Inception

[Sad Max]

*shrug* sometimes one dreams that one's in a studied, elegantly choreographed fight scene, and sometimes one dreams that one's in a cheesy Bond-wannabe action sequence.

Be grateful the dream didn't turn out to be an early Peckinpah gunfight.

Or an installment of Jackass.

 

[VGurcu]

*shrug* sometimes one dreams that one's in a studied, elegantly choreographed fight scene, and sometimes one dreams that one's in a cheesy Bond-wannabe action sequence.

Such inconsistency must have been planted into Nolan's dream by some Bruckheimer wannabe producer...

Be grateful the dream didn't turn out to be an early Peckinpah gunfight.

I wouldnt have any problems with that if it did.

 

[David Jimerson]

This is a five-hour movie tailor-made for a good home theater system. And by that I mean you have to watch it twice in a row, which you can't do practically in an actual theater.

That, of course, is well-known by everyone who's seen it, and I'm late to that party. But hey, DirecTV HD Cinema is just about perfect for the thing.

The photography made me look at HD cameras with disgust. Film. You just can't do what they did on video.

Loved it on every level, except -- EXCEPT -- the entirely unnecessary, predictable, and self-indulgent last shot. I saw it coming from the moment he woke up on the plane and I hoped mightily that Nolan wouldn't go that way, but there it was anyhow. It's so cliche and sophomoric that it's nearly offensive. Commit to your story, dude. Is it or isn't it? Yes, yes, I know; there are those who think it's an incredible way to end it, makes the audience part of the story, etc., etc., ad nauseam. But to me, it says "I'm not sure what story I just told" or "I can't bear to choose one way or the other." At the very least, it's a totem of the age we live in where everyone's copping out by "leaving things up to interpretation." Sorry, it's just not good storytelling, because you don't finish the story. And the rest of it was good storytelling, so it intensifies the blow.

 

[Batutta]

But to me, it says "I'm not sure what story I just told" or "I can't bear to choose one way or the other."

I disagree. Nolan committed to the ambiguity, and I feel it fit the nature of the story he was telling...You don't have to like it, but suggesting Nolan couldn't decide how to end his story isn't a fair criticism. I personally don't think it really matters whether it falls or not. Cobb achieved his emotional catharsis by letting go of the guilt over his wife's death. Even if he is still in a dream, he is on his way out of his troubles.

 

[Ian-T]

Ha...David your reaction is no different from the audiences "Awwww" at that last shot when viewing in the theater. But...it kind of grew on me after the fact. I'm glad he did it that way because it generated more discussion and left us to decide for ourselves. I agree with Batutta on this one. Cobb finally conquered that part of his subconcious in dealing with Mol and that's what really mattered.

 

[David Jimerson]

Leaving us to decide for ourselves is exactly the problem I have with it. As I said, tell a complete story. Let the "leaving it open to interpretation" be done by the people who can't figure out how to end their stories satisfactorily.

Seemed to me that Cobb's catharsis was committing to the real world and his real children, and finally letting Mal go. The ambiguity makes it 1) less sure that he really did, which makes it an unfinished arc and 2) unclear if he got Saito out, which is another unfinished arc. I don't want to decide for myself; I want the storyteller to tell me if it happened or not. If we're to make up our own ending, why not end it a half-hour earlier? An hour earlier?

If Nolan does know what's what, then the student film trick of ending on ambiguity is even more insulting, IMHO. That's what I meant by "committing" to the story. You know the answer. Tell it.

 

[capitalP]

This is a five-hour movie tailor-made for a good home theater system. And by that I mean you have to watch it twice in a row, which you can't do practically in an actual theater.

That, of course, is well-known by everyone who's seen it, and I'm late to that party. But hey, DirecTV HD Cinema is just about perfect for the thing.

The photography made me look at HD cameras with disgust. Film. You just can't do what they did on video.

