Christopher Nolan's Inception

[souvlaki]

Saw someone report on the BOM messageboard that Salt and Inception are tracking pretty much even today. There was another report saying Salt was estimated to make around $14m today (depending on how it does on the west coast this evening). So if Inception makes $14m today we could be looking at a $40-45m weekend.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Saw someone report on the BOM messageboard that Salt and Inception are tracking pretty much even today. There was another report saying Salt was estimated to make around $14m today (depending on how it does on the west coast this evening). So if Inception makes $14m today we could be looking at a $40-45m weekend.

Yep. If it hits $14m on Friday, $40m becomes the absolute low end and suddenly the likes of $45-48m come into play. This movie is kicking ass right now.

 

[Tony Stark]

Not suprised that Inception is doing that well, but I never saw a prediction for Salt over 35. That's really amazing because Salt probably had the worst advertising of any movie this Summer.

 

[Tony Stark]

However as many articles have since stated...the question of whether or not Cobb's dreaming was and can be answered.

The key? His 'totem'...aka, his wedding ring.

That pretty much gives us the answer to the ending.

There is no wright or wrong answer to the ending. There are hints, but this is not cut and dry like the 6th Sense for example.

The brilliance about the ending is you can make whatever of it you will.

Spoiler

The point is Cobb doesn't even check to see if the totem stops spinning, it makes no difference to him, because he's chosen it as his reality. The point of the cutaway is it's up to you to choose if you think it's reality.

 

[bosef982]

Sorry everyone for bringing this up again but I really like this analysis. Its intriguing, and well thought out because it clearly spells out the events of the movie, but I'm not sure the spin is the way its supposed to be. how can this be since the Hans Zimmer triumphant score at the end as Batman rides away into the night clearly implies that Batman is a hero, in his own way to Gotham. Whereas everything you've just written says the exact opposite, that he is not a hero.

Remember, Nolan was not planning on making a 3rd movie. Dark Knight was supposed to conclude BB, and from what I saw, Batman was suppsoed to be seen as a heroic figure, doing what he knew was right even though Gotham hated him for it.

If Batman was not supposed to be a hero in TDK, then what is the point of Gordon's speech at the end or the musical score?

I think the idea is what do you define as being a hero. Is a hero someone who basks in the adulation of his good deeds? Or is he someone who gets things done?

While Nolan hadn't committed to a third film, he has always stated he had an idea in mind of where the series goes -- as Zimmer has stated that he's held back the true theme for Batman because "he hasn't earned" his hero theme. I'd also argue that the music at the end is more somber and grim, a sort of noble march if you will -- sort of like those "heroes" who march into battle knowing it could be the end of them. It's not celebratory -- it's somber and accepting and if anything, memorializing what they've done.

But remember, Nolan has shown us a man who has gotten trapped by his obsession, but whose obsession inadvertently has made him a hero. It's not a simple good or bad analysis -- good guy or bad guy. Nolan's portraying a far more complex world, with a far more complex hero. Clearly Batman crossed the line when he used the cell phone technology to spy on all of Gotham? And the film's internal logic clearly states that Batman went over the line, as evidenced by him destroying it for Fox. But what about that one time? Is it okay to go too far only once?

These sort of questions permeate The Dark Knight and the moral ambiguity really brings Batman down to a more believable level, and shows that his rather naive and simplistic approach (initially) to fighting crime (he was going to inspire people to do good and clean up Gotham) didn't work and couldn't work...

In this way, Batman is now necessitated by the world he seeks to clean, and his efforts to clean only redoubles the necessity of his persona. This is essentially what Nolan was getting at when he discussed that the film is ultimately about "escalation"

 

[jmc]

Not suprised that Inception is doing that well, but I never saw a prediction for Salt over 35. That's really amazing because Salt probably had the worst advertising of any movie this Summer.

Yeah, Salt almost seems to have popped up out of nowhere.

 

[Anita18]

I think the idea is what do you define as being a hero. Is a hero someone who basks in the adulation of his good deeds? Or is he someone who gets things done?

First of all, why is this in the Inception thread?

Secondly, I think that Gordon means "hero" as in "role model." In order for someone to be a heroic role model, he as well as others have to acknowledge that he's done good deeds. Batman is going beyond that, because he doesn't need acknowledgment. In fact, he's taking the blame for everything that's gone wrong.



