Chris Nolan and "Inception"

[Thor Melsted]

if that's the case - and I am not saying it is or isn't - then doesn't that just serve to lower the stakes even more for the characters? and especially for the viewers?

just sayin...

Actually, I think the point is that if it's all a dream, the stakes are Cobb's mind, which is anything but lowering the stakes, considering he's the protagonist (and his subconscious would therefore be the antagonist, interestingly enough).
In any case, since you're not aware of it being all a dream from the beginning (assuming that it is), it doesn't affect the stakes at all while you're watching and shouldn't detract from the experience.

The concept is that nothing is as resilient as an idea - and planting an idea is inception. The top spinning at the end of the film is inception. By cutting out before the top fell over (or continued spinning), that plants the idea in the audience's mind that what they saw may have been a dream - causing them to question everything before it. Was it a dream that started in Mumbasa or was it still a dream from before, the one Cobb shared with Mol?
I lean towards the latter.

 

[Ed Carlton]

Loved it, but the ending made me think of the last episode of Newhart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwYw2i2icNg

 

[ericyoung]

Just saw Inception on a relatively small screen - maybe it was an inferior screen audio system, but I could hardly understand Saito half the time, what with a very strong accent and massive bass, with loads of music.

I really wanted to love this film, being a semi-fan of Chris Nolan (and I'd pick him over any number of Hollywood hacks and think it's great he doesn't try to talk down to his audience), but I have to agree with Meryem's and Alex's reviews. The snow battle was just boring, and unsatisfying. I still think Chris can't really direct action, mainly because he doesn't do good geography! And the film put it's biggest effects right upfront, which meant it was hard to get more awesome later on when it really mattered. The love story just didn't ring true, and that was really meant to be the emotional heart of the film. I was far more affected by Fischer's reconciliation with his dad. So that's a pretty fatal flaw for me. It's a pity, but I think Chris needs a really good script editor who can really challenge him.

And I really wish more had been made of the totems - being so individual, there was loads of mileage in there which wasn't tapped for both character development and dream imagery.

Of course, if I could do even a fraction of what Chris has done, I'd be a very happy filmmaker!

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Issues about plot points, dream rules logic and emotional impact aside, let's talk about how it looked. At my local multiplex (AMC) it looked quite soft. Incompetent projectionist, poor quality release print, some of both. I may have to go see it again. Anyone else have an opinion on the sharpness or resolution when they saw it?

Cheers - #19

 

[Milan Spasic]

Issues about plot points, dream rules logic and emotional impact aside, let's talk about how it looked. At my local multiplex (AMC) it looked quite soft. Incompetent projectionist, poor quality release print, some of both. I may have to go see it again. Anyone else have an opinion on the sharpness or resolution when they saw it?

Cheers - #19

The sharpness and definition really varied from shot to shot on the IMAX screen. The opening was very punchy and sharp but there was also a lot of soft and muddy images throughout the film.

 

[Michael Moreno]

Issues about plot points, dream rules logic and emotional impact aside, let's talk about how it looked. At my local multiplex (AMC) it looked quite soft. Incompetent projectionist, poor quality release print, some of both. I may have to go see it again. Anyone else have an opinion on the sharpness or resolution when they saw it?

Cheers - #19

Have to agree with you Blair..
It looked soft at different times to me as well
Wasn't sure if it was the resolution or projectionist
It was apparent to my sister who has no knowledge of theses things
she was just uninterested in the film, turned to me and said it looked out of focus.

I want to see it again because I didn't like it for a lot of different reasons
and I thought I was gonna love it :toetap05:
Prestige is one of my favorite movies of all time...

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

I find it interesting that a film that went to great lengths to avoid a DI ended up looking so muddy and soft - especially when IMAX and 65mm elements were used. Perhaps at the end of the day the desire to save money on release prints and the use of minimum wage projectionists is the final insult to meticulous work by filmmakers. I would love to see a comparison of the resolution of the best master print created vs the "average" release print.

I would love to see a project that was all shot on 5219 negative for capture, then posted 2 ways - all photochemical to exhibition print vs hi-res scans to DI and then a 4K DCP. Put the big Sony SXRD 4K projector right next to a decent 35mm projector and then split (butterfly) the screen.

Any bets on the winner?

Cheers - #19

 

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

I find it interesting that a film that went to great lengths to avoid a DI ended up looking so muddy and soft - especially when IMAX and 65mm elements were used. Perhaps at the end of the day the desire to save money on release prints and the use of minimum wage projectionists is the final insult to meticulous work by filmmakers. I would love to see a comparison of the resolution of the best master print created vs the "average" release print.

