Michael's Musings

December 8, 2010

I finally saw INCEPTION the other night.  Here's my take on it.

Despite all its impressive trimmings, writer-director Christopher Nolan's Inception is, essentially, a caper movie.  But, instead of robbing a bank or an art museum, the crooks in this film are planning to insert an idea into their victim's subconscious.
 
On the plus side, in our world of never ending sequels and remakes, this is a fascinating, extremely original premise for a film.  On a technical level, it deserves to sweep the upcoming awards season.  The CGI special effects are, indeed, breathtaking, like none you have ever seen before, and I include AVATAR in that assessment.
 
The cast members, which include Leonard DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Berenger, Tom Hardy and, in a very small role, Michael Caine, are all at the top of their game.
 
On the other hand, the movie does have several problems, one of which appears to be very common with directors of CGI action movies (i.e. they let their action sequences run on too long, far after they have served their purpose for the story).
 
For example, in one of the movie's dream sequences, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is bouncing off the walls and the ceiling as he fights some of the bad guys.  Aside from the fact that this sequence overstays its welcome, I couldn't help thinking while watching it that, back in ROYAL WEDDING (1951), Fred Astaire danced on both the walls and the ceiling in a far less frantic and much more entertaining way.
 
That's not the only action sequence that goes on far too long.  The picture could have easily lost 15-20 minutes that would not have been missed.
 
The fact that the plot of the movie involves dreams within dreams within dreams makes it a bit convoluted and, at times, difficult to follow.  We're never quite sure at any particular moment if we're watching a dream or reality.
 
And, despite the best efforts of the cast, none of the characters seem very likable.  They are all rather "cold," thus you find yourself "watching" this handsome movie and marveling at its sights, but you never become emotionally involved.

What do you think?

Have a creative day.

Michael

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December 7, 2010

Here are some more jokes I was sent:

The young man from  Mississippi came running into the store and said to his buddy, "Bubba, somebody just stole your pickup truck from the parking lot!"

Bubba replied, "Did you see who it was?"

The young man answered, "I couldn't tell, but I got the license number."

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A man in North Carolina had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road, and proceeded to put a bouquet of flowers in front of the car and one behind it.  Then he got back in the car to wait.

A passerby studied the scene as he drove by and was so curious he turned around and went back.  He asked the fellow what the problem was.

The man replied, "I have a flat tire."

The passerby asked, "But what's with the flowers?"

The man responded, "When you break down they tell you to put flares in the front and flares in the back.  I never did understand it neither."

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A Tennessee State trooper pulled over a pickup on I-65.  The trooper asked, "Got any ID?"

The driver replied, "Bout whut?"

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The Sheriff pulled up next to the guy unloading garbage out of his pick-up into the ditch.  The Sheriff asked, "Why are you dumping garbage in the ditch?  Don't you see that sign right over your head."

"Yep," he replied.  "That's why I dumpin it here, cause it says:  'Fine For Dumping Garbage'."


You have a creative day.

Michael

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December 6, 2010

Some funny stuff:

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day.  That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck.

"Where's Henry?" the others asked.

"Henry had a stroke of some kind.  He's a couple of miles back up the trail," the successful hunter replied.

"You left Henry laying out there and carried the deer back?" they inquired.

"A tough call," nodded the hunter.  "But I figured no one is going to steal Henry!"

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The owner of a golf course was confused about paying an invoice, so he decided to ask his secretary for some mathematical help.

He called her into his office and said, "You graduated from college and I need some help.  If I were to give you $20,000, minus 14%, how much would you take off?"

The secretary thought a moment, and then replied, "Everything but my earrings."

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A senior from Louisiana was overheard saying, "When the end of the world comes, I hope to be in Louisiana ."
 
When asked why, he replied, "I'd rather be in Louisiana because everything happens in Louisiana 20 years later than in the rest of the civilized world."


You have a creative day.

Michael

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