Anyways, back to Inception. It just sorta struck me how ambitious this movie was. Inception is a story of a man getting over his guilt. That's ALL it is. A very abstract notion, yet Nolan was able to take the audience on such an exhilarating ride, we go "FUUUUUU!" when the end leaves us hanging.

 

[LostSon88]

There is no wright or wrong answer to the ending. There are hints, but this is not cut and dry like the 6th Sense for example.

The brilliance about the ending is you can make whatever of it you will.

Spoiler

The point is Cobb doesn't even check to see if the totem stops spinning, it makes no difference to him, because he's chosen it as his reality. The point of the cutaway is it's up to you to choose if you think it's reality.

I understand that and have pretty much stated the exact same thing to others. That by trying to define whether or not he's still in the dream or not is missing the point of the ending. I understand that and how its meant to leave it up to the viewers own interpretation.

However, I also believe that Nolan did in fact leave a very clear ending for the viewers...its just a question of whether or not they picked up on it and/or want to pick up on it.

This was mentioned in one of the various articles I've read on the movie and its pretty much the 'red herring' as to whether or not he's still dreaming.

Spoiler

Throughout the movie, Cobb is shown wearing his wedding ring whenever he's in the dream world. However, when he's in reality, he is not. This is the most consistient element in the entire film and is very cut and dry in that when he's dreaming, its on. When he's not, its off.

That was and has been overlooked by many of those who've since seen Inception, myself included.

Nolan throws us a bone in the opening scene when it pans up lingers on Cobb's hands as he grasps the bowl of food in front of (old) Saito.

I'm still saying that the ending is definitely up for discussion but if you choose to want a concrete ending...Nolan left it up there on the screen for you. Its subtle, but its there...just up to you as to whether or not you want to accept it.

 

[Figs]

Even the music is mind blowing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVkQ0C4qDvM

Just got back from seeing it a third time and the theatre was packed. This audience gave the best reaction at that last scene more than the first two times I saw it.

 

[Shifty]

Angie's 'Salt' Seasons Friday Box Office; But Chris Nolan's 'Inception' Still Big No. 1
By Nikki Finke | Friday July 23, 2010 @ 10:44pm PST

FRIDAY PM: Hollywood expected Inception to hold well in the large markets and on both coasts. But Salt definitely put some pepper into Friday's and this weekend's estimated box office, according to my sources using early numbers:

1. Chris Nolan's Inception for Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures will still be the No. 1 movie for its 2nd weekend in release. It went into today having made $100+M in the U.S. and Canada in just 7 days -- only the 5th film and the only original 2D movie to accomplish that. Inception made a big $14.4M Friday for a Superglue-like hold of 34% compared to a week ago for what's expected to be a $40+M weekend and a new cume of $140M. Ah, what dreamy legs.

2. Sony Pictures set a new salary high for Angelina Jolie to star in this weekend's No. 2 movie Salt. Still, the studio was gobsmacked when she earned every penny, whether it was long autograph-signing sessions at the pic's premieres or making a much-hyped panel appearance at Comic-Con. That was just a few of the marketing moves Sony made to sell Salt but there were more by Jeff Blake and his staff: concocting a high-octane ad campaign, devising a 9-week episodic online game, junketeering in Washington DC with a reception/tour of the International Spy Museum, even exploiting that recent real-life Russian sleeper spy ring in the news because of its similarities to the movie plot. "The Anna Chapman story resulted in extensive off entertainment page coverage mentioning Salt," one Sony exec explained to me.

Jolie's pic had been tracking extremely well for weeks by garnering solid unaided awareness overall with total awareness strongest in older females and males, followed by younger males. (Younger females were a bit behind...) And now she's the only actress who can open a kickass actioner right now. And And open SALT she did with a $13.8M Friday and expected $35+M weekend. With a supposed cost of only a little over $100M (Sony claims that's because of production incentives from shooting back East), the studio is confident it has a hit here and overseas. Salt is opening in a few territories over the next few days (i.e. Colombia, India, Egypt, Jordan, Aruba, Jamaica, etc) while next week it releases in countries like Russia, Korea, Japan and Brazil. The film will continue to roll out all over the world through October. MORE

