Sunday, August 29, 2010

Another Inception screening...*spoilers*

...yes, I went to go see it a third time in the cinemas (record), but this time it was for my birthday. I mean, did I really want to take all my friends to go see Salt? No. Of course, there weren't many differences to the other two times I saw it, apart from the fact that a) the cinema was almost full (the screening afterwards was full, and this movie has been out for just over a month, unbelievable), and b) the reaction at the end was worth the price of the ticket itself (it would have been enough to shatter a few windows). So I have decided to go through my favourite part of the movie--the cast--bit by bit. Because, this is the cast of the century. It's like the He's Just Not That Into You of sci-fi/actions. Though, you could class He's Just Not That Into You as a sci-fi/action, because most of the film is fiction developed from bad relationship science, and Bradley Cooper gets a bit of action with Scarlett Johansson...see?

Leonardo DiCaprio: Dom Cobb (The Extractor)
What else have I seen him in?? What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet, Titanic, The Beach, Catch Me If You Can, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island and Inception.
As you should know, Leonardo DiCaprio is my favourite actor. This is probably my favourite film of his, but not my favourite performance (that would be The Aviator). However, I do think this is Leo at his best, because most of the films emotional connection comes from him. For once there is an 'action hero' who we sympathize with and hope for the best for. Cobb is a really damaged character, mainly because of this whole business with Mal, but still soldiers on in a job that isn't particularly great for him (stealing ideas through sleep? There would be some nasty stuff with that). He misses his children dearly, which is why at the end I always find myself in tears, the same when he is looking back on his life in limbo with Mal. Leo always does this to me, and I often find myself crying in 95% of his movies (especially Revolutionary Road, I didn't even like April but just seeing Leo's face made me burst into tears). Had a different actor got the role of Cobb, I'm not sure that this film would have been so affecting, and he would have passed as just another guy in an action movie.

Ken Watanabe: Saito (The Tourist)
What have I seen him in?? Batman Begins and Inception...shocking, I know.
Saito, I have to say, is probably my least favourite character because he is one shady dude. Sure, he's like dead for most of it and I should have really been hoping that he would make it through this ordeal, but I'm not sure he 'honoured the arrangement'. My theory is that Saito planted the idea in Cobb's mind that he would get to go back and see his children and the charges against him would be dropped if he incepted Fischer, but really, he would do this and then plunge straight back into limbo with his kids projections. Of course, the only one who rightfully knows the ending is Christopher Nolan, and I'm not one of those people who have to find out the ending or throw theories around. I'm just happy that it ended the way it did so I could remember it. But if I go by that theory with Saito incepting Cobb, then that makes Saito a horrid person. I don't care if he got shot in the first dream and then plunged into limbo as an old man.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Arthur (The Point Man)
What have I seen him in?? 10 Things I Hate About You, various episodes of 3rd Rock From the Sun, Brick, (500) Days of Summer and Inception (is that really it?)
Arthur is actually one of my favourite characters in this movie, mainly because he is just a bad-ass. I mean, did you see that hotel fight scene?? He worked that spinning hallway like the new and updated version of Neo from The Matrix. He is also part of the dynamic duo...him and Eames. On Facebook there is a page titled 'Arthur and Eames from Inception seriously need their own movie'--please like it, coz I totally think they should. Arthur is such a fun-sponge, but is also really fun. He looks so awesome driving a taxi and shooting at people. He really wants to get in with Ariadne. Okay, so basically, Arthur is awesome, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers a stand-out performance in the film. You see, this guy will be getting Oscars and he will be the next...Heath Ledger?

Marion Cotillard: Mal Cobb (The Shade)
What have I seen her in?? La Vie En Rose, Public Enemies and Inception.
I love Marion Cotillard, but I really, really, didn't like Mal. I mean, how could you possibly like her? She kept invading Cobb's dreams and killing off everyone just so she could get her husband to come back to limbo with her. The thing is, she is dead, and I doubt that Cobb would want to live the rest of his life with a projection. Then again, even though she does spend most of the movie shooting people to get them out of the dream (I actually started hating her when she shot Arthur in the foot), I still feel kinda sorry for her. She highlights the point that this movie makes: where is the line between reality and dreams? She killed herself because reality was getting to be too much for her. But she thought it was all a dream. Big mistake. I bet that there are hundreds of people who think just like her. Anyway, back to the hating. She makes Cobb's life hell, yet he keeps returning to memories with her in his dreams. Together, they are a pretty damaged couple...Cobb loves his dead wife's projection, Mal is dead and she wants her husband back in limbo. Good love story, that one.