Loved it on every level, except -- EXCEPT -- the entirely unnecessary, predictable, and self-indulgent last shot. I saw it coming from the moment he woke up on the plane and I hoped mightily that Nolan wouldn't go that way, but there it was anyhow. It's so cliche and sophomoric that it's nearly offensive. Commit to your story, dude. Is it or isn't it? Yes, yes, I know; there are those who think it's an incredible way to end it, makes the audience part of the story, etc., etc., ad nauseam. But to me, it says "I'm not sure what story I just told" or "I can't bear to choose one way or the other." At the very least, it's a totem of the age we live in where everyone's copping out by "leaving things up to interpretation." Sorry, it's just not good storytelling, because you don't finish the story. And the rest of it was good storytelling, so it intensifies the blow.

Though I totally disagree with that whole rant David, I can sympathise.

 

[David Jimerson]

It's not a rant.

 

[Everts]

Loved it on every level, except -- EXCEPT -- the entirely unnecessary, predictable, and self-indulgent last shot. I saw it coming from the moment he woke up on the plane and I hoped mightily that Nolan wouldn't go that way, but there it was anyhow. It's so cliche and sophomoric that it's nearly offensive. Commit to your story, dude. Is it or isn't it? Yes, yes, I know; there are those who think it's an incredible way to end it, makes the audience part of the story, etc., etc., ad nauseam. But to me, it says "I'm not sure what story I just told" or "I can't bear to choose one way or the other." At the very least, it's a totem of the age we live in where everyone's copping out by "leaving things up to interpretation." Sorry, it's just not good storytelling, because you don't finish the story. And the rest of it was good storytelling, so it intensifies the blow.

Your just scared that he's dreaming ...I saw it coming since he was explaning the dream state and the idea to Saito !

I for one did not need to see it twice ...got it the first time but damn it felt like editing a news segment that's about to air in less then an hour and you had to find an insert that was shot 10 years ago !
Now after a few weeks I went for a second viewing and I fell a sleep

 

[David Jimerson]

Why would I be scared of that?

 

[Mark Harris]

It's not a rant.

It's kind of a rant. In fact, I just sent it to Luis and Cliff.

But I agree with Batutta. Nolan made that choice. In Momento, he told the story backwards, which many said was a gimmick, but I think that actually helped put you in the character's head.

In this one, I think Nolan takes us out at the moment Cobb stops caring whether it's real or not. Cobb no longer caring is the end of the story.

 

[Jordan Scott Price]

If Nolan does know what's what, then the student film trick of ending on ambiguity is even more insulting, IMHO. That's what I meant by "committing" to the story. You know the answer. Tell it.

In this one, I think Nolan takes us out at the moment Cobb stops caring whether it's real or not. Cobb no longer caring is the end of the story.

Quote from Nolan regarding the ending:

"I’ve been asked the question more times than I’ve ever been asked any other question about any other film I’ve made,” he says. “What’s funny to me is that people really do expect me to answer it.”

Nolan adds that he tries to leave his movies open to interpretation. “There can’t be anything in the film that tells you one way or another because then the ambiguity at the end of the film would just be a mistake,” he says. “It would represent a failure of the film to communicate something. But it’s not a mistake. I put that cut there at the end, imposing an ambiguity from outside the film. That always felt the right ending to me."

The real point of the scene, he explains, is that Cobb is looking at his kids and not the top. "He’s left it behind," says Nolan. "That’s the emotional significance of the thing.”

 

[KyleProhaska]

I don't think the ending is up for debate LOL...no matter what he says. He didn't leave it open ended IMO. Just before the cut that top began to wobble in a way it never did in the rest of the film. It never wobbled to that degree. I'm confident Cobb is in the real world at the end, and not dreaming...based on everything we saw that top do including the few frames before black. The answer is there.

 

[Rick Burnett]

Personally I think any other ending of the movie would have destroyed the ambiguity of knowing what is real life and what isn't. I mean, to me that's the biggest part of what makes it good Sci-Fi to me, other then all the other stuff that was mentioned. I get tired of movies that have to painstakingly answer EVERY question in the movie so you are left with nothing to ponder. If I want to see a movie that answers all questions, I go see whatever big dumb movie is playing at the time. I see Inception having an open endedness like Blade Runner. Is Decker a replicant or is he not? And I think that part of Blade Runner is amazing as well.

