Sin #67: All My Dreams

“Don’t Wake Me, I Plan on Sleeping In…”

Sleeping In-The Postal Service

Dreams have fascinated filmmakers ever since the dawn of cinema. This year Christopher Nolan (one of the boldest and most ambitious directors currently working) delivers us “Inception”, his latest mind-bender which might just change our perception of dreams as a narrative entanglement that reveal layers within layers of dreamscape while emasculating a sense of emotional frailty. In “Inception” he takes us on an intellectual ride that doesn’t condescend to the summer blockbuster crowd; it’s an ambitious and incredibly smart movie that works within the structure of a heist movie (or even a Bond action adventure) while introducing complex ideas (there are echoes here of other great sci-fi works like “Blade Runner” or “2001”). Without a doubt, one viewing is not enough to assimilate all of Nolan’s intricate plotting and abstract concepts.

I’ve read several theories on the movie and the cleverly ambiguous ending which is definitely open to several interpretations. If you haven’t seen “Inception” I recommend you save this reading for later, since I don’t want to spoil the experience.

First of all, about that ending; some say Dom Cobb’s cipher is about to collapse as the screen goes dark, others believe it keeps spinning endlessly, revealing that Cobb is still inside his dream. There are several clues that suggest Cobb might have never woken up at all (and that Mal, his wife, might not be dead). My own theory is that she escaped the dream world and failed to convince him to accompany her back to their children (speaking of which, they never seem to age and are always seen in the same position throughout the story). Cobb might be another reinterpretation of Leonard, the hero of “Memento”, who leads a tragic life stuck in an endless loophole of despair (Leonard thinks he is avenging his wife’s death while Cobb thinks he is trying to go back to his children). Both characters are paranoid and refuse to look beyond their own dilemmas. In the climax, Mal ominously tells Cobb about his delusions of worldwide corporate persecution and asks him: how are you certain of your reality?

With this argument we might even ask if the process of inception is even possible. Maybe the true target is not Robert Fischer, the tycoon’s son, but Cobb who is truly lost within his subconscious. Of course this is only one of the many hypothesis “Inception” has inspired and it’s such a complex movie that I believe it will be endlessly discussed for years to come; It’s really an amazing achievement. It also represents the second Leonardo DiCaprio movie in a year that deals with deceptive realities (the other one is Scorsese’s “Shutter Island”. Both movies focus on intense performances by the actor, who has shown great maturity with his choice of roles).

Another movie that drifts within dreams is “Waking Life” from director Richard Linklater. The movie is a series of conversations between professors, poets and philosophers with a young man who suspects he might be dead (or trapped within a very strange dream). The film uses rotoscopic animation to convey several surreal visual styles (that change depending on the conversation).

Even though the movie doesn’t have a traditional storyline, “Waking Life” is hypnotic, intriguing and utterly original.

“Inception” and “Waking Life” are unique cinematic experiences that go where few movies dare to go. They will certainly haunt your dreams.