[film] Inception

[tamaranth]

Now that my ears work I can cope with cinema ... so finally saw Inception last night.
- "Inception is Mythago Wood through a techno-thriller lens." Discuss.
- or is it a ghost story through that techno-thriller lens?
- this is fantasy: no attempt to explain the mechanics of shared dreaming etc.
- It had a mythic feel (and not just because of Ariadne and her mazes). I kept thinking of Greek myth, trips to the underworld.
- beautifully shot -- I especially liked the use of mirrors, e.g. to show Eames as his true self when he was 'forging' a persona. And Origami Paris was amazing.
- I think it passes the Bechdel test, though one might say that Mal is just a projection of Cobb, in which case not actually an independent female in her own right: also, her whole existence is centred on Cobb.
- Michael Caine still rocks. (And is so very distinctive.)
- DiCaprio seems to have learnt how to act.
- layered like an onion
- another excellent soundtrack from Hans Zimmer, who really knows how to make music part of the scene (thinking especially of the deathbed scene). Loved the use of Edith Piaf's Je Ne Regrette Rien, too.
- I do believe in zero-gravity, I do, I do.

Haven't really come to a conclusion about whether the plot works or is holey or is satisfactory. The film did hold my attention, which is not bad for something over two hours long.

As for the ending: on one level I admire it, especially the timing (can we really hear the top beginning to fall as the screen goes black?) on another level it feels like a cop-out.

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

What I wanted was for the whole thing, all the multiple layers, to be part of the initial dream and designed to get Ken Watanabe competely to trust Leo. But no. It was LINEAR (at least it was to me).

I really liked it, but it's not the mindbending masterpiece that the more enthusiastic fans think it is, nor is it something that needs a second viewing to understand. But I will be definitely be buying the blu ray.

[sphyg.livejournal.com]

Fave film of the year so far. Need to see it again.

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

Ahem. DiCaprio has always known how to act. Exhibit A: What's Eating Gilbert Grape, 1993. I'm not claiming that he always acts, but he always could.