Why Inception is Awesome (Sans Spoilers Edition)

The first in a two-part blog series, this will attempt the explain why the 2010 Christopher Nolan film Inception is amazing, leaving out any plot/scene/character spoilers.

But let's clear one this up first. If you haven't seen Inception yet, it's because:
a) You don't normally see movies until they come out on DVD (This I can understand - only recently have I actually been making it out to theaters to see movies on the big screen more than once a year), or you don't have time to see movies very often,
b) You don't find sci-fi/mind-bender/paranormal/heist and/or action movies interesting,
c) You're put off by how much everyone seems to love the movie and the high expectations,
d) You're crazy.

All of these reasons (sans d) are acceptable, but I'm telling you right now - you need to drive to Blockbuster the day the DVD is released to rent it. Don't wait for Netflix to get it, go to Blockbuster and get it for yourself. If you really don't like going to blockbuster, drive to Target or wherever and buy the movie. Buy it.

And to clear something else up; I'm only writing this review so I wont feel guilty when I write the Spoiler Edition review. Because everything I love about Inception is more easily explainable when I can reference specific scenes or moments. The goal of this review is to get you to watch the movie, love it or not, then read my Spoiler Edition review and understand what I saw in the movie, intended or not.

Now that this is out of the way, I can begin my convincing.

In case you didn't realize, Inception is a science-fiction heist movie - heist, like The Italian Job or Ocean's 11. I know the trailers didn't really help to explain the plot, but it should have given you the idea that this film deals primarily with the idea of dreams - not the kind where you see yourself in the future, but the kind where you fall asleep and sky-dive or are chased by masked men or whatever you dream about in the wee hours of the morning.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dominic Cobb, a thief hired by corporations to steal secrets from rivals by entering their dreams, the unprotected subconscious. Towards the beginning of the movie, he is hired to preform an Inception - the opposite of their usual Extractions - that is, planting a foreign idea into someone's mind so they believe it is their own.

This, however, is more than I knew before going in to see the film. When deciding to force my parents to the theater one Monday night, all I knew was that everyone whose opinion mattered loved it, it had something to do with Dream Theory, and it was directed by the guy who did Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Prestige (all movies I loved).

Dream Theory, in case anyone's wondering, is really just exploration into the purpose, meaning, and reason for dreams. When I say 'dream theory', though, I'm specifically thinking about Zhuangzi, a famous Chinese philosopher who wrote in his philosophy that he once dreamed he was a butterfly, flying in a field. When he awoke, he recalled the dream and thought "Am I a man dreaming I am a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming I am a man?" (for indeed, who are we to say one of the other?)

Dream Theory really isn't the plot of the movie, though it undoubtedly shows up, much to some people's displeasure (I refer to Orson Scott Card's review of the movie, though I don't entirely agree with him). The real plot of the movie is Cobb, DiCaprio's character, trying to return to his family. We're told during the course of the movie why he can't go back home, and what happened to Mal, his wife, so I wont spoil any of that. Instead, I'll say that anyone who isn't caught up in the magical realism of the sci-fi plot (stealing into someone's dream to plant an idea), will still enjoy the human emotion side of the plot (Cobb coming to terms with his own demons), and anyone will enjoy the inescapable stab at the fourth wall that all good films make.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about Inception was the simple, straight-forwardness of it. Yes, the movie is complex and multi-layered (both literally and figuratively), but Nolan keeps the story flowing so smoothly that, in my opinion, the audience doesn't have to think too deeply to understand what is going on. Of course, this movie does require the audience to use their brains, and you're going to spend a few hours in contemplation if you want to understand every point made in the movie, but during the movie I never once found myself wondering why something was working a certain way, how this or that worked, or deciding to ignore a seeming plot hole for the sake of suspending disbelief.

If you find the movie to be too complicated, you may be trying to read too much into it on the first go. That's one thing that makes this movie so great - multiple views give multiple impressions, insights, and so forth. I bought the script for the movie at Barnes and Noble a couple days ago, unable to purchase the actual movie yet (Hasn't come out yet), and saw some things reading through it that I hadn't noticed before. This makes it definitely a movie worth owning.

While multi-layered, insightful, and complex, Inception is, in essence, a fun movie. It's a action sci-fi, with gun-scenes and chase-scenes and unnecessary but totally cool special effects. Don't go to the movie expecting to have your mind blown - let that happen as a side effect.

There is possibly one bad thing I can say about the movie, and it's this: Cobb is, truly, the only real character. Walking away from the film, I was a bit perturbed to realize that I couldn't even remember anybody else's names (except for a few, which were repeated often). This annoyed me, because it meant that Nolan spent too much time giving us Cobb's story and the plot revolving around him and not enough making the other characters fleshed out and real. Good movies try not to let anyone, even a secondary, become too flat, and yet only one character (maybe two) in this film is truly three-dimensional.

