Christopher Nolan's Inception

[Shroom Man 777]

Also, I found that Cillian Murphy's acting and character arc totally blew DiCaprio's out of the water. He was just more compelling to watch, and as someone else said, it really felt like there was an alternate movie somewhere where Murphy was the star. And, of course, Pete Postelthwait delivered.

Oh, totally. Cillian Murphy somehow managed to convey so much emotions without being so... emotional. You could really connect to him and it's awesome that despite being the victim of their whole caper, you still feel good for him when the mission succeeded. He got the best deal out of it, he got a happy ending thanks to it! Man, that was a total favor.

The one scene I expect to be stolen/ripped off in action movies for the next decade is the variable-gravity fight in the hotel (and also, the zero gravity scenes, too). That was amazing.

Oh, totally. The movie might not be so groundbreaking in terms of plot, the whole "is it real or not" is pretty common nowadays, but the way the thing was executed was still pretty crisp and well done, the action, the acting, the characters, the effects. Some guy might blubber about how "oh it's nothing new other stories have similar plots i don't care about the acting/directing/effects/shit cuz if a movie/story is leik other previously done works then it is shit lol", but fuck 'em. I liked Inception, it was very entertaining, a very fun and adventurous ride with nifty concepts and wonderful executions and great scenes. I think it was one of the better movies this year, actually.

I am sads though. It seems like after Inception, all we've got left is Machete and Expendables, and after that there won't be any new awesome movies coming for the rest of the year.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Oh, totally. Cillian Murphy somehow managed to convey so much emotions without being so... emotional. You could really connect to him and it's awesome that despite being the victim of their whole caper, you still feel good for him when the mission succeeded. He got the best deal out of it, he got a happy ending thanks to it! Man, that was a total favor.

I still wanted to see more Pete Postlethwaite. I also liked how the throwaway line about energy dominance is in there, which is very current events. I imagine his empire was like a new Gazprom.

Oh, totally. The movie might not be so groundbreaking in terms of plot, the whole "is it real or not" is pretty common nowadays, but the way the thing was executed was still pretty crisp and well done, the action, the acting, the characters, the effects. Some guy might blubber about how "oh it's nothing new other stories have similar plots i don't care about the acting/directing/effects/shit cuz if a movie/story is leik other previously done works then it is shit lol", but fuck 'em. I liked Inception, it was very entertaining, a very fun and adventurous ride with nifty concepts and wonderful executions and great scenes. I think it was one of the better movies this year, actually.

I am sads though. It seems like after Inception, all we've got left is Machete and Expendables, and after that there won't be any new awesome movies coming for the rest of the year.

Indeed. There's nothing new under the sun, it's how it was delivered. If you want original, go rent Nolan's older stuff like Following or Memento. Here, it's a fresh take on a heist film, just as BB and TDK were for comic book films. I can't fault Nolan and Pfister when working together on the cinematography, and unlike M. Night, Nolan can write, produce and direct competently. He also oversees the scoring.

I really want to know how they went about doing the micro-gravity fight scene. That's a LOT of Vomit Comet work.

[LMSx]

I really want to know how they went about doing the micro-gravity fight scene. That's a LOT of Vomit Comet work.

If you're thinking of the hotel hallway, I heard they built a 100 foot long hallway replica built on pistons or whatever that let it spin 360*. That was a legitimately impressive sequence, in a way I don't usually get with fancy CGI.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Nolan is notorious for hating CGI and digital effects, so he tries to accomplish everything he can without and then only use it to fill in the gaps. Arthur's scenes in the heist were probably my favorite.

[neoolong]

I really want to know how they went about doing the micro-gravity fight scene. That's a LOT of Vomit Comet work.

If you're thinking of the hotel hallway, I heard they built a 100 foot long hallway replica built on pistons or whatever that let it spin 360*. That was a legitimately impressive sequence, in a way I don't usually get with fancy CGI.

That was also done with Fred Astaire in 1951 for Royal Wedding. So the concept isn't exactly new. Still, the whole fight and Arthur's improvised kick was awesome.

[Shroom Man 777]

That was a ridiculous(ly awesome) fight scene. I wonder why we've never seen anything like that in all the sci-fi spectacles that's been had, certainly someone would've thought of an awesome zero-g plasma shootout or lightsaber duel. It was very awesome, and Arthur was superb in that. Man.

What's up with Pete Postlethwaite? I mean, he's a great actor, but all he did here was die of terminal illness. He didn't sire any demi-god son, nor did he hunt down a goddamn sexual Tyrannosaur.

[neoolong]

Don't be worried, if you got the trailer to THE TOWN, he's going to be the operator of a flower shop in Boston. Yay!

