Writer/Director - Christopher Nolan

Ah, waited for your reply in Twitter. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by P_R

kid-glove, what would be an example of "seeming more profound than it actually is".

---

I did admit to be equally guilty in the following tweet. Although it's more in line with Ebert's review. From all the reviews (both positive and negative) suggests very mechanical breakdown of 'dream' concept, and much subside(s) personal blarneys of Nolan's work. The artifices (of repressed memory, magical illusion, and now <gulps> reality within dreams) aren't represented in profound medium-worthy manner (as I speculate in my largely rhetorical post :lol2:), but rather function as 'devices', effective 'artifacts' (and not 'gimmicks' that's conveniently charged against him) in a less nuanced manner. Nolan's USP is tightly-knit plot(s) and IMVHO, fails to delineate dense themes through the "human experience" (that likes of Bergman, Woody Allen ruminate with fitting characters, much unlike Nolan's Polarized world). Nolan doesn't actually enrich these 'artifacts', that might however make his films more 'watchable'. Still to make up for it, we get 'verbal exposition' in mechanical ways, the artifice of magic by Caine in The Prestige (here the whole editing pattern is to beat our head with it, the film is book-ended with over-expository epilogue), philosophical musing about memory by Pearce in Memento (again the ending, actually the 'beginning' of Johnny.G hunt presents Pearce's character to narrate his mindset and why his existence needs this), and quite possibly in Inception, the reality within each layers of 'dream' by Di Caprio to Ellen Page. But I will reserve all this negativity by saying that I derive pleasures just from the narratives of his films and effective dramatic construction. Perhaps if given revisit, all these films might reveal more.

And of course, still got to watch Inception first-hand, and confirm how Nolan brings out 'dreams' through visual paradigm, and if he's able to do it in interesting, profound manner..

If some reviews seem to find Nolan falling short of cinematic vision of Kubrick and Hitchcock, I'm belittling the thematic and ruminative aspects in comparison to Bergman and Woody Allen. This isn't fair by any count. Especially because Nolan is doing different kind of films. But we live in a world of excess in both praise and disdain. :lol2:

pArthaach. Innoru thabaa pArkkaNum. pArkkalAm.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by complicateur

pArthaach. Innoru thabaa pArkkaNum. pArkkalAm.

---

:clap:

elaboration please :D

Booked for 7.15 pm show... :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ajaybaskar

Booked for 7.15 pm show... :D

---

so most of the hubbers 'first night' show itself :D ...iyaam 6:30'nga...

In PVR they show english movies with subtitles..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kid-glove

Still to make up for it, we get 'verbal exposition' in mechanical ways, the artifice of magic by Caine in The Prestige (here the whole editing pattern is to beat our head with it, the film is book-ended with over-expository epilogue),

---

Didn't get the 'editing pattern' part, but agree about the over-expository epilogue, which is what kinda put me off in the end. Plus, having guessed the twist ahead, was another issue. Its only of late that I am able to see that it is a much better film than my initial reaction suggested.

Quote:

---

philosophical musing about memory by Pearce in Memento (again the ending, actually the 'beginning' of Johnny.G hunt presents Pearce's character to narrate his mindset and why his existence needs this),

---

Which I thought was not out of place.
Any attempt to visually suggest and leave it to be inferred would have been extremely risky. One of the most poignant moment is the v-o where Guy Pearce saying: he has no sense of time.

Normally, I would say, that is the kind of thing we should figure out by ourselve and poignate (!) about. But the 'feel' of the film is not moody and slow, one is always thinking/guessing and the dialogue is spoken in one of the few scenes that are like an oasis where the viewer can relax and catch up with his breath.

I thought it was extremely clever for the writer/director to recognize the need to pause the challenge a bit, give a line of dialogue that 'due to all the perma-alert frame of mind' the viewer may not have figured out by himself.

My ego resents being 'told' but it is true that I didn't figure it till I was told. :-) Now I can't think of that film except as the agony of a man who has 'no sense of time'.

That is the kind of understanding of the viewer and catering to him that I like about Nolan. I tend to like this immensely more than makers whose (presumable) stance is: "I make my movies, it is up to you to climb up and reward yourself."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by P_R

I tend to like this immensely more than makers whose (presumable) stance is: "I make my movies, it is up to you to climb up and reward yourself."

---

I'm just the opposite. If the film absolutely requires exposition, well and good. But a film like Memento would fare better IMO. Honestly, not a film that I look forward to revisit with its over elaboration. Despite its convoluted non-chronological narrative technique, the acting and events themselves 'pictures' his mindset while we're always emotionally manipulated by the dramatic construction through interactive dialogue and acting. For the most part, the v-o narration functions unfavorably, just as to spoon-feed Leonard's momentary pause and swift action - which brings out his 'motive' on its own - "I can't create new memories, I'll add faulty ones through snapshots with footnotes & tattoos, and perpetuate through this ridiculous existence."

Besides, the film plays out in reverse for good reason, it masks the derangement factor. The irony of playing end at first is that the audience are ambivalent about Leonard killing Teddy. And the whole narrative is to reassess how it panned out this way. Without memories, there's a loss of identity. The Man in the end is != Man in the beginning, or rather, there are various fragments of this man, mostly through his own misguidance. It brings out self-guilt in our part of Leonard's action(s), although he himself is uninhibited by this - that's where the poignancy resides. But when you keep hearing the v-o flesh out the motive (plus the musings about memory were pretentious enough), there's a presence of a 'singular' identity. That didn't sit well with me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kid-glove

plus the musings about memory were pretentious enough

---

Aha ! Those were my fav. parts of the film.

Quote:

---

I have to believe my actions still have meaning even if I can't remember them

---

is a line that set the context for the movie. That elevated the movie from a thriller with a clever gimmick to something more ...er... deep

Quote:

---

How can I heal if I can't feel time

---

Is the lines that made me sit up and take notice of Chris Nolan.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kid-glove

But when you keep hearing the v-o flesh out the motive (plus the musings about memory were pretentious enough), there's a presence of a 'singular' identity.

---

It felt like a single but 'troubled' identity, grappling with the problems of his non-singularity and being acutely and helplessly aware of it.