though the ending revelation -- clever, haunting and thoroughly foreshadowed as it was -- means there's a limit on how good "Inception" can actually be; when you walk out of a movie literally knowing nothing for certain about what really happened or why, it's a bit of a cheat.
This right here is why, even though I did thoroughly enjoy the movie, I can't be really fannish about it--the most likely explanation is that all of it is happening in Cobb's brain, and that means that I can't really latch on to any of the characters. That being said, I'm glad it's doing so well--when I went in to see it on a weekday, right after the opening weekend, the theater I was in was packed already, and in fact sold out soon after I had come in. In such a thin box office summer, it's nice to see this sort of movie doing so well.
I suppose I should say that any movie that purports to operate by rational rules -- as "Inception" does -- and offers no concrete answers is a cheat. I'm not sure I know for sure anything that happened in "2001" or "Satyricon," but these movies aren't promising clockwork mechanics. Anything but.
ITA, though, that it's awesome how many people are open to the movie and the puzzles and its near-total lack of obvious playing to the audience. So nice to have the audience's intelligence assumed, you know?
Oh, my brain went there immediately -- it would really work for "Alias" -- though you could do it for others as well. Had I something like three times the free time I have now (though three times zero is still zero, isn't it?), I'd set up a ficathon or something.
Oh, Jericho is eminently worth watching. Two seasons and all of it perfect. I wouldn't change a thing and it's one of few where I'm quite happy where it ended.
When Bonnie died, I spent a significant time in denial, just utterly rejecting that she could be dead. It wasn't until the scene in the morgue that I let myself believe.
Bonnie's death was a truly, truly tragic scene. One of the great virtues of "Jericho" -- at least after the first half-season -- was its utter refusal to pull any punches.
I think you'll enjoy "Inception," and I'll be interested to see what you think of it!
One of the things I loved about =Inception= was that one person could get the interpretation that it was all a dream, and the other characters merely figments of Cobb's subconscious, and another person could get the interpretation that it was all real, and the only figment was his memory of Mal personified -- and both interpretations are equally valid. For me, the fact that you walk out "knowing nothing for certain about what really happened" is what made the film.
(I lean toward the it-was-real interpretation, which does get around the issue of the scenes Cobb wasn't part of. But other than that, I can see the appeal of your interpretation, too.)
It was definitely the "thinkiest" movie I've seen in some time; my brain felt stretched for a good day afterward.
Maureen Bauer!! Ack, I read that name and got a bit teary! Aww, I've been loving reading these entries. Just so so super busy in rl these days, but you're giving me so many lovely flashbacks. Just had to take time to say thanks so much.
I'd say I'd try the meme out myself but I'd look like I was copycatting. ;>P Laura and Remington, David and Maddie, Mulder adn Scully, Sydney. "Ah, I remember it well . . ." One of these days I have to try out Jericho though, you make it sound so amazing and heartbreaking!
I agree about the movie that I felt a bit cheated by it being so up in the air at the end, but also really enjoyed it at the same time. It was the first thing I've watched in some time that really kept my brain busy thinking about the MOVIE and not distracted by the to do list and constant running commentary of daily life. Very pleased with that, however low that says the bar is set in some ways lately.
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This right here is why, even though I did thoroughly enjoy the movie, I can't be really fannish about it--the most likely explanation is that all of it is happening in Cobb's brain, and that means that I can't really latch on to any of the characters. That being said, I'm glad it's doing so well--when I went in to see it on a weekday, right after the opening weekend, the theater I was in was packed already, and in fact sold out soon after I had come in. In such a thin box office summer, it's nice to see this sort of movie doing so well.
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ITA, though, that it's awesome how many people are open to the movie and the puzzles and its near-total lack of obvious playing to the audience. So nice to have the audience's intelligence assumed, you know?
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When Bonnie died, I spent a significant time in denial, just utterly rejecting that she could be dead. It wasn't until the scene in the morgue that I let myself believe.
PJW
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I think you'll enjoy "Inception," and I'll be interested to see what you think of it!
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(I lean toward the it-was-real interpretation, which does get around the issue of the scenes Cobb wasn't part of. But other than that, I can see the appeal of your interpretation, too.)
It was definitely the "thinkiest" movie I've seen in some time; my brain felt stretched for a good day afterward.
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I'd say I'd try the meme out myself but I'd look like I was copycatting. ;>P Laura and Remington, David and Maddie, Mulder adn Scully, Sydney. "Ah, I remember it well . . ." One of these days I have to try out Jericho though, you make it sound so amazing and heartbreaking!
I agree about the movie that I felt a bit cheated by it being so up in the air at the end, but also really enjoyed it at the same time. It was the first thing I've watched in some time that really kept my brain busy thinking about the MOVIE and not distracted by the to do list and constant running commentary of daily life. Very pleased with that, however low that says the bar is set in some ways lately.
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