[Admiral Valdemar]

Nolan is notorious for hating CGI and digital effects, so he tries to accomplish everything he can without and then only use it to fill in the gaps. Arthur's scenes in the heist were probably my favorite.

This is true. The lorry flip in TDK and all the roof scenes. Many would say with BB's first roof scene "That's great CGI. How'd you do it?" and Nolan would just say "We got a guy up there. We did it for real."

Of course CGI is needed for certain things in Inception, but Nolan remembers that plot and characters take priority, not effects, which are a means to an end. Something Lucas and Cameron should probably, y'know, learn about.

[Shroom Man 777]

Lucas, yes. Cameron? I don't think so. Cameron knows how to tell a good story, with lots of freaky deaky effects yeah, but he's still effective.

[The Romulan Republic]

Lucas, yes. Cameron? I don't think so. Cameron knows how to tell a good story, with lots of freaky deaky effects yeah, but he's still effective.

Cameron knew how to tell a good story.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Avatar/'s story would have been fine, if it'd been executed far better. Cameron really has lost it for gripping the audience with sci-fi. Same can be said of Spielberg even. It's the new blood in the industry I look to now rather than the old masters, least for this genre.

[Whiplash]

That said, I think he woke up and they used the same actors for the kids because they needed to recreate the scene where he can't see their faces entirely so they can turn around.

Actually no he didn't, those were different 'actors', going by imdb.

Also, is it weird that I've never felt a 'kick' before?

That was a ridiculous(ly awesome) fight scene. I wonder why we've never seen anything like that in all the sci-fi spectacles that's been had, certainly someone would've thought of an awesome zero-g plasma shootout or lightsaber duel. It was very awesome, and Arthur was superb in that. Man.

Here's what a impressed me about that fight. I mean Arthur the character knew it was coming, but the actor playing him was in fucking control of that shit. This dude did not hesitate on anything, you saw one of the guys flop down on the ceiling, this dude drops down like fucking Spiderman and goes right back after him. I just wished that it lasted longer.

What's up with Pete Postlethwaite? I mean, he's a great actor, but all he did here was die of terminal illness. He didn't sire any demi-god son, nor did he hunt down a goddamn sexual Tyrannosaur.

You're not giving him enough credit, he died of terminal illness twice.

Also congrats on $60 million weekend debut, hopefully this movie has strong legs in the coming weeks.

[Molyneux]

Just saw it tonight, and damn if I wasn't impressed. The storytelling was strong, the actors were all dynamite, and I actually wound up joining in with the "Awww...!" of the audience at the end without even realizing it.

It was very strange how I wound up rooting for everyone toward the end of the movie, including Murphy. He gave a damned good performance, even above the rest of the cast.

[Nephtys]

I thought this was a very clever movie. Even if for the first part it may have been a bit jumbled and tough to follow. But the part that really got me was the meeting with the man from the beginning, and showing the railroad scene with the 'old couple'.

The weakest part was probably Shadow Moses Island. I know that the rich kid had to go find metal gear and all, but it dragged a bit. And kinda pushed my disbelief that this team of oddball thieves somehow were also super-commandos.

[Shroom Man 777]

SHADOW MOSES ISLAND! To be fair, the Next Generation Special Forces Genome Soldiers were all projections. I'd like to think that real human beings, in the dream world, would be better fighters than the dreamer's subconscious projections. The projections don't seem to be 'real people' in that sense.

[LMSx]

Salon.com has a big whopping recap of the entire plot which is helpful for keeping the last levels of dreaming straight, plus a Q&A of what the guy thought afterwards. Link here

The comments are pretty amusing with half being complaints from people worried that an article titled "Everything you wanted to know about 'Inception'" actually tells you everything. (Oh no, I read a comprehensive plot summary from start to finish against my will!) But one key point from that article relates to something that had been slightly nagging me- complaints about how the dreams aren't "dreamy" enough. First of all on a prosaic level, it's Nolan's movie, and he can design his fantasy aesthetic how he wants. On a more in universe note though, these aren't really dreams per se but rather a structured, shared subreality drawing on the targets' subconscious. I can fully believe that a "normal" dream might lurch around connecting unrelated dots, while plugging an architect's mind with a strong outline into yours starts quelling that instability.

[Shroom Man 777]

They have to make it concise, or else they'll end up being muddled in a bizarro surrealistic dream with nocturnal ejaculations and bed-wettings, which'll be detrimental to their operations.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Shroom, you have a point. And a brilliant idea.


I guess I'll just have to wait patiently for the big-budget porno version, Insertion.

[Shroom Man 777]

The twist will be that you were expecting to insert your dick into the girl's vagina. Then the girl turns out to be a forger, who is actually some fatty, and in the end it is his organ that will be inserted into you! Dun-dun-dun!

