Sunday, July 25, 2010

Inception (by Women)



As usual, my idea for this comic is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I was looking for an excuse to talk about my family vacation. On the other, I saw Inception last week and it's been bouncing around in my head ever since. And rather then start with Inception and forget to reference my summer vacation (which is definitely worth mentioning), I'll do the smart thing and start talking about my family's trip to Sesame Place.

We ended up going through their website and booking one of their package trips. We had 3 nights at the Radisson and 2 days at the park. It worked out pretty well. We drove up after Lilly's nap on a Sunday. Got checked in. Got some dinner. And took a swim in the indoor pool before turning in early. The next day we had breakfast with Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby, and had an awesome day playing in the water attractions at the park. The next day we took in the dry attractions and the shows between some heavy rain. All in all it was a nice trip. Both kids had a blast, and Jill and I enjoyed it enough that we'll probably try to go back when the kids are a little older. For those interested in pictures, you can find them here.

Next, there was the mind-trip that was Inception. I've used both the words, brilliant and masterpiece to describe this film to friends, and I include them here because I believe the movie to be worthy of both. The tricky part about Inception is that it's a movie that it is difficult to talk about without spoiling something of the plot, so take that as a warning before you read further. That being said, Inception is NOT a twist movie, so don't go in trying to out-think it. It will likely take away from your overall enjoyment of the film. This is not a puzzle for you to solve, but it will pluck your brain in other ways.

After seeing the film I have read some pretty interesting articles about the film, and been part of some interesting debates about how much of the film is in reality, and how much is a dream. One of the most compelling discussions being from the point of view that the entire movie is a dream. That even the parts that we are supposed to believe are in reality are actually a part of Cobb's mind. There are plenty of clues in the film for someone to support this argument, and I think I align myself with that camp. That being said, I think that the most interesting thing the film does is to present you with a story where, even though you know the emotional payoffs may not be occurring in "reality" it makes them no less real. The movie reaches a point where you stop worrying about what's a dream and what isn't and just start feeling for the characters that are walking through this dream world looking to heal their fractured psyches and souls. Watching the movie with that in mind, I find that the final act is quite satisfying.

I also feel I could watch the movie about 5 times in close succession, and still find it absolutely fascinating. I can't wait to see what Nolan does next, both with Batman and Beyond.