Finally saw Inception

[blamebrampton]

Possibly the last person in the Western world to see this film ... But on a sweltering summer day, it was just the sort of thing that Mr B and I wanted to veg out in front of.

And ... I have a thought ...

That the whole thing is in Cobb's head and they're just all parts of his own mind. Whether or not there is any such thing as Extraction or Inception is open to debate -- he could have lost his wife in any manner. I do believe that he lost her, his guilt is the driving force for everything that follows, but I think that is the only real fact we can be certain of.

The team all function as facets of a personality -- competence, carefulness, charm, compassion ... And the Arthur - Eames dynamic (which I can see leading to A/E all you A/E folk) even has a level of internal irony that you would hope for in a proper grown-up (and which Cobb in the film rather lacks -- because he's not all of himself). That's why Ariadne is needed, because she is the younger, better Cobb, who remembers his life back when he had joy in it.

Does this make sense to anyone else? Or has the heat wholly melted my brain?


To finish the biggest film day in ages, we watched Strictly Ballroom, which may not be as hilarious to people who have never lived in Australia as it is to those of us who have (OH SO VERY!) and, observing the level of spray tan, I was moved to say to Mr B: 'How can he keep his face so straight when his whole body is so orange?'

Mr B looked at me and said: 'Because he's Bill Hunter, and right about now, he'd fancy a beer.'

(Yeah, you do need a high Oz-familiarity for that to be funny, too. But if you have it, it's a corker ;-))

Comments

[treacle-tartlet.livejournal.com]

*falls down giggling*

I feel an overwhelming urge to put Strictly Ballroom on, now. DAMN YOU!

*rummages in DVD cupboard*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Sorry! Mr B avoids death through comedy, you know ...

[maevemist.livejournal.com]

I have not seen Inception yet either, spoilers do not bother me though, but when I saw it at the shops the other week, my first reaction wnet like this -

Me - "Oh I heard that's really good, everyone says so."

The Chauffeur* - "oh yeah? Who told you that?"

Me - "My LJ friends list"

I believe my LJ friends list is all knowing you see.

As for Strictly Ballroom, I have not seen that for yonks but I am guessing, Bill Hunter, is the guy from the VB commercials. Am I right?

* Name changed to protect the innocent.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

He certainly is. And AHAHAHAHAHA!

[tomatoe18.livejournal.com]

Your Inception theory sounds good. But that's the first time, I think, someone has ever proposed it (I used to troll the internet for these theories). It's plausible but admittedly not so much fun (for me, anyway, because I kind of really want Arthur and Eames to be real - LOL). What do you make of Mal's totem that continues to spin at the end?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

For me it was another of the signs that everything is a dream. I'll need to watch it again to really list all my evidence, but I started thinking this right at the start of the film: Cobb kept being undamaged when he should have been killed or broken; people who had no reason to make conflicts for him made conflicts; there were no journeys between scenes, they just suddenly arrived in the next place; when their colleague was taken away (possibly to his death) there was no serious personal reaction to his loss ... just lots of little things that suggested to me it was all unreal.

By the end of the film I felt that we were watching Cobb on a solo dream hooked to the machine, as the men in the Opium-like dream den had been -- but I also believed that it was possible the whole dream science was a part of his subconscious, too ...

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Inception yet. yes, I realise that makes me one of the Eastern world. or what. Is it worth seeing? (I'd read your summary but I have spoilerphobia.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think it is. It's not the piece of genius that some reviewers suggested, but it is clever and fun to watch, and the acting was enjoyable all the way through.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

I haven't seen it so I'll squint and just reply do S.B. which I first saw on TV and then had to buy twice on VHS because there came a "better" version except the image was worse and so on. I loved it from 2 min in and thought it hilarious though maybe not anymore now, but I keep reccing it. The faces were so familiar because I watched a lot of OZ films at the cinema back then, Bill always a baddie.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Bill is such a joy ;-)

It has dated, but it is still enjoyable -- I think because the family ultimately all do care for each other and have just succumbed to external forces for their problems. By the end, those problems have been defeated, and the only people who suffer are Very Bad (and orange).