This problem, in my opinion, didn't detract from the film (it's kind of fun to fill characters in on your own, isn't it?), and, in fact, is completely excusable given my theory on the movie as presented in my Spoiler Edition review. So watch the movie, try not to be too disturbed that Cobb seems to be stealing the show, then read that review to understand why it's totally OK.

The directing, in my opinion, is spot on in Inception, with Nolan showing us just enough to get the desired effect without giving us too much to have the effect wasted. No matter what you go to the movie to find, I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised.

And if this doesn't convince you to go rent Inception when it comes out, I don't know what will.

My NaNoWriMo Stats

This is my current condition in NaNoWriMo.

This year, my personal word-count goal is 100k. The default goal is 50k, but because I have no job, no life, no money, only four classes at the local community college, and still living at home, I felt I owed it to myself and my parents to write an extra 50k in my spare time.

By publishing my stats in a locale where everyone can see, I hope to increase the likelihood of encouragement, and retribution and mockery if I fail. Consider this my signed permission to mock me if I fail, please.

A Note to my Friends

Dear Twenty-First Century,
I LOVE YOU. (Don't tell Ninteenth Century - he'll be jealous.) I just thought you should know, Twenty-First, because I don't tell you I love you often enough. I know a lot of your old friends don't really like you anymore, and some of the new people you hang out with are pretty low and trashy, and that can't be good for your self-esteem. I want you to know, Twenty-First Century, that I am on your side, I do love you. Keep it up!
Hugs and Kisses,
Kenna


Dear National Novel Writing Month,
We're totally BFFs, right? I know I don't always seem the nicest to you, but you got to face it - you're kinda clingy. I mean, I love you and all, and when we're together I have so much fun! But then when I'm hanging out with Christmas or New Years or even College, you're always emailing me and texting me, 'checking up' or whatever, and that's cool, but I want to make sure you're not getting too dependent on me. You have other friends, you know, and we;re still BFFs, I just have other friends too that I need to hang out with (y'know, give them fair time). Anyway, I'll be seeing you a lot this month - it'll be fun! - so we can talk more later, if you need to.
With lots of love,
Kenna


Dear Netflix,
I'm writing to make sure you don't have the wrong impression. We are NOT going out. I'm sorry if you thought differently, but sorry, we're not. I'd give you the whole 'it's not you, it's me' talk, but I'd be lying - it is you. You're sweet enough, Netflix, and I love hanging out, but we're always talking about YOU, never what I like or what I want, and sometimes it takes you way too long to get back to me on something, and let's face it - you're not very helpful. I certainly don't want to end our relationship, I just want to make sure you understand where I'm coming from.
Sincerely,
Kenna


Dear Halloween,
I was writing to all my other friends, and I thought of you, and I have something to get off my chest - you are NOT as cool as you think you are. Or, at least, as you appear to think you are. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but seriously, you were so much cooler when we were younger. What's with the whole "Halloween Lights" thing? It's like you're trying to be Christmas, just with dressing up - and don't worry, I LOVE the dressing up, because it's so YOU, whereas the lights and the parties and everything are like you trying to be someone you're not. Halloween, you are awesome the way you are, don't try to pretend to be cooler, because really, you can't get any cooler than Halloween :)
Well wishes,
Kenna


Dear College,
I'm on to you, you know. As much as you seem to really hate High School (And, just a note, High School really seems to look up to you, so you should be nicer to her), you're really just a legalized version of her. All the stupid things High School does, you do with authority. Sure, there are smart moment, on both your parts, but it's like High School is the Prohibition, and what does that make you, the Great Depression? Just something to think about.
Sincerely,
Kenna


Dear Alarm Clock,
I don't hate you. I know it seems that way, you just catch me at a bad time most days. Seriously, though, I don't hate you - you're so cute and adorable and I love you to pieces, so please don't feel bad because I'm not always very nice to you.
With lots of love,
Kenna

EDIT: New notes

Dear Puffs Plus Lotion,
I'm writing on behalf of my nose, who, sadly, can not write for himself. He wants me to tell you that he had a really great time last night, and he'd like to hang out again, if you feel up to it. He thinks you're really nice and sweet, much better than the other girls he's gone out with, and there might be something real to this relationship.
Hoping to see you again,
Kenna (and her nose)

Dear Facebook,
I don't really think I need to explain very much to you. I mean, we're certainly not best friends or anything, but I do admittedly tell you a lot, and I think we're pretty close. I understand that you're still growing and like to change things up, and while you can be a bit annoying, I generally get used to your antics, so... yeah. This is just a note to let you know that we're still good friends. Don't be worried if I don't always spend all day with you, or if I seem to be going back to old friends, because I don't really think we'll ever, y'know, "break up." Not that we're, y'know, going out or anything.
(Are we?)
-Kenna