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Living The Dream

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 01:08:55 PM EST
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Kevin Drum's post on Inception makes me think we need one here. My take -- I liked it. I like most of Chris Nolan's films.

It was clever, took you into a world (a key element of success for every movie, often achieved in different ways - see, e.g. Avatar which got me with its revolutionary film technology) and held your interest. Did I care much about Leonardo DiCaprio's character? Not especially. But I was intrigued with Nolan's creation. And that makes it a success in my view. As Drum writes:

Not every film has to rely on making us identify with the characters. Sometimes a humanistic austerity is OK. And the visuals were arresting and the story was clever.

Was it the "greatest film ever?" Of course not. Heck, it was not Nolan's best film - that is Memento. But it was good. A film success in my view.

Speaking for me only

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    Living The Dream | 45 comments (45 topical)

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    I completely agree (none / 0) (#1)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 01:11:42 PM EST
    I am not even sure we were supposed to like Leo all that much.

    read an interesting thing (none / 0) (#2)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 01:20:26 PM EST
    from Leo on this movie:

    `Inception' is the same. It is Chris delving into dream psychoanalysis and, at the same time, making a high-octane, surreal film that came from his mind. He wrote the entire thing, and it all made sense to him. It didn't make sense to many of us when we were doing it. We had to do a lot of detective work (laughing) to figure out what the movie was about.



    Parent
    I agree (none / 0) (#3)
    by andgarden on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 01:54:01 PM EST
    I thought it aped "The Inner Light" (a TNG episode) but didn't live up to it. Looked great, though.

    You ever see (none / 0) (#5)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:00:32 PM EST
    The Constant episode of Lost?

    Parent
    Nope (none / 0) (#6)
    by andgarden on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:04:28 PM EST
    I never got into Lost. I think it's on Netflix though.

    Parent
    Hard to tell you to just watch (none / 0) (#16)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:13:11 PM EST
    one episode of Lost, but maybe with the commentary, they even reference the Star Trek episode.

    Parent
    Sigh. . . (none / 0) (#17)
    by andgarden on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:15:35 PM EST
    Maybe I'll have to watch the whole series. God knows when, though. Have they gone blu-ray?

    Parent
    Yes, they've gone Blu-ray (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:27:24 PM EST
    And they will be selling the whole series (and Season 6 of course) next month.

    I started watching after Season 4 and caught up. It was worth it. A really good TV show.

    Parent

    Destroyed by the ending (none / 0) (#41)
    by waldenpond on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 03:31:05 PM EST
    I watched it from the beginning and was planning on buying the series but with the last show.... eh, not so much.  I'd never bother watching a repeat again let alone pay money for it.

    Parent
    I haven't seen the movie yet (none / 0) (#4)
    by CST on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 01:59:22 PM EST
    but a number of my friends have, some of whom are hyper-critical of films.  I have yet to hear one bad review.  I can't remember the last time (if ever) that's happened.

    I keep trying to see it, but I'd rather see it in IMAX and the good times for it keep selling out - and I don't quite care enough to plan that well in advance.  I'll wait till the hype dies down a bit i guess.

    I thought it was (none / 0) (#10)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:09:16 PM EST
    excellent.  and I am pretty critical myself.
    hard to find much of anything to complain about.
    even Leo who I never like very much for some reason worked here for me.

    I didnt love shutter island.

    like I said, I think maybe he was picked because he was not necessarily supposed to be a completely likable character.  which Leo does well if not always intentionally.


    Parent

    Memento? (none / 0) (#7)
    by Dadler on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:05:20 PM EST
    Would not be my first choice.  IMO, that movie COULD'VE been great if, as we went back in time, our innocent amnesiac was revealed to be not innocent at all, but a bad guy who'd gotten his own family killed.  That would've been fresh. I kept waiting for something interesting to be revealed about his true character. And nothing came. The backward thing was all there was.  But what do I know, Nolan ain't doing too badly for himself.

    I thought it did (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:09:15 PM EST
    say that Leonard killed his wife, accidentally to be sure.

    He was Sammy Jankis.

    Parent

    I thought the big reveal though (none / 0) (#12)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:10:41 PM EST
    was what you say did not happen - Leonard chose to live the dream, an inherently immoral choice, when he decided to kill Teddy after Teddy told him the truth.

    I really disagree with your assessment.

    Parent

    Chris Nolan does deeply grasp (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:22:35 PM EST
    something about the dark side in many of us.  He has the ability to make me feel slightly uncomfortable in my own skin, sort of like how Quentin Tarantino can make me feel momentarily pleased about carving swastika's into the foreheads of Nazis for future identification until I realize that I'm pleased to imagine swastikas being carved into people's foreheads.

    Parent
    momentarily? (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:25:37 PM EST
    hmmm
    that feeling is still with me from Basterds.

    Parent
    I was pleased....then repulsed at myself (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:31:12 PM EST
    Then when he upped the ante and gave me Col. Landa, I was happy to be pleased again :)

    Parent
    I liked it (none / 0) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:05:41 PM EST
    I will probably go see it again too because there is so much to it.  Not sure if I will buy this one though when it is available.  I liked Momento, but The Prestige is my favorite Chris Nolan film so far.  The Dark Knight is my second fave.

    so I had never heard of Chris Nolan (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by CST on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:09:28 PM EST
    before this post.

