Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Dreaming About Inception.

Dreams. We all have them. Some of us dream in color. Some of us dream full story lines. Some of us dream the same dream over and over again. I often dream I am held hostage in a bank robbery. My other frequent dream I am standing nude in the ticket line at the movie theater and can't find my wallet. Just where does a nude person put a wallet? What if we had the ability to go into each other's dreams? What if I could go into Dona's dream, DR's dream, or Pat's dream? Then once in your dreams I had the ability to change your dream? What if I could have go deeper inside of dreams to the depths of the subconscious? What if I had the ability to go into the subconscious of the bankers and stockbrokers that screwed America and while there plant in their subconscious thoughts of doing the right thing? Would you want the responsibility?

The movie Inception is directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) and starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Ellen Page (Juno), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Michael Caine, and Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies) among others. Here is the summary of the movie from IMDb: "Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming."

Loved the movie. Great special effects. Superb acting. Interesting storyline. My two favorite performances were by Ellen Page and Ken Watanabe. Page has come a long way since Juno. Watanabe commanded the screen every time he was on it. DiCaprio gives an Oscar winning performance. I was really struck by how much alike Page & Cotillard looked. The two drawbacks to the movie are that sometimes it was hard to separate reality from dreams and at two hours and thirty-nine minutes the movie is a little long. They could have shortened it by cutting out one or two of the repetitive battle scenes. I am, however, going to give the movie my highest rating, five footballs. One for directing, One for writing, One for Cinematography, one for special effects, and one for the acting ensemble as a group.

Questions for the day. Do you dream? Do you dream the same dream over and over again? Care to share your common dream here? If you could go into someone's subconscious and change the course of history would you want the responsibility? If you had that power whose head would you go inside of? While I wouldn't want that responsibility if I ended up with there would be so many historical figures thoughts that I would want to change that it would be take twenty-five hours a day. I'd start with Hitler.

WHO AM I?

Yesterday's answer was Elizabeth Eckford

Born in 1873 and died in 1947 I was an author who wrote about the original great frontier. I was born on a farm to a father who had lived on the land for six generations and my mother was a pioneer woman. I was the eldest of seven children. I became a contributing writer to a state newspaper while I was in college but after moving to the home of the Steelers and the Pirates I began writing for a monthly magazine about home things. While in the Steel city I taught English in high school. I would later become head of the English department at another high school. I moved to the Empire city where a magazine serialized my first novel with writing that was influenced by my love of Henry James. I infuriated a Christian Group by writing a critical biography of them. The Scientists were outraged and tried to buy up all the copies of my book. A university would later reprint the book. When I started writing novels I moved back to the prairie. I was celebrated by critics like H.L. Mencken for writing in plainspoken language about ordinary people. When novelist Sinclair won the Nobel Prize in Literature, he paid homage to me by saying that I should have won. I later won another prize for one of my works, The winning book was inspired by my cousins wartime letters home to his Mom. My cousin was the first officer killed from my home state. When I was in college I used the name William and wore masculine clothes. My life's most significant friendships were with women. In later life I moved to Canada. While there being an extremely private person and I destroyed many old drafts, personal papers, and letters. My will restricted the ability of scholars to quote from the personal papers that remained. I have both a gold coin and a stamp named after me. I am in both the Nebraska Hall Of Fame and The National Cowgirl Hall Of Fame. I was also the first woman president of a language association. I was "One of Ours" that became a "Lost Lady" in my writings. Who Am I?

4 comments:

Pat said...

I think everybody dreams, but not everyone remembers their dreams. I very rarely remember mine, and the ones I do remember are usually (but not always) the unpleasant ones. I used to have a recurring theme--I was somehow rushing toward either a cliff or a brick wall and unable to stop. My own dream analysis was that I felt at least part of my life was out of my control, which is, I guess, pretty much true of everyone now and then.

I definitely would NOT want the responsibility of changing history. I alway think of the sci-fi story (or stories, I'm sure there are several) about how stepping on a butterfly in the past causes all kinds of serious problems over aeons. Connie Willis writes time-travel stories, and the travelers are always cautioned about changing anything. I would take her advice.

William J. said...

Hi Pat

I write my dreams down as soon as I wake up. I think your take on your dream is right on!

I am going to have to look up Connie Willis. She sounds interesting.

Bill

Lady DR said...

Like Pat, I rarely remember my dreams, although there are various occasions when I awake and have the "sense" of the dream, if that makes sense. Also, like Pat, these are usually not particularly pleasant and, on the rare occasion I remember parts of them, I can usually associate them with something in my life that seems out of my control.

Since I often awake from dreams in the early hours of the morning, writing them down ain't gonna happen and I can usually go back to sleep pretty quickly.

Changing destiny, history or the future? No, I'd not want the responsibility. There are times I wish I could get into a person's head and replace all the negatives they seem to emit with some positive ideas and thoughts, but that's not my job. Each of us has to find his/her own way. Still, there are moments...

William J. said...

Hi DR

I must be the only that remembers his dreams! Of course those may be the dreams I dream over and over again. I also keep a notepad and pen by my bed. My dreams are usually pleasant but there are those once in a while that wake me in sweats.

It looks like none of want the responsibility of being able to change either history or someone else's dreams.

Bill