See You In My Dreams

This past Sunday night, I went to see the movie, "Inception."  Besides liking the actors involved, particularly Leonardo DiCaprio, I thought it looked visually interesting and that I'd like the theme, dreams vs. reality. It's a notion I've looked at with some regularity, the true nature of reality. Having just bought a piece of land and working it every day, to a greater or lesser extent, I've been amping up my listening, and amping down, if I may use that term, my questioning. I try not to over-think anything anymore, because, in the past, I did so with less-than-stellar results. It is a great worm can opener.

The movie involves the characters taking the viewer into different levels of their dream state in order to extract information from whomever they think they need to extract information, with a nefarious motive, of course. They decide to take the concept a bit further and infuse a little information. And, that's where it gets a bit troublesome, to the characters, and interesting, movie-wise. The whole thing is shaky ground, ethically speaking, but it does create some fun-to-look-at questions.

Everyone looks at life with their own perspective, so I can't say whether you'd like it or not. I did. Even the rather abrupt ending scene was okay with me, as that's the nature of dreaming. You wake up. And sometimes are left with lingering feelings that can't be compartmentalized, or explained....

Ellen Page didn't seem to fit, maybe because I'm still having trouble seeing her as anything but Juno, which is so unfair to this good little actress. I loved that movie, but she needs those of us who did, to move along with her. I'll keep trying.

Michael Caine is always a cool dude. Name drop alert! When I worked in the gallery in Santa Fe, he came in with his wife, Shakira, who is as beautiful in person as her photographs. They were quiet, but very nice. His intelligence always comes through, even when he's Batman's wing man  (I can hear you groaning). His line in the movie,  "The Cider House Rules,"  from John Irving's book, remains one of my favorites:  "Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England."  Not many chances to use it, but I try. What a kind, good thing to say to those boys.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a terrific actor, always good, but it's hard to tell, 'cause he does it so well. I still laugh when I watch re-runs of Third Rock From the Sun. He was good there, too. Ken Watanabe, always a pleasure to watch. And, I want to be Marion Cotillard in my next life. If nothing else, I want to talk like her. Love that French accent.

There were some quiet, but seriously funny lines in the movie, too. Most were delivered by Tom Hardy. As usual, I'm doing my guffawing, while everyone else just sits there. One man quietly snickered. I think laughing should be done out loud. Makes it more fun. Not obnoxiously. I don't want to be the one in the theater someone has to tell to be quiet,  "You're laughing too loud."  I have a friend who said he recently re-watched Woody Allen's "Bananas," which we saw in the theater together, lo, those many years ago, and he had to admit I was right to laugh out loud. A lot. That is some funny stuff.

Back to Leo. And dreaming.

I like watching movies that draw me in and keep me there for awhile, even after I've exited the theater. I felt like I was in almost a dream-like state myself as I drove home. No, it did not impair my driving, but it did leave me feeling a bit unhinged, as though I couldn't quite get all the way back to reality, as we think we know it. See what I mean? Can't shake it completely. Good thing I have my gardens, so I don't get too caught up in La-La Land. Nice place to visit. Wouldn't want to live there. Yet.