How good is Inception?

I am skipping over some much needed blog time that was supposed to be dedicated to a wrap up of the awesome Disney trip we took to do a movie review.

Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan

Let me start by saying it is not a perfect movie, neither in story nor in craftsmanship. With that out of the way, it is as close to both that I have seen in several years. It is a complete, comprehensive movie that can satisfy an array of tastes and one can affectionately disregard any mistakes or inconsistencies that may occur. What I mean to say is this: When you are dealing with the subject of dreams or of time travel, but keeping all else relatively "normal" or realistic, you tread dangerous ground. Yet Director Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight) spent nearly a decade putting all the pieces, or layers, if you will, together to make one heck of summer movie. It has a little bit of everything. Intense action; drama, love, humor, and an engaging story.

Any movie that has people talking about it days after the initial viewing is something to take note of. And please understand; there's no gimmick here. People aren't talking it up because of a one-dimensional intrigue such as The Blair Witch Project, which is about as close to the Emperor's New Clothes as one could get. People are talking up the depth of detail, the intensity, the subject matter, the action, and several of the performances which all coalesce with just enough grit and grace to keep viewers wanting more, thinking more.The movie asks you initially to accept that you are now in a world where technology exists advanced enough that dreams can be hijacked and manipulated by those other than the dreamer. Dom Cobb (played with appropriate caution by a coolesque Leonardo DiCaprio) is an expert in this field, and is looking to steal subconscious secrets from top corporate heads. He's been contracted by their competitors to do so and we soon learn he is trying to find the right amount of money or the right client that holds the power and sway to overturn an unjust charge of matrimonial homicide that has him defected from America, away from his two children. His wife (the lovely Marion Cotillard) begins to appear in multiple dream sequences of his own, as well as the targets he's hijacking-becoming increasingly troublesome for the rest of Cobb's team.

As with dreams, there is more to the story than what we first see. Cobb believes there is a way to supplant an idea within someone's dreaming subconscious so deep that the dreamer believes it was their own idea. This notion proves to be very risky; if it's not deep enough, the subject realizes it's someone else's idea and their subconscious begins to attack the invading dreammakers. If it is planted too deep, the hijackers risk being lost in a permanent state of dreaming; called limbo. Therefore, they must enact dreams within dreams, which become very intricate—plan on asking yourself lots of questions throughout and afterward. Every new twist and turn has a new rule. It’s a weird, wild ride, surreal and astutely so. Give credit to all involved to making a dream come to life, as well as life come into a dream. Look for the "kick". A way to awaken people from dreams, by setting their sleeping bodies off balance, such as falling over out of a chair. This plays a critical role in the timing of when everyone awakens from each dream, which, as we know in real life, only last a few moments, but feel like hours.

Cobb tells his team to carry totems; a small object that can only be distinguished by them. The totem might be a loaded die-that only the holder of it knows which way it will always fall. That way, if they see the die in a dream and it falls the way they designed it to be loaded, they can rest assured they are in their own dream since no one else would have knowledge of the item. I cannot disclose more than this without potentially sacrificing or spoiling the suspense of the film. Simply know that Cobb has his own agenda in all of this, and his initial meeting with an old client (Ken Wantanabe) sets what the both the viewer and the dreamer perceive to be reality into tailspins; it's the most fun I've had at the movies since the Dark Knight. Small wonder it came to us from the same imagination.

Joseph Gordon Levitt, (originally of TV's Third Rock From the Sun) is an absolute treat here. His performance in the underrated "The Lookout" left me wanting more of him on screen, thankful he'd shed his TV moniker as an alien trapped in a teenaged boy's body. He plays Arthur, Cobb's technical assistant as a dry, stuffy, lump, and performs in a zero-gravity fight scene that the Matrix creators are probably gushing about. Incidentally, Levitt did all the stunt-work for that scene himself; a testimony to his dedication to the role. Another fine actor featured is Tom Hardy (Rocknrolla, soon to be released Mad Max remake). Eames (Hardy) is known for being a master of disguise within each target's dream. He mimics and hides himself in people's subconscious, taking on the characteristics of familiar faces and personalities to make the dreams more real, and less suspicious to the dreamer.

Honestly, Ellen Page (Juno) is the weak link among the cast which is surprising, given her phenomenal Oscar nominated turn in Juno. Her character, Ariadne is called upon by Cobb, to be an architect inside these hijacked dreams; to duplicate places, scenery from the dreamer's past to lend to the illusion. For whatever reason, Page cannot deliver the urgency her character needs; it's not a bad performance by any means. It's simply noticeable as less then stellar when compared to the treatment of all of the other characters, devices, action and story. I am willing to forego it and forgive it because there's enough going on to keep the viewer engaged, though she did slow the pace of the film-and I think her character was intended to do so as a voice of reason for Cobb. Sadly, it doesn't translate fully-and I simply wanted to just get on to the next scene.