[being-here.livejournal.com]

Oooo - I love that interpretation of Inception. It makes sense of all the weak points in it!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Not mad!

[cinnatart.livejournal.com]

I'd not considered the film from that perspective but your theory makes quite a bit of sense, actually. *ponders it some more*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I have to watch it a second time to Gather Evidence, TM.

[shocolate.livejournal.com]

I thought Inception was pretty boring, and a waste of Ariadne, who was hyped as brilliant, and then just followed him around, whining.

So your theory helps with that.

SB is far, far better!

*uses dancing!icon*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

SB is a bundle of delight!

I think I will have to watch it a second time to note down all the pieces of evidence that I thought I saw to see if it stands up, but I feel reasonably confident that it's at least a reasonable reading.

And YAY dancing! (Did I tell you I saw, and loved, Wild Target? TEARS of laughter ...)

[chantefable.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it obvious that everything is in Cobb's mind? (Or is it just me and my interpretation patterns?) That's why I found the fanfic so deliciously, post-post-modernly hilarious - slashing figments of a fictional character's imagination, like describing his brain zones having a tea party. Hmm.

I actually thought it was a bit unsubtle, because to me Ariadne was quite clearly both Cobb's alter ego and a manifestation of a "magical helper" to lead him out of the labyrinth of his own mind, an obvious depiction of "help yourself, self". Because come on, Ariadne. She was such a magic thread to hold on to, it was hard to miss.

So yeah, I agree. It's all in Cobb's brain. They are the brain. And it's an addled brain.

The end.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I thought it was! But when I had a flick on the internet after watching it, apparently this is not a common theory, which surprised me!

And OH! you make me laugh ;-)

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

I like your interpretation of Inception. I think I'll buy it on DVD, and that's saying something.

Strictly Ballroom is the first film where the audience in the cinema applauded at the end. Really.

Now I've got that voiceover in my head... 'As a matter of fact, I've got it now...'

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I see no reason why I should be the only one to suffer from Mr B's ear-worming ;-)

And yeah, lovely film, always leaves me with a smile.

[sherryillk.livejournal.com]

Coincidentally enough, I just saw Inception yesterday. By the end of the movie, I also thought it might have all been in Cobb's mind but I liked the characters and really wish they were real (and for the happy ending to be real as well) so I'm inclined to believe it wasn't a dream...

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I see no reason why you should not believe it -- there's nothing certain at all, so we can both be right, it's a Schrodinger's film!

[themadpoker.livejournal.com]

Oh well, now you've taken away my title of being the last person to see Inception! I suppose I'll just have to wait for the next enormous summer blockbuster I don't get to watching till it's been out on DVD for a few months. Theorywise, I'm pretty fond of the idea that it's all a dream and Mal was right (pretty much entirely because of this piece of brilliance).

[themostepotente.livejournal.com]

So, when can we expect Eames/Arthur fic from you? *G*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I copy this note from an email to friends sent several hours ago:
I agree that Eames started off crisper in accent, though I think that he was also playful in his first scene, just more focussed -- the job had only just started after all. His later broadening of accent I took as a reaction to the Anglophile structuredness of Arthur on the job, and Eames's taking the piss in response (were I to write fic on the topic, it would be based on the fact that Arthur's first words to Eames were
along the lines of 'Oh, English. How fascinating. I'm very fond of London.' to which Eames would doubtless have replied, 'I can see why you would be, but for me it's not a patch on Swindon ...')

[rickey-a.livejournal.com]

I loved Strictly Ballroom!!!

and yes, I enjoyed Inception. I was more blown away my the cinematography and concept designs, film shots, etc. then I was intigued by the characters, but I totally see why people glommed onto A/E. I remember saying to hubby as we left the theatre way back when the movie had been out a week or two, "bet we can search out at least a hundered A/E fics on the net right now" ;P

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

You know how these things work! And yes, that was the wonderful part of it -- quite like that Rufus Sewell film of a few years back, the one where they said 'Shut it down!' in portentous tones ...

