Comments on: A Visceral Reaction

By: Jack Faire

Jack Faire — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:25:45 +0000

Why couldn't she use the top? Yes I know it was locked away but in the "real" world it would have been in her pocket. My theory is that his brain knew he was in a dream the whole time and invented the top as a way of saying, "If this was a dream this wouldn't fall".

It seemed very dream like that after his wife committed obvious suicide, they were in two different hotels no matter what she planted cameras and eyewitnesses would exonerate him quickly, but instead somehow he is suddenly suspected of murder and when he gets home conveniently there is a guy with the government there all ready with tickets to get him away from a situation where he might realize he is awake.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 05:33:49 +0000

[SPOILERS]

To those of you saying that the entire movie was a dream and that his wife was right all along, explain why the totem falls when we first see him in the hotel room, and (most importantly) why Mal only shows up when he "goes under" into a dream. If she was that rampant in the dreams she would be just as rampant in what is displayed as reality. I honestly don't believe the top was his totem, I think it was a reassurance that he was awake. If you pay attention during the movie, he has a wedding ring on only when he is in a dream and it doesn't look as if he has one on at the end of the movie. I think the ring is the totem and the top was just a way of double checking.

By: AaronJuntunen

AaronJuntunen — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:07:11 +0000

Yeah, I agree that there probably isn't a definite answer. My point mostly was that I enjoyed it regardless.

By: hijinksensue

hijinksensue — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:53:22 +0000

SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!!

But was it a dream? Are you sure? I dont think theres supposed to be a definite answer.

By: AaronJuntunen

AaronJuntunen — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:25:14 +0000

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
I tend to disagree with people who think that because you find out what you were watching was a dream, it no longer matters. Whatever it is, it's real in that moment and real to the dreamer. The characters still take their memories with them when it's all over.
Also, I think it's funny when people say the ending was "predictable". I assume they mean it was predictable that there would be something at the end that would keep you guessing whether or not it was a dream. I confess that I too thought the movie would end like that especially when I saw the top totem. But it didn't make me enjoy the movie less, because it was a movie about DREAMS. It's pretty much a given that they'd try to mess with you a little. What I thought was NOT predictable was what Cob (is that his name?) did to his wife; that was the REAL twist in my opinion. Also I agree with Joel's take on the movie.

By: @RianVDM

@RianVDM — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:57:46 +0000

Very interesting comments over here. I finally saw it so I can now play along! I saw a couple people mention that the story is not that original. My first thought after watching the movie is that the dream levels and time implications are very similar to The Gloom, a concept introduced in the Russian Horror series "Watch." (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Watch_(Lukyane… )

Still great movie though!

By: @willdrawforfood

@willdrawforfood — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:44:58 +0000

I just didn't like Vanilla Sky because once you find out everything after the first 20 minutes has been a dream, the rest of the movie is totally invalidated. None of it mattered.

By: LarrytheAcerbic

LarrytheAcerbic — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 21:05:22 +0000

It struck me, the whole film was sci-fi, but with an almost complete absence of sci. All the sci is in a compact shiny case, and the rest was simply in your head, more the mechanics of the mind.

By: borzale

borzale — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 05:04:27 +0000

To some people, a good movie is about not being able to predict it at all. And that's what makes it enjoyable, the fact that it surprised them and they couldn't figure it out.

By: mellowknees

mellowknees — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:43:54 +0000

We're seeing it this Thursday! Can't wait! The only bad review I've heard is from a friend whose movie taste I don't think my husband and I usually agree with anyhow, so I think I'll probably enjoy it.

However, about it being an original story: I have it on good authority that Scrooge McDuck did it first:
http://videogum.com/208132/caught-inception-rippe…

And in pointing this out, all I can think is "SIMPSONS DID IT!"