    But man, he's done Prestige, the Dark Knight, and Memento???

    That's an impresive list.  I don't watch a ton of movies but I saw and really enjoyed all of those.  Not a single one of them was a predictable film.  These days that's quite a compliment.

    Parent

    Nolan is great (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:11:35 PM EST
    If you get a chance, watch Memento with the director's commentary.

    Parent
    yes (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:16:32 PM EST
    plus one on that

    Parent
    Plus 2 (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by ruffian on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 03:45:56 PM EST
    One of the really good commentaries out there.

    Parent
    he also did (none / 0) (#13)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:11:31 PM EST
    Batman begins.  which I thought was better than the Dark Knight.

    Parent
    It was good (5.00 / 3) (#15)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:12:15 PM EST
    but Heath Ledger's Joker was just so awesome that no, the second one was better.

    Parent
    Ledgers performance (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:16:04 PM EST
    definitely made the movie.  and honestly it may have made it the better movie.

    but it was only one performance and I really thought as a whole story, the first one was better.

    for one thing I didnt like that it was set in chicago.  and recognizable so.  that bugged me.

    Parent

    You'd act well too (5.00 / 2) (#24)
    by jondee on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:28:45 PM EST
    if you had to worry about Bale screaming "are you a professional or not, you f*cking hack..!!" at any second..

    Parent
    Heh (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:30:17 PM EST


    Parent
    he is insane (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:31:24 PM EST
    but what an actor.  have you seen The Mechanic?


    Parent
    sorry (none / 0) (#28)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:34:31 PM EST
    the Machinist?

    Parent
    heh (none / 0) (#30)
    by CST on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:35:46 PM EST
    yea but I've also seen "reign of fire" mostly cuz he was in it so i thought it would be good.

    it wasn't.

    Parent

    that is one of the (none / 0) (#33)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:37:17 PM EST
    most badly directed movies ever.  the effects for that were done by the Secret Lab when I was there.  I was not on the project but the stories were amazing.
    and the film was a muddled mess.


    Parent
    He was a weenie in Reign of Fire (none / 0) (#35)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:42:29 PM EST
    Matthew McConaughey was the eye candy :)  I recently got to watch that too with Josh.  But now that I know how much Matthew McConaughey likes to get baked....with all that fire around him I kept getting flashes of him sparking up a fatty in between takes :)

    Parent
    the eye candy factor (none / 0) (#38)
    by CST on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:48:07 PM EST
    in that movie was the only redeeming quality.

    It was just terrible.  Although I must admit at the time that I saw it I was not giving it my full attention...  but from what I do remember of the film, that's probably for the best.

    Parent

    check out (none / 0) (#31)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:35:59 PM EST
    these pics.  this was just before Batman Begins.  he had to go from that to Batman in a few months.


    Parent
    you mean (none / 0) (#29)
    by CST on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:34:52 PM EST
    the Machinest?

    Parent
    I was just thinking such thoughts (none / 0) (#32)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:37:11 PM EST
    a few nights ago while I watched Christian Bale star in Terminator Salvation.  Some things you just don't get a choice on when you are the mother of a ten year old boy.

    He did recently do Public Enemies too though, and that was pretty yummy.

    Parent

    I sort of liked (none / 0) (#34)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:38:06 PM EST
    Salvation.

    Parent
    Boy flick :) (none / 0) (#36)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:43:01 PM EST


    Parent
    totally (none / 0) (#37)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:44:35 PM EST


    Parent
    that and (none / 0) (#23)
    by CST on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:28:11 PM EST
    even story-wise there were some real surprises, like what happens to Rachel.  For something like that to show up in a hollywood blockbuster movie the way it did was kind of shocking.

    And yes, the joker was amazing.  I didn't think it was possible to do that character well, and scary, and real.  But he did all of that.

    Parent

    I haven't thought (none / 0) (#39)
    by lilburro on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:48:30 PM EST
    much about it since I saw it.  It was good, but, meh.  I didn't really learn anything about dreams by watching it...dreams were just a device.  Where's all the weird guilt and sex imagery at?  I prefer Akira Kurosawa's Dreams...

    Too true (none / 0) (#40)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 02:53:29 PM EST
    Nobody was late for their history exam while also discovering that not only were they late for it, but they also showed up naked :)

    Parent
    Inception (none / 0) (#43)
    by Lora on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 05:45:27 PM EST
    Should be a big hit when it comes to cable.  Type of movie like Matrix you can just get sucked into and watch over and over.

    I really liked it...couple of moments toward the last third when I got bored with the constant explosions and gunfire.

    Leo did a decent job and so did his sidekick Ellen Page.  And the sets and movie concepts were phenomenal.

    I really liked the Ellen Page character too (none / 0) (#45)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 11:25:29 PM EST
    One of the reasons I will likely go see it again in the theater, to more closely absorb her character.  There was so much going on on so many levels, I got a little overstimulated with all the action in the last third too.

    Parent
    Bill & Teds (none / 0) (#46)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Jul 28, 2010 at 09:36:43 AM EST
    Excellent Inception

    Living The Dream | 45 comments (45 topical)

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