Ellen Page: Ariadne (The Architect)
What have I seen her in?? Juno, Smart People, Whip It and Inception.
Despite Ellen Page's best efforts, I will never be able to see her as anyone different than Juno. That role made her. However, unlike Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana, Ellen has enough talent to carry off any role, as she does in this film, where she is all grown up and rearing to go. I can see why Arthur took a liking to Ariadne, because she looks very sweet an innocent, but like, say Rachel Dawes, she can put up a fight for herself. Ariadne is also the major lead between the audience and Cobb's story. Ariadne is the only one in the crew who knows what is really eating Cobb, and about all these 'experiments' he does when no-one else is around. This makes Ariadne someone more special than the creator of the dream world. Oh, and I must commend her for making all of those amazing dreams...I imagine aspiring architects would be super jealous of what she gets to do.

Tom Hardy: Eames (The Forger)
What have I seen him in?? Inception...yet he is still one of my favourite actors.
Eames is the funniest character out of all of them, mainly because he likes to take the piss out of Arthur and also make himself look like an over-tanned old man and some tall blonde chick who hits on both Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe in one night. What a lucky, lucky guy. I absolutely adore Tom Hardy in this, because he is the cool guy. He can be serious but you can't really take him that seriously. He isn't afraid to dream a little bigger darling. Tom Hardy will be the next big actor in Hollywood, as I'm sure this and his acclaimed turn in Bronson have confirmed him to be a star of the rise and one you should definitely be watching in the future. And Eames gets all the best lines in this movie...
Cillian Murphy: Robert Fischer Jr. (The Mark)
What have I seen him in?? Cold Mountain, Batman Begins, Breakfast on Pluto, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Sunshine, The Edge of Love, The Dark Knight and Inception. In the near future I will be watching Red Eye, Watching the Detectives and Girl with a Pearl Earring.
I am currently obsessed with Cillian Murphy. I don't know why, but everything about this guy is amazing. He is so under-rated and should really be getting an Oscar sometime soon, because he is such a diverse actor. Going from film to film it is hard to believe that it is the same person on the screen (especially watching Breakfast on Pluto and then Sunshine). However, in Inception, he starts off as an arrogant prick. He's a pampered rich boy who is exactly like his father, which is probably why they don't see eye to eye. I just really wanted to know why Fischer was hated by his father so much, was he a druggie or something?? Towards the end Fischer is the emotional character...the one we sympathize with. He's stuck in this dream where all these terrible things are happening, and BAM, his father is 'disappoint'. When he started crying, I started dying a little inside. In fact, everytime he came on screen, I started dying, because of those beautiful blue eyes and superbly crafted cheekbones...this guy is God.

Of course, I must also credit Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Dileep Rao, who are all valuable assets in this multi-layered film of films. You guys are all probably aware of how much I love this movie. I promise that this will be the last time I watch Inception...until it comes out on DVD later this year...

2 comments:

  1. Two years later, Summer of 2012, and I enjoyed seeing your multiple reviews. This film truly begs this kind of layering, too - heck, it's BUILT on that.

    In the '60s and '70s, we used to have favorite films at theaters for months and months at a time. "Held over 33rd week!" wasn't uncommon. "Let the film grow legs" was the comment from studios, distributors and theater owners - let word-of-mouth carry a film to greater revenues. Some did, some didn't. But we loved going with schoolmates to see The Same Films because there wasn't anything better to do, and the crowds were always more educated in that film, more enthusiastic - they knew when to laugh, cry, when to get more popcorn. The large enthusiastic and experienced audience remains one of my favorite aspects of re-watching films in theaters.

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  2. Oh, another note about Ellen Page. INCEPTION let me realize who she reminds me of: Jessica Harper. Jessica Harper of 1974's PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. Of Woody Allen's LOVE & DEATH and STARDUST MEMORIES. 1982's MY FAVORITE YEAR. What a resemblance.

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You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

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