I saw "Inception" a few weeks ago, but have been procrastinating writing down my thoughts on the film...mostly because I have mixed feelings about the film. I was going to see it again before I made my final decision but I am not sure if I really want to spend another 2 hours and 40 minutes of my life analyzing what it all means. So for now I will just give you some of my initial reactions as to why I liked the film....and why I didn't.
Why it was awesome:
1. It has been a long time since a film has completely baffled me - When I left the theater, I felt completely confident that I understood the film...in its entirety. Then, I read some reviews and blog posts and my confidence was shaken. There are so many different theories to explore, so many different levels if you will, that I had not thought about. Which is why I should see it again.
2. The end - I think one needs to fully understand the concept of the totem to "get" the ending. When watching the film, I didn't realize its importance so I feel like I missed some key ideas. However, my interpretation of the totem was that you must carry one with you at all times, and no one else can touch it because only you can know its key attributes. So my confusion lies in the fact that the spinning top was Mal's (not Cobb's), yet Cobb had it through the whole film. So what does that mean for the end? For me...nothing. I love when a film is unresolved. And I am not the type of person that needs closure, so for me the ending was just that. Unresolved. Some review or post that I read (and I have read too many to remember which one I am about to reference so excuse me for not giving credit where it is due) said that the point of the end isn't whether he is in a dream or not - it is that he doesn't stay to look at the top...he walks away. Which is sort of how I feel - the point of the film is not for you to decide whether it was a dream or not, the point is that Cobb's story is resolved - for him at least.
3. The love story - While the whole notion of inception was a little too conceptual for my taste, I did love the connection between Cobb and Mal. That part of the film was beautiful and unforgettable. This is the only reason that I am considering seeing the film again - so I can truly understand their story.
4. The actors - Can it really get any better? Oscar nominations all around (ok maybe not for Ellen Page - who was definitely the weakest link).
and why I was disappointed:
1. Inception - Like I stated above - the idea is far too out there and the whole movie is about someone literally trying to steal a company from a guy who was emotionally abused by his father (and we are supposed to root for them to succeed?!). The whole notion about the different dream levels and the state of limbo was too intricate and confusing. I did however enjoy the difference in time between the different levels - that was kinda cool.
2. The special effects - absolutely amazing - too bad they showed all of the cool stuff in the trailer. It felt repetitive and some of it dragged on a bit.
3. Speaking of dragging on - Seriously, is Leo incapable of starring in films that are under 2 hours? This film was way too long - obvi I know it is not Leo's fault instead it is Christopher Nolan's fault - who did the same thing with The Dark Knight - dragged out every scene so much it becomes painful. I think this film could have easily cut out the entire ski scene (or third dream level sequence).
4. The endless debate - I don't even like telling people that I saw it, because I know it will begin a tireless conversation about "what it all means" when in reality I don't really care.
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