[Movie] Inception

Based on what little I had seen before seeing the film I thought this might be Nolan's stumble. It just seemed like so much could go wrong, but happily I was quite blown away by it. The only minor criticism I can level at the film is that I'd have liked a little more background on Arthur but really I can see where it would've been difficult to keep the pace consistent while fiddling with more back story.

Spoiler:

As far as the was it all a dream element. On one hand the surface appears to be that Cobb is back to reality at the end, though a couple things bother me. The meanings of the names Ariadne and Eames. Respectively being the one who helped get Theseus out of the Minotaur's maze and Eames the name of an influential architect. Ariadne was the one who ostensibly led Cobb to his redemption with Mal, and given his architecture background not surprising an architect's name could crop up. This could just be Nolan bringing in plot irrelevant referential naming, but I think with 10 years of time to work on the story I don't think much will be plot irrelevant. Also stretching a bit, Mal being part of his mind always threatening him, grand mal seizure, again huge stretch but a thought. Also Saito getting his hand on Cobb's totem which also appears to have been critical to Mal concerns me. Plus the doubts Mal raised with everyone being out to get Cobb, and how easily it appears Saito could clear him once he made his peace with Mal. Also the fact that the kids look identical to how they were in his dream, same position and everything, not as if he never knew their faces, perhaps they've just been unlocked from his memory now. Still if it is a dream, filled with Cobb's subconscious, it it all his own dream or is he shared dreaming still. I could ramble on and on, but at the core it doesn't really matter. I like that the ending is unclear but not in such a way that negatively impacts the rest of the movie or feels like a cop out, since it really is about the journey and the journey is excellent.

Also with the snow level, gotta wonder what sort of awesome Nolan could pull off with a Bond film.

How ya doing, buddy?