It WOULD be an awesome setup for a porno movie. Each porno scene with each different pair/group of actors and actresses could be like representing each layer of a dream! Their 'kick' would be a huge bukkakke. In the first layer, just like that van falling off the bridge, the 'kick' would be in SUPERSLOOOOW MOTION so the semen is like suspended midair. In the proceeding layers, with each layer deeper the pornstars are actually fucking XYZ-times faster than real-life fucking, so while first dream's semen is like suspended midair in SLOOOW MOTION, the second layer has this weirdo awesome zero-gravity sex scene. In an elevator! While in the third layer, there's groupsex in SHADOW MOSES ISLAND, where the cold makes the chicks' nipples hard. But then something goes wrong, and we go into a fourth layer, which is like beach sex threesome, FFM style. And, uh, something.

In the end you still don't know if they're back in real life having real life sex, or in a dream having dream sex, because when porno DiCaprio ejaculates in the end on the woman's face, we cut midway before the semen lands on her face! Dun-dun-dun!

In the zero-gravity sex scene in the second layer, porno Arthur must arrange a 'kick' in zero gravity by trying to shove his dick into the girl's butt whilst suspended midair! In an elevator shaft! Talk about symbolism!

[Whiplash]

Shroom, you have a point. And a brilliant idea.


I guess I'll just have to wait patiently for the big-budget porno version, Insertion.

I thought of the same thing. I even got into detail about how it would work, you go inside their mind and put the idea 'of fucking you' into their head. *sigh* What the hell is wrong with me?

EDIT: (just read Shroom's bit) Wow ... dude, just wow.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Shroom is clearly the Architect.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Also, is it weird that I've never felt a 'kick' before?

It does seem so. I thought it was a pretty universal experience within more engrossing dreams. Lucid dreaming is a little less common, though.

Here's what a impressed me about that fight. I mean Arthur the character knew it was coming, but the actor playing him was in fucking control of that shit. This dude did not hesitate on anything, you saw one of the guys flop down on the ceiling, this dude drops down like fucking Spiderman and goes right back after him. I just wished that it lasted longer.

Yeah, you can tell the team had been doing this for a while when they have people who can go "Huh, gravity shifting fight. Okay" and then totally own in it. It's one thing to learn to shoot or do hand-to-hand, but doing so in a reality where physics doesn't apply traditionally is something else.

Also congrats on $60 million weekend debut, hopefully this movie has strong legs in the coming weeks.

Only TS3 is really a rival, and that's been out Stateside a while (and everyone was going to see it anyway). I'm hoping this rivals TDK or Avatar.

[Sam Or I]

Just got back. About the ending. I am going with the idea:

that's stupid.

Spoiler

I think the whole thing was a dream. His wife was correct.

My first piece of evidence was the top. It is not his totem, its his wife's. So if he started using it as his own totem, it would only be good for levels below the level he picked it up.

Next is the speech at the end with his wife. Everything was what she said, being chased around the world by baddies.

Then there was the out of character moments for each of the characters. No field work, uncreative, and such.

Then the Ariadne character. She got the architect part "quicker" then he had seen before. She was nosy, looking for what ever he is hiding. It reminded me too much of Cobb's job. She was after his 'secret' from the beginning, or to plant an inception in his mind.

So I see it as Ariadne, trying to break Cobb back into reality, by planting the simple idea of wanting to be in reality, and making him think it was his idea all along. The top spinning at the end shows that he will eventually make it back, and that he is starting to see it as a dream.

[Whiplash]

Just got back. About the ending. I am going with the idea:

that's stupid.

Spoiler

I think the whole thing was a dream. His wife was correct.

My first piece of evidence was the top. It is not his totem, its his wife's. So if he started using it as his own totem, it would only be good for levels below the level he picked it up.

Next is the speech at the end with his wife. Everything was what she said, being chased around the world by baddies.

Then there was the out of character moments for each of the characters. No field work, uncreative, and such.

Then the Ariadne character. She got the architect part "quicker" then he had seen before. She was nosy, looking for what ever he is hiding. It reminded me too much of Cobb's job. She was after his 'secret' from the beginning, or to plant an inception in his mind.

So I see it as Ariadne, trying to break Cobb back into reality, by planting the simple idea of wanting to be in reality, and making him think it was his idea all along. The top spinning at the end shows that he will eventually make it back, and that he is starting to see it as a dream.

You know what, fuck it. I liked the movie, but talking about it with everyone and going over theories has really fucked with my head. I'm just gonna say he wasn't dreaming, he was awake, happy ending, its the simplest ending. That is until I find Nolan and fuck him up for fucking with my head and then I'm gonna make him tell me the answer.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Nolan doesn't have an answer to give you. There is no correct answer.

Dwell on that.