Christopher Nolan's Inception

[DACrowe]

My thoughts on the ending, btw.


It is left intentionally ambiguous (obviously) and--

Spoiler

There is really no way to make heads-or-tails that definitively states whether he was dreaming or not. It is entirely left to the viewer for interpretation. Unlike Shutter Island (whose author and director had clear intentions of the piece's true purpose and the "reality" of it was only meant to be interpeted one way), this is wide open.

I can easily make a case for both:

He's awake--
-If he was dreaming how would he know to wake up on the plane as dream logic does not allow you to remember where you previously were or how you got there in the first place.
-He's not wearing a wedding ring.
-He can see his children's faces when they turn around, something he has never been able to do in his dreams before.
-The totem wobbles. It never is supposed to wobble in a dream.

He's lost in limbo forever (mentally, anyway):
-It is ridiculously too easy to get through customs and be greeted so easily.
-How did Michael Caine know to be at the airport?
-Michael Caine is wearing the same clothes as when he last met up with his son in Paris. Highly unlikely.
-His children are in the same clothes and exact same position when he likely left YEARS AGO and don't seem to have aged.
-It's still spinning when the movie ends.

I would like it to be the former, but like "The Lady and the Tiger," my gut tells me it is the latter (poor boy is kitty chow and Cobb is in lalaland until his mind goes all mushy). I think Cobb choosing to walk away and not look at the spinner to see if it stops or not means he knows subconciously its a dream but he doesn't care, because Mal is gone and he can now dream of his kids and be with them.

But I wouldn't stand by that position. As it is indefensible from the other argument. Which is the beauty of the ending.

My ending thoughts.

 

[TNC9852002]

From what I can remember, when someone gets the headset on they can hear the music playing in their dream on the next level down. When the music is done is when they're supposed to do the kick.

That one scene where Levitt's character is going down the stairs before he hits zero gravity, he can hear the music and says something along the lines of "it's too soon".

Someone correct me if i'm wrong.

Right. Yusuf triggered a kick while everyone was still down two levels (hitting the bridge) and they "missed it". The kick of hitting the water was timed just right and it they rode all the way back up.

Right?

 

[Anita18]

Right. Yusuf triggered a kick while everyone was still down two levels (hitting the bridge) and they "missed it". The kick of hitting the water was timed just right and it they rode all the way back up to the first kick.

Right?

Yeah pretty much.

I think the synchronized thing would have been more realistic if they had a few shots of people looking at their watches, or had them sync up their watches at the beginning of everything. (If they did, I definitely missed it.) As it stands, it looks like everyone on the team had impossibly impeccable timing.

 

[jacobed]

I saw this again last night in a packed theatre and the audience was laughing at every joke in the movie, I was pretty surprised as well as the collective gasp/AH at the ending. I gotta say I definitely laughed during this movie more than I did during Iron Man 2.

 

[DACrowe]

I laughed some. The biggest laugh my audience had was when JGL kissed Page and she said it didn't work. He responds, "Oh well, it was worth a shot" in classic deadpan.

But other than a few beats here and there, this was a pretty serious film. In fact, I'd say outside of Insomnia and maybe The Prestige, this was Nolan's least humorous movie.

 

[omid17]

Spoiler

i think he pulled the perfect crime , and Dacrowe is right it did wabble, i don't remember it doing it in Mal's safe

i thought it was cool tho how they made Cobb and Saito wake up the same time at the end

 

[Boom]

Inception has a 94 over at BFCA.org.

 

[omid17]

man my audience made me laugh,

Spoiler

they started cheering and clapping when the security guard stamped Cobb's passport

 

[Still Wynning]

Awesome guitar and drums cover of "Dream Is Collapsing":

[YT]Fk1adcV6qYo[/YT]

 

[Solidus]

Yeah pretty much.

I think the synchronized thing would have been more realistic if they had a few shots of people looking at their watches, or had them sync up their watches at the beginning of everything. (If they did, I definitely missed it.) As it stands, it looks like everyone on the team had impossibly impeccable timing.

Spoiler

The timing was synced through the Dream Machine I believe. Even if it was not used in the other levels to wake them up, it did have timers on all of them. To me I just figured it was given that the audio was like an alarm clock, and the exact timer for each level is on the dream machine.

 

[\S/uperman]

Haven't seen this yet. Should I go ahead and rate it a 10 because it is from Nolan of the Batman franchise?

 

[Solidus]

On my last viewing I decided to give a second review. And to DACrowe I recommend a few viewings, even if it is until blu ray. It truly is a film that the emotion aspect of it, is so different and subtle it took me a few viewings to find it. Actually on my forth viewing I got a little teary eyed at the end. Once you grasp more of the complexity of Cobb's struggle it made it more emotional to me.