For all of its opulence in the visual effects department, one realizes these are merely a byproduct of a wonderfully told story-but a necessary byproduct. Inception doesn't get past the first 30 minutes without the stunning visuals; the stunning visuals aren't in the first 30 minutes without a well thought out story. Credit can be given to Nolan for building a strong team around himself. The cinematography is breathtaking. Tom Berenger, the stunning Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine are also featured. Again, it is not a perfect movie. It's just one that everybody will be talking about, that thousands of people will view multiple times, and one for which multiple Oscar nominations are imminent. That's about as close to perfection as one can ask.

so close

ok. i don't think another pair of children at 6 and 4 years of age could have done as well with 1,120 miles of driving over a 19 hour period as ours did. i will list the travel details sometime later in the week, but i am so very proud of everyone. we stuck to budget, except gas---a little over there because the AC sucks the life out of the horsepower---but we were under in food, so it's going to even out. the hotel in GA/FL was great and we are about 3 hours away from the Magic. Or maybe, with our anticipation, with our blessed travels, with our blessed kids, the Magic is already here. :-)

curiouser and curiouser

hello dear blog,
i'm sorry i've neglected you. it's now down to only four days left before the big trip and i'm not sure, but i think that the reason i've not been blogging is i've been a little tooo caught up in the anticipation of this trip to actually to put words to it, or to take time to try? regardless, i am here. i am hoping the drive is not as daunting as many purport it to be. i am hoping we have curtailed a majority of the pitfalls of those who have gone before us. i foolishly worry we'll stop for a restroom break and five miles down the road in the middle of nowhere i will hear, "i need to go potty again." i wonder when we finally tell them if they will be as excited as we've been about the whole experience, even the keeping it a secret part!

i wonder if the park will overwhlem them? i wonder if the rides will be too scary? i wonder if the characters will freka them out? i wonder if they'll throw temper tantrums? i ask myself if they will get too tired out and we've spread out time too thin? i'm scared they'll wander off. i wonder if luke will like sea world MORE than disney? i wonder if megan will pout seeing ariel with legs and nots a fin? i hope the weather holds out...i hope that they don't want to sepnd all the time at the pool instead. i hope they can sleep in the car and through the nites in a strange room.

anyway, blog. thanks for listening. if you could talk i bet you'd tell me, no worries, anytime, and that the only way to answer any of my questions is to just take it all as it comes and that despite all the questions, even if every thing i'm scared for ends up happening (along with some others that i haven't imagined) it will be worth it. the trip of a lifetime.

so it is written. so it shall be done.

overcome by anticipation part 1.

my first question with only one month to go before disney is.....
how long before my back starts to hurt on the drive? :-) i have this nasty habit of sitting squantch-wise (incidentally, never had to spell squantch before now--wondering how i did?) when i drive, and my left upper glute (yes, my butt) completely falls asleep after about an hour. the right side however, ends up being more painful than having to listen to just about anything on CNN or FOX news...i sure hope i can combat it or avoid it altogether. i am stressing it a bit.

hooooorayyy

i had a not good night or morning. i am stressing money and this disney trip and definitely work and about a hundred other things. and i was baout to blog a litany of things that i am just plain fed up with when a call came in that changed the whole face of the day. financially, the call relieves several burdens and allows me to tithe accordingly and i am excited to put the money to good use.

things that fall under the good use category:
donations to love146.org
donations to invisiblechildren.com
paying off three debts and having enough left over to pre-pay an estimated tax for next year
putting some aside for the awesome trip that awaits our family in 5 weeks and one day.
and maybe buying a pizza tonight so that i don't have to cook when i'm all stuffed up and tired.

Lord, You are indeed good and great, and thanks for my life that without You I absolutely don't deserve.

the griswolds

Look out National Lampoon's. Here come the Bramer's. Our Bramer family vacation to Walt Disney World is less than 6 weeks away at this point! And yes, we are driving there. Gluttons for punishment you say? Nah. Just thrifty and wanting a fun, good, old-fashioned family vacation together. There are no stops to visit a "cousin Eddie" along the way. There are no plans to pick up an "Aunt Edna", or to try and take any shortcuts.

Sarah and I have decided to do this trip like, 90% for our kids, and the rest, I think, for ourselves. I know there are haters out there---not Disney fans at all, the corporate, branded happiness that it peddles. I am coming from a place where it was my lifelong dream to work as an animator for Disney (that or be a wide out for the Buffalo Bills) and had even signed a letter of intent to attend Disney's premiere art institution for my studies. It didn't work out, and that's OK. I've been back as an "ADULT" to Disney an average of every 3 years since graduating high school, and if I could afford it, I'd probably go even more.
My perspective is this...everything that's not illegal, is acceptable to partake of, in moderation. Because honestly, when we get in that car, and they ask where we're going (yes, we're keeping it a total surprise from them), why we've been driving so long, I can't wait to explain to them where we're taking them. I chuckle at the whining I can already hear of "Are we there yet?" (I'm sure I'll feel differently at the time) I can't wait to see Luke's face when we eat at the Coral Sea restaurant INSIDE a gigantic fish tank, or take them to Sea World. I am giddy at how Megan will react seeing Cinderella's castle and having the chance to meet her favorite Princesses. And I have to mentally prepare myself that their reaction might not be what I am hoping it to be, but I know, regardless, it is still very much worth it.
With every new developmental milestone that our children hit, I am made so very aware to how much my parents endured, sacrificed, planned and provided for me, and it breaks my heart and rebuilds it all in the same breath and I can never thank them enough. Long, tiring waits in line, bad traffic, pinching pennies to save for trips, these are just scratching the surface of what it takes to be a good parent like Clark and Ellen Griswold tried to be. And I'm hoping with those good-spirited intentions, if we do happen to fall short of expectation, that at least it will be an amusing anecdote to look back on and laugh. Like Chevy Chase with his pants around his head wandering the desert. I am so excited when I daydream about it that words fail. I am literally moved to tears about this trip.
Thanks to Richard and Sue Bramer. The best parents I could have. Maybe part of this trip is actually for them, too, and all the "Griswolds" out there, who just want to give their children the world. In this case, Disney World. Sarah and I will be blogging regularly about the trip. Be sure to check back.