I would love to see a project that was all shot on 5219 negative for capture, then posted 2 ways - all photochemical to exhibition print vs hi-res scans to DI and then a 4K DCP. Put the big Sony SXRD 4K projector right next to a decent 35mm projector and then split (butterfly) the screen.

Any bets on the winner?

Cheers - #19

I would imagine that if you were to shoot with anamorphic lenses then a photochemical print would look better, my gut feeling is super 35 would be different but I'm not an expert so I couldn't say.

 

[Tim Hole]

the use of minimum wage projectionists is the final insult to meticulous work by filmmakers.

You have minimum wage projectionists? In my world projectionists are paid technicians wages, and as with any job some are better than others. I've seen it three times in IMAX and 35mm prints. Gotta say IMAX expecially Nothing soft about it...The only shot I didn't like was climbing out of the water by the rocks...it was muddy. Surely the print can't be different its just one digital print multiplied afterall. The projectors self calibrate so human error is taken out of the loop, unless the projectionists were just using the same calibration from a different day.

 

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

You have minimum wage projectionists? In my world projectionists are paid technicians wages, and as with any job some are better than others. I've seen it three times in IMAX and 35mm prints. Gotta say IMAX expecially Nothing soft about it...The only shot I didn't like was climbing out of the water by the rocks...it was muddy. Surely the print can't be different its just one digital print multiplied afterall. The projectors self calibrate so human error is taken out of the loop, unless the projectionists were just using the same calibration from a different day.

I think what he means is where the projectionists come in is getting the projector focused properly, which is something which isn't beyond the realm of possibility to go wrong.
When I went to see Taking Woodstock I had to sit through the first few minutes of the movie skewed because the projectionist had mistakingly projected the film in anamorphic when it was supposed to be 1:85:1

 

[Alex G. Cohn]

I don't know much about what went into the movie, but I saw a quickie interview with Nolan that someone posted in this same thread, and he said they did a 6K DI. does that change what your thinkin?

This article seems to indicate that they didn't do a traditional DI: http://www.studiodaily.com/main/12353.html

 

[Tim Hole]

I think what he means is where the projectionists come in is getting the projector focused properly, which is something which isn't beyond the realm of possibility to go wrong.
When I went to see Taking Woodstock I had to sit through the first few minutes of the movie skewed because the projectionist had mistakingly projected the film in anamorphic when it was supposed to be 1:85:1

On 35mm film projectors I understand completely. Althought the focus is automated on digital projectors (inc. IMAX) and is part of the daily calibration. You can go in and manually adjust if necessary but there is no need. The only time adjusting is generally necessary is with satellite viewing.

In the case of woodstock that projectionist needs a slap. Obviously either didn't get back in time for the lens change - or they were missing a pulse. Hate it when that happens. Puts me in a bad mood for the film i am about to watch. The most annoying thing though is when it is slightly out of rack. So either its too high or low, or it shaking slightly.

 

[Sami S]

I loved the movie. I did however think of Shutter Island a lot. Loads of unintentional similarities in DiCaprios role that distracted me a bit.

 

[Chris Parker]

agreed sami. i find it strange leonardo took two SUCH similar roles for movies released so close together. both characters affected psychologically by the death of his wife and missed relationship with children. both drive him to insanity.

i guess he took it cuz of who was calling. and with scorscese and nolan calling, i can't really blame him. he really is now THE movie star's movie star.

 

[Chris Luker]

Saw this over the weekend. I frickin' LOVED it!
Made me rethink the script I wrote. Too bad I'm starting to shoot it this weekend...

 

[R.ChilD]

Saw this over the weekend. I frickin' LOVED it!
Made me rethink the script I wrote. Too bad I'm starting to shoot it this weekend...

LMAO...HAHA...ROTFL

your thoughts r exactly mines as well....the writing in other MAJOR RELEASES in the past year or two blows when compared Inception's script

 

[Charles Angus]

An OK summer blockbuster.

And that's it.

Case closed.

 

[Ruairi Robinson]

An OK summer blockbuster.

And that's it.

Case closed.

You don't have the authority to close this case.

R.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

An OK summer blockbuster.

And that's it.

Case closed.

And what do you consider to be an excellent summer blockbuster, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[chrislancaster]

the people trashing this movie ... just dont get it

imho