I also last night posted my second review but it got deleted accidentally. So here it is again.

Spoiler

After viewing Inception for the fourth time I felt that I would give another review. Very few films come along like this anymore. One’s that truly ask the audience to engage, not just absorb the film. Truly when I watched the film for the first time, I felt it was good but not as complex as some said. But after multiple viewings, you learn there is so much there, and this is Nolan’s cherished work. You can tell he really put everything into this, thought everything out on almost every level. My brother went and saw it as second time and said he was more confused the second time then the first. To me that is a rare film. I do see a lot of reviews of people saying “it was not that deep/complex” the first time it really is not. But on the multiple viewings, not only does the film get better, the rabbit hole goes deeper.

One complaint I see some point at is the emotional level/conflict of the film. This is one thing I agreed with at first, but on multiple viewings I truly have seen this film in a new light. I think Nolan took a risk even with the “pretentious critics” by doing something very different. The narrative is different than most films out there. Even though it may sound simple, it seems so odd my first few viewings to really accept the fact when Mal is talking, it’s not his wife, it is Cobb. At first most would say “duh” but really even myself I found myself thinking Mal as a separate character, and almost as a ghost. She’s not. She is Cobb. And it truly shows the core of the films real conflict, not the heist, that is just a side plot. The deeper one looks you find that

Cobb is truly the center of the story. And the story falls under “the greatest enemy lies within.”
By my latest viewing I truly saw something amazing. I actually was finally emotionally invested in Cobb and everything he did. Especially the fact that I truly believe that alongside Fischer, Cobb is receiving Inception, regardless of the ending. I have seen some say the action is not “intense” to me the action is intense but not for the characters involved. This movie was extremely tense but not from the action. But the thought that Cobb will be stuck in Limbo, and his mind will be lost. Him fighting with his inner demon and finally letting go. The final multiple kick scene was just tense and nail biting. To me the film is tense and worrisome as you don’t know what they will find, and if they do fail, there is danger….limbo. This film does have emotion and intensity, but just in different ways. I know some may find that to be an excuse but truly on multiple viewings I think most people will unlock more of what Nolan has created. Not a film that extinguishes surprise on first viewing, but you find something new every time.

This film not only has depth but I will agree some of the best action sequences in a long long time. That and it seems Nolan has matured more in his “action directing” so that means good news for Batman 3. Besides a few minor lows I think that some critics are really not ready for this film I guess is the way to put it. Like some of its similar classics Blade Runner and 2001, sometimes something new is not cared for as much at first.

But this is a film that truly just grows on you. Even my brother who is not much of a film fan as I am keeps wanting to go back because he too told me he finds more with the film each viewing. But the emotional vein is one thing I still fight is there, its just done in such a different radical way its hard to grasp sometimes on just one viewing. I found myself really trying to put myself in the mind of Cobb and that truly is the core of the movie and the conflict, the Fischer stuff is important, but I think it truly is a side story. The flesh of the plot and emotion is all Cobb and his internal conflict with himself. And how letting go and being obsessed can be a difficult thing.

I brought it up one point since last time. Because even further viewings made me enjoy it more.
9.9/10

 

[omid17]

question

Spoiler

hey was the poker chip Eames totem, i think it was

Cobb said something like "they're not going to multiply"

 

[Solidus]

question

Spoiler

hey was the poker chip Eames totem, i think it was

Cobb said something like "they're not going to multiply"

Spoiler

"Keep rubbing them together they're not going to breed." or something along those lines

But I have no idea if it is, I don't think so. He gave one to Cobb and cashed in the rest. I dunno. Maybe though..

 

[TNC9852002]

Something like "You can rub them together all you want, they're not gonna breed."

WTF? The colors changed?

 

[jacobed]

I agree with ya 100% Solidus. I couldn't stop laughing after Eames gave the thumbs up to the guy on the turret. I think it was more of a joke like no matter how hard you rub them you're still only stuck with just the two left.

 

[omid17]

On my last viewing I decided to give a second review. And to DACrowe I recommend a few viewings, even if it is until blu ray. It truly is a film that the emotion aspect of it, is so different and subtle it took me a few viewings to find it. Actually on my forth viewing I got a little teary eyed at the end. Once you grasp more of the complexity of Cobb's struggle it made it more emotional to me.

I also last night posted my second review but it got deleted when the servers changed. So I figured I'd re-post it.