 

[terry78]

Angie's 'Salt' Seasons Friday Box Office; But Chris Nolan's 'Inception' Still Big No. 1
By Nikki Finke | Friday July 23, 2010 @ 10:44pm PST

FRIDAY PM: Hollywood expected Inception to hold well in the large markets and on both coasts. But Salt definitely put some pepper into Friday's and this weekend's estimated box office, according to my sources using early numbers:

1. Chris Nolan's Inception for Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures will still be the No. 1 movie for its 2nd weekend in release. It went into today having made $100+M in the U.S. and Canada in just 7 days -- only the 5th film and the only original 2D movie to accomplish that. Inception made a big $14.4M Friday for a Superglue-like hold of 34% compared to a week ago for what's expected to be a $40+M weekend and a new cume of $140M. Ah, what dreamy legs.

2. Sony Pictures set a new salary high for Angelina Jolie to star in this weekend's No. 2 movie Salt. Still, the studio was gobsmacked when she earned every penny, whether it was long autograph-signing sessions at the pic's premieres or making a much-hyped panel appearance at Comic-Con. That was just a few of the marketing moves Sony made to sell Salt but there were more by Jeff Blake and his staff: concocting a high-octane ad campaign, devising a 9-week episodic online game, junketeering in Washington DC with a reception/tour of the International Spy Museum, even exploiting that recent real-life Russian sleeper spy ring in the news because of its similarities to the movie plot. "The Anna Chapman story resulted in extensive off entertainment page coverage mentioning Salt," one Sony exec explained to me.

Jolie's pic had been tracking extremely well for weeks by garnering solid unaided awareness overall with total awareness strongest in older females and males, followed by younger males. (Younger females were a bit behind...) And now she's the only actress who can open a kickass actioner right now. And And open SALT she did with a $13.8M Friday and expected $35+M weekend. With a supposed cost of only a little over $100M (Sony claims that's because of production incentives from shooting back East), the studio is confident it has a hit here and overseas. Salt is opening in a few territories over the next few days (i.e. Colombia, India, Egypt, Jordan, Aruba, Jamaica, etc) while next week it releases in countries like Russia, Korea, Japan and Brazil. The film will continue to roll out all over the world through October. MORE

The film lacks vampires, that's why.

 

[Silver Knight]

Best movie of the year. No doubt about it.

 

[rashad]

Inception's early Friday numbers! That is insane!

 

[Silver Knight]

Inception's early Friday numbers! That is insane!

What are they?

 

[souvlaki]

14.4m... Jesus.

 

[rashad]

What are they?

1. Chris Nolan's Inception for Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures will still be the No. 1 movie for its 2nd weekend in release. It went into today having made $100+M in the U.S. and Canada in just 7 days -- only the 5th film and the only original 2D movie to accomplish that. Inception made a big $14.4M Friday for a Superglue-like hold of 34% compared to a week ago for what's expected to be a $40+M weekend and a new cume of $140M. Ah, what dreamy legs.

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood

 

[Anita18]

14.4m... Jesus.

 

[Heretic]

I just got back from seeing it in LieMax (found one an hour or so from my house). Amazing, amazing movie. And again...very easy to understand as long as you don't over-think it by believing that the characters job titles are somehow super powers.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Only the 5th film to make $100M in 7 days? there a re loads of films that have made more than that in a weekend, am I misreading the article in the wee hours?

 

[Crook]

Perhaps they meant this year.

 

[rashad]

Only the 5th film to make $100M in 7 days? there a re loads of films that have made more than that in a weekend, am I misreading the article in the wee hours?

In terms of being an original, non sequel film.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Perhaps they meant this year.

That was the only explanation I could think of.

In terms of being an original, non sequel film.

I see, it doesn't make that very clear with the chosen wording, what were the other 4?

 

[Crook]

There are no other 4. It clearly states Inception is the first original (2D) film to do it. Notice the 'and' in that sentence...

 

[Hunter Rider]

There are no other 4. It clearly states Inception is the first original (2D) film to do it. Notice the 'and' in that sentence...

So what is the "5th film to do it" stuff about? since there are a lot more than 5 non original films that have crossed £100M in 7 days.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Didn't Spiderman 1 do it in a weekend?