I have comments on Legoland but it is stupid o'clock and I need to get up soon. If I forget tomorrow, they are mostly 'delightful!' and 'Lucky duck!'

[vertelemming.livejournal.com]

(Yeah, you do need a high Oz-familiarity for that to be funny, too. But if you have it, it's a corker ;-))

I was born in this country and I don't get it. :P

Then again, I watch the TV maybe once a month, and then only the ABC, so.

[leela-cat.livejournal.com]

*koff*

Actually, not so much the last person in the Western, because I still haven't seen in.

*slinks away*

[azurelunatic]

I have not yet seen it! So you are the second to last.

[sorrelchestnut.livejournal.com]

My problem with that Inception theory is that it makes so much sense, because I honestly hate the idea of it. I can't stand the idea that I was tricked into watching a whole movie of some dude's subconscious duking it out with himself. I could quite enjoy that kind of movie if I knew I was going into it, but as it is I wanted all of the characters and their accomplishments to have been real so that I could enjoy them succeeding, and if it was "all just a dream!" then that ruins it for me. Also, it's a cop-out ending. Ask any middle-school English teacher who has to train their students out of ending a story with "And then I woke up!" Bleh.

I've actually had this argument a few times with some irl friends, and I do actually find it a very compelling argument, and I actually think it's probably the closest to Nolan's vision. But I refuse to believe it, because it annoys me. I'm contrary like that.

[wivern.livejournal.com]

I left the film feeling unsatisfied because I didn't think it worked. But that reading sorts out the problems I had I think. I'm surprised I didn't think of it all being a dream.

I did wonder if it was the wife was alive and Cobb dead.

It's been so long I can't remember it clearly. Must see it again.

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

*roflmao*

I recorded SB because I couldn't be arsed to stay up and watch it. Might watch it today and dance around the house.

You can get it twirling, you can get it whirling, you can get it taking a bow. As a matter of fact, I've got it now ...

Inception was fun to watch (if a bit slow in parts) but the individual characters made so little impact on me that I can't recall enough of the dynamics to put your comments into any real context (although I suspect you may be right for that very reason). I remember being disappointed that Ariadne never really demonstrated the skills she was supposedly brought in for - instead she seemed to end up as Cobb's conscience/rational voice.

*sigh*

Stupid movie has eaten a large part of my flist, which is kind of sad for me (although they appear to be having a good time with it).

*smooches you*

[(Anonymous)]

Really? It's a rare theory?

I was pretty sure it was all in his mind, not so much because of the totem at the end (which did in fact sound like it was slowing down right before the close- I've spun enough tops to recognise that) But because the children were exactly the same as in previous visits.

But I didn't enjoy the film too much, I think it was a good example of how the bells and whistles of cinematography help the atmosphere and the feeling that you are involved. I watched it on a small screen so missed that connection.

Something that did ring true, and may be a clue, was the discussion of how to tell if you are in a dream. That not knowing how you got there.

[pinkdiamond.livejournal.com]

Er, that was me. I got logged out as I was typing. Bizarre!

[shu-shu-sleeps.livejournal.com]

I think your interpretation of Inception is entirely valid - fablous film isn't it - really must add it to my DVD collection.

And Strictly Ballroom - Antonio Vargas and Paul Mercurio in the same film, dancing and you have a classic - and a shushu doing a MASSIVE fangirl squee...... The oh so incredibly accurate (and so hilariously funny)depiction of the mindset of some portions of the competitive dancing world in Australia is an added bonus. It really is some quality acting work on show there - some of our finest - and yes Mr B had it in one - Bill Hunter can ignore the orange because it matches his favourite beverage :)

Some

[mayela-delarue.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it.. yet.
And I <3 Strictly Ballroom - but that's no surprise is it :)
Glad you're all well, I'll pop my head in some time soon, I swear!

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

I think the it-was-all-in-his-mind theory was pretty popular a while back in Inception fandom? It's the theory I believe anyway, since it explains the inconsistencies in the film.

I don't think I've ever seen it explained with the entire team as facets of his personality before though :O