Spoiler

After viewing Inception for the fourth time I felt that I would give another review. Very few films come along like this anymore. One’s that truly ask the audience to engage, not just absorb the film. Truly when I watched the film for the first time, I felt it was good but not as complex as some said. But after multiple viewings, you learn there is so much there, and this is Nolan’s cherished work. You can tell he really put everything into this, thought everything out on almost every level. My brother went and saw it as second time and said he was more confused the second time then the first. To me that is a rare film. I do see a lot of reviews of people saying “it was not that deep/complex” the first time it really is not. But on the multiple viewings, not only does the film get better, the rabbit hole goes deeper.
One complaint I see some point at is the emotional level/conflict of the film. This is one thing I agreed with at first, but on multiple viewings I truly have seen this film in a new light. I think Nolan took a risk even with the “pretentious critics” by doing something very different. The narrative is different than most films out there. Even though it may sound simple, it seems so odd my first few viewings to really accept the fact when Mal is talking, it’s not his wife, it is Cobb. At first most would say “duh” but really even myself I found myself thinking Mal as a separate character, and almost as a ghost. She’s not. She is Cobb. And it truly shows the core of the films real conflict, not the heist, that is just a side plot. The deeper one looks you find that Cobb is truly the center of the story. And the story falls under “the greatest enemy lies within.”
By my latest viewing I truly saw something amazing. I actually was finally emotionally invested in Cobb and everything he did. Especially the fact that I truly believe that alongside Fischer, Cobb is receiving Inception, regardless of the ending. I have seen some say the action is not “intense” to me the action is intense but not for the characters involved. This movie was extremely tense but not from the action. But the thought that Cobb will be stuck in Limbo, and his mind will be lost. Him fighting with his inner demon and finally letting go. The final multiple kick scene was just tense and nail biting. To me the film is tense and worrisome as you don’t know what they will find, and if they do fail, there is danger….limbo. This film does have emotion and intensity, but just in different ways. I know some may find that to be an excuse but truly on multiple viewings I think most people will unlock more of what Nolan has created. Not a film that extinguishes surprise on first viewing, but you find something new every time.
This film not only has depth but I will agree some of the best action sequences in a long long time. That and it seems Nolan has matured more in his “action directing” so that means good news for Batman 3. Besides a few minor lows I think that some critics are really not ready for this film I guess is the way to put it. Like some of its similar classics Blade Runner and 2001, sometimes something new is not cared for as much at first.
But this is a film that truly just grows on you. Even my brother who is not much of a film fan as I am keeps wanting to go back because he too told me he finds more with the film each viewing. But the emotional vein is one thing I still fight is there, its just done in such a different radical way its hard to grasp sometimes on just one viewing. I found myself really trying to put myself in the mind of Cobb and that truly is the core of the movie and the conflict, the Fischer stuff is important, but I think it truly is a side story. The flesh of the plot and emotion is all Cobb and his internal conflict with himself. And how letting go and being obsessed can be a difficult thing.

I brought it up one point since last time. Because even further viewings made me enjoy it more.
9.9/10

Spoiler

"Keep rubbing them together they're not going to breed." or something along those lines

But I have no idea if it is, I don't think so. He gave one to Cobb and cashed in the rest. I dunno. Maybe though..

Spoiler

thought maby in a dream he can multiply chips

 

[DACrowe]

I do intend to see it again in theatres. I let it digest since we left the theater over 24 hours ago and I'm still thinking about it. But I will say whether Cobb made it out of limbo or not and the secret to the mystery surrounding Mal never made me really sympathize with him or root for him. People said the same about all of Nolan's movies, but I liked all his characters thus far--even the dueling jackasses in The Prestige. But I will give it another try. Blade Runner may be a good comparison as that is a movie that takes multiple viewings to really seep in how brilliant that it is.

I see a lot of comparisons online to Shutter Island and they're very different. I read the book long before seeing the movie so I had a better grasp of the film on first viewing, but I'm surprised to say I may have enjoyed it more. Teddy Daniels is so tragically interesting and Scorsese is no slouch when it comes to visuals with his own Kubrickian (and Hitchcockian) allusions and homages.

But I will give Inception another viewing in theaters. It is something perfectly crafted and wholly original. It is something worth treasuring from Hollywood, in short, really.

 

[Solidus]

I do intend to see it again in theatres. I let it digest since we left the theater over 24 hours ago and I'm still thinking about it. But I will say whether Cobb made it out of limbo or not and the secret to the mystery surrounding Mal never made me really sympathize with him or root for him. People said the same about all of Nolan's movies, but I liked all his characters thus far--even the dueling jackasses in The Prestige. But I will give it another try. Blade Runner may be a good comparison as that is a movie that takes multiple viewings to really seep in how brilliant that it is.

I see a lot of comparisons online to Shutter Island and they're very different. I read the book long before seeing the movie so I had a better grasp of the film on first viewing, but I'm surprised to say I may have enjoyed it more. Teddy Daniels is so tragically interesting and Scorsese is no slouch when it comes to visuals with his own Kubrickian (and Hitchcockian) allusions and homages.