My only wish was that the movie didn't have so much exposition and that the characters had a little more 'emotion' to them. Nolan doesn't seem to get the emotional bond to me, and even today I am still not sure how to feel about Sato. I had the same problem with The Dark Night. Ledger was awesome, but I didn't care for Batman AT ALL. He was so unemotional and his vocoded dialog so empty. Batman Begins to me had a MUCH stronger character.

But, I should say, I am a Sci-Fi junkie and love deep Sci-Fi movies. I remember when I was a young kid and saw Logan's Run for the first time. I still find it amazing from a Sci-Fi level.

 

[Batutta]

Personally I think any other ending of the movie would have destroyed the ambiguity of knowing what is real life and what isn't.

This is the heart of the matter for me. I am kind of baffled when people get upset that a movie which is completely about what is real vs. what is not, leaves you wondering what is real and what is not. I can only guess they feel cheated that they didn't get ALL the answers because hey, they paid their ten bucks and don't want to come out of the theater with more questions. But sometimes questions are more interesting than answers, and I think this film ends on an interesting question.

I will say upon second viewing the exposition in the film got much more tedious, especially the 15 minute section where they are planning the Inception. It's necessary exposition because the film is so complicated but Nolan didn't do himself any favors by condensing it so tightly into one section of the film. If he had spaced it out more it might not have felt so laborious.

 

[David Jimerson]

The real point of the scene, he explains, is that Cobb is looking at his kids and not the top. "He’s left it behind," says Nolan. "That’s the emotional significance of the thing.”

Yes, I read elsewhere that he was surprised no one seemed to notice Cobb was ignoring the top. Could be because he rather overtly gave the audience something to focus on other than that.

I'm not sure why you guys think I think it was a mistake, as in an unintentional error. Of course the ambiguity was intentional. I simply think it's cheap for the storyteller not to tell you the story.

In Blade Runner, whether or not Deckard was a replicant wasn't really relevant to the resolution of the plot. But as I pointed out above, the ambiguity of this ending leaves two major plot points unanswered. And frankly, I think his not caring at the end comes out of nowhere, especially after the big scene where he lets Mal go because he's committed to reality.

 

[Batutta]

And frankly, I think his not caring at the end comes out of nowhere, especially after the big scene where he lets Mal go because he's committed to reality.

I didn't read it so much as committing to reality as forgiving himself for what he did. That was Cobb's real problem in the film. Getting to the kids was just the macguffin, the thing he was chasing after. What he actually needed was to resolve that trauma with his wife. I think the fishiest part of the film, and what tips it toward being a dream for me, is Saito's character. He seems to appear from nowhere at times, just when Cobb needs help. Also, the idea that he can fix Cobb's problems with one phone call strains credulity. Perhaps the entire film took place in Cobb's limbo, and the end is him escaping to a higher dream reality.

 

[David Jimerson]

But he did. He made a long speech about how she isn't real, how she never could be real, and how his imagination couldn't possibly recreate her in all her complexity -- and that they had their time together, and now their children need him.

 

[Rick Burnett]

In Blade Runner, whether or not Deckard was a replicant wasn't really relevant to the resolution of the plot. But as I pointed out above, the ambiguity of this ending leaves two major plot points unanswered. And frankly, I think his not caring at the end comes out of nowhere, especially after the big scene where he lets Mal go because he's committed to reality.

I disagree, Deckard being a replicant or not was a HUGE part of the sub-plot. It makes you realize that he realizes he has to question who is real and who isn't in the world. Now he doesn't know. It was the same in the book as well, although with a different feel, that the blurring line between human and replicant was meaning no one was sure of things. That's one of the reasons I love Blade Runner so much because, like Inception, it's a frame of reference ambiguity. Sure, he finishes the task of hunting down the replicants, but Cobb finishes the task he had to do as well in the movie.

 

[Everts]

I don't think the ending is up for debate LOL...no matter what he says. He didn't leave it open ended IMO. Just before the cut that top began to wobble in a way it never did in the rest of the film. It never wobbled to that degree. I'm confident Cobb is in the real world at the end, and not dreaming...based on everything we saw that top do including the few frames before black. The answer is there.

BTW His daughter's clothing and shoes are different ....they just have the same color as in his dreams to mess us up !