Looper (2012) (5/10)

The movie has an interesting premise - sending unneeded people back in time to be killed by hired guns. The people sent back are sent back with payment for the "job". Sometimes you have to have this killers killed and that is precisely where the problem begins - as one would expect.

If they had restricted themselves to the loops and created as many