But I will give Inception another viewing in theaters. It is something perfectly crafted and wholly original. It is something worth treasuring from Hollywood, in short, really.

I don't understand the comparisons to Shutter Island other than the conflict with wife kind of thing. Other than that they are quite different.

I love Shutter Island but Inception just is amazing and a unique sci-fi. To me it truly is in the vein of 2001 and Blade Runner. I truly see it as the Blade Runner of this decade. The first time I saw Inception I thought it was great but I wanted to see it again. I figured I had most of it grasped. But I saw it again as did my brother and he turned to me and said: "I'm more confused now" lol. In a good way though. Just like Blade Runner the more I watch it the more it just deepens emotionally and with its complexity.

 

[Bunker]

Pretty much sums up the ending.

 

[Boom]

Couple more thoughts on the ending:

Spoiler

The reason limbo took on the shape of Cobb and Mal's shared city was because they were the only ones who ever ventured that far (this is explicitly stated in the film). But limbo is still a shared state, which is why there was lightning when Fischer was being revived by the defibrillator. I imagine the buildings began collapsing when Cobb killed his projection of Mal - since Mal created half of the city.

Now. The reason Cobb and Ariadne were able to keep their memory was because they entered limbo by putting themselves to sleep - as opposed to dying. They only constructed three levels for this job, so any level beyond the third would be limbo. However, when Cobb drowns in the van, he is rebooted back to the shores of limbo. And since he died, he re-entered limbo with no memory.

I believe Saito was down there the whole time (in the same limbo as Fischer). Maybe his home was built on the outskirts of town or something. He has been down there for a long time, so I imagine that at some point he left the city.

 

[Solidus]

One thought I had on the ending though it has been said before I have many more but I will post them down the road when things settle.

But:

Spoiler

The film to me I think of course has three endings.

A. It is a dream
B. It is reality
C. It is a dream, but the wobbling at the end may symbolize he's creating his own reality so that reality is what we make of it. That that dream is now his reality.

Yet some are uspet that it is ambigous. There is one thing I say to that. Regardless of what ending it is, Cobb is home. Cobb is happy. Truly that is the end of the film, the rest of course will lead to years of discussion. But in that ambiguity there is one aspect that is clear cut of an ending. Cobb is now at peace, and he's home.

 

[omid17]

One thought I had on the ending though it has been said before I have many more but I will post them down the road when things settle.

But:

Spoiler

The film to me I think of course has three endings.

A. It is a dream
B. It is reality
C. It is a dream, but the wobbling at the end may symbolize he's creating his own reality so that reality is what we make of it. That that dream is now his reality.

Yet some are uspet that it is ambigous. There is one thing I say to that. Regardless of what ending it is, Cobb is home. Cobb is happy. Truly that is the end of the film, the rest of course will lead to years of discussion. But in that ambiguity there is one aspect that is clear cut of an ending. Cobb is now at peace, and he's home.

Spoiler

i agree but i think if he were to find out, he would go nuts, he told Mal how he wanted to be with his REAL kids, it's hard for me to believe that cobb just didn't care at the end

 

[flickchick85]

Couple more thoughts on the ending:

Spoiler

The reason limbo took on the shape of Cobb and Mal's shared city was because they were the only ones who ever ventured that far (this is explicitly stated in the film). But limbo is still a shared state, which is why there was lightning when Fischer was being revived by the defibrillator. I imagine the buildings began collapsing when Cobb killed his projection of Mal - since Mal created half of the city.

Now. The reason Cobb and Ariadne were able to keep their memory was because they entered limbo by putting themselves to sleep - as opposed to dying. They only constructed three levels for this job, so any level beyond the third would be limbo. However, when Cobb drowns in the van, he is rebooted back to the shores of limbo. And since he died, he re-entered limbo with no memory.

I believe Saito was down there the whole time (in the same limbo as Fischer). Maybe his home was built on the outskirts of town or something. He has been down there for a long time, so I imagine that at some point he left the city.

I just saw it again, and this time, I agree with this assessment.

 

[Solidus]

Spoiler

i agree but i think if he were to find out, he would go nuts, he told Mal how he wanted to be with his REAL kids, it's hard for me to believe that cobb just didn't care at the end

Spoiler

I don't think so. Because the whole film is about Cobb regardless of reality letting go of his pain. That is one of the reasons I think he could not look at his kid's face was because of the guilt. I really think that is why he walked away. Because Cobb does not care anymore, he's home either it be in his mind or not. He has finally let go of the guilt and embraced the love of his children again, forgetting his faults and past. To me that is one of the big aspects of the emotional core that really shines at the end.