still, what seemed like a bad dream to them must have been even worse for Nolan himself. (Though maybe there’s an upside, and the braintrust behind the Arclight — supposedly LA’s premiere movie multiplex — will finally upgrade its A/C units and its circa-1996 website while they’re at it).

http://www.movieline.com/2010/07/incept ... ndance.php

And oddly enough, I went to work today and my friend, a very diminutive female, relayed the story about how she got thrown out of this film last night by security. She couldn't find her husband upon returning from the ladies' room. She was mostly surprised her husband didn't come looking for her.

Must be a dreamy movie.

[82_28]

I also didn't care for "Dark Knight"......

Dark Knight sucked. I don't even think I remember a thing about it. However, I will say, as far as games go, give Arkham Asylum a try. A very good game. Managed to freak me out a bit even too.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/21/revie ... am-asylum/

[The Consul]

Memento...how could he ever top that.

As far as "going there" goes....for me the origna Wicker Man is near the top of the list....but tippy toppy is the Saragossa Manuscript

[8bitagent]

I think The Dark Knight would have been a lot better had they simply removed Batman from the movie. His character did nothing, and when he did show up the cheese factor shot way up out of control. What was with the magically sweetened voice, anyway? That couldn't have been Nolan's decision. It was stupid.

It was the first time I saw a comic book based film, where I felt like I was watching a real adult drama. Sure there was some dialogue cliches and plot holes, and Bale's growly voice was offputting...but aside from the final part of the third act, I thought it was a visionary near flawless experience and well worth the hype. The cinematography, ambiance, scope, feel of it. Just loved it, and I actually forgot I was watching a pg-13 film.

I want to see a film that really explores dreams and concepts more akin to an RI discussion. Beyond "Waking Life" or say David Lynch's movies. I love dream logic and all the possibilities

[Simulist]

DiCaprio seems to be almost the poster child for the meme "Reality is negotiable" right now.

That's a "meme"? If it is, do you think that it is untrue?

Do you suppose that reality is objective? If so, how much?

[Fresno_Layshaft]

Saw the film on friday. Accounts of it being a "masterpiece" are grossly exaggerated. The writing and acting is actually pretty bad. And for all it's pseudo complexities, it's entirely predictable and completely lacking in suspense. Its just another CGI explosions and anti-gravity fist fights summer action movie. Nothing special at all. Immediately after seeing it, I could barely recall anything memorable about it at all.

If you want to see dreams done right, watch Lynch's INLAND EMPIRE, which is an honest-to-god nightmare to sit through. Its like he found a way to film his nightmares.

On a side note, I highly recommend THE WHITE RIBBON http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149362/ as an antidote to what passes for intelligent, adult filmmaking we get from Hollywood.

[8bitagent]

Saw the film on friday. Accounts of it being a "masterpiece" are grossly exaggerated. The writing and acting is actually pretty bad. And for all it's pseudo complexities, it's entirely predictable and completely lacking in suspense. Its just another CGI explosions and anti-gravity fist fights summer action movie. Nothing special at all. Immediately after seeing it, I could barely recall anything memorable about it at all.

If you want to see dreams done right, watch Lynch's INLAND EMPIRE, which is an honest-to-god nightmare to sit through. Its like he found a way to film his nightmares.

On a side note, I highly recommend THE WHITE RIBBON http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1149362/ as an antidote to what passes for intelligent, adult filmmaking we get from Hollywood.

I agree. The whole snow scene felt lifted completely out of an Xbox 360 first person shooting game. And the only visually arresting scenes I recall were already shown in the trailers.
But mmm, Im not sure I saw the same movie as everyone else raving about it. I felt the same after seeing Avatar, I just quickly forgot it afterwards.

I sadly didnt have the same read of Inland Empire. I really despised that film, hated the cheap look to it, and Im a huge huge Lynch fan! It just didnt have that menacing feel to it, I think for me partly because it wasnt done with film or hd dv converted to a film look. And it felt exactly as it was: made up from day to day. I miss the real menacing Lynchian stuff!

[brekin]

Simulist wrote:

brekin wrote:
DiCaprio seems to be almost the poster child for the meme "Reality is negotiable" right now.


That's a "meme"? If it is, do you think that it is untrue?

Do you suppose that reality is objective? If so, how much?

Yeah, I think its a pretty dominant meme that has been making the rounds for a long time.
The belief that through technology humankind will understand and go on to master nature to
remake reality to something more to its liking has been picking up steam to my knowledge for the last
couple of centuries. And I think it is untrue to the extent that since we experience reality, and it is easier
after a certain technological point to change ourselves then reality (known physical objects and relations) we
have to change ourselves more drastically to negotiate what we want from reality. In doing so we become less human (or at least
aware, which may be the same thing). So you really can't negotiate with something that has fixed laws, and if you can,
you break those laws and are no longer what you were when you started.

For example in both Shutter Island and Inception the main character can't change the reality that his wife is dead.
That is the reality. The meme though is that you should be able to change nature to meet your expectations and not have to
conform age old realities of life and death. He negotiates this reality in both for the most part through drugs allowing him to experience the
alternate reality of having a relationship with his wife even though she is dead. The more he negotiates this situation with reality the more
he is less able to experience reality and strays into psychosis.

I don't know about reality being objective. I don't know what percentage of the universe is sentient, or just alive. If its alive, then its hustling
for a living and that is personal and it can't be objective, unless it is a professor or scientist and gets paid to claim to be objective and that is their hustle.
By weight and space its existence is probably infinitesimal in comparison to the majority everything else that is probably objective.
With which it tries to negotiate with. So my guess is if you minus all the living forms in the universe from reality the remainder would be objective.
Which I would guess would be a lot.

[Simulist]

Thank you for explaining that, Brekin. I appreciate it because I misunderstood your original point, and now I understand your meaning better.

[Luther Blissett]

I hate my area suburban area; when I saw it yesterday people just seemed bored, high schoolers were just goofing off, etc. I kind of questioned how this movie could be rolled out nationally simply on the Noland and Dicaprio name, since I can't see much here that would be for mainstream audiences.

Very strange. I live in a city and saw it last night (Monday). It was sold out. People were completely silent and transfixed through the whole thing and at the end, applauded.

I thought it was a seriously great film. The walk home was entirely surreal and it stuck with me for the majority of the night. My girlfriend and I discussed it to no end and were talking about the science of dreams and the subconscious.

Saw the film on friday. Accounts of it being a "masterpiece" are grossly exaggerated. The writing and acting is actually pretty bad. And for all it's pseudo complexities, it's entirely predictable and completely lacking in suspense. Its just another CGI explosions and anti-gravity fist fights summer action movie. Nothing special at all. Immediately after seeing it, I could barely recall anything memorable about it at all.

Almost all effects were done in-camera, very little CGI. As for your other points, I have to wonder if we were watching the same film.

[Wombaticus Rex]

As for your other points, I have to wonder if we were watching the same film.

Few of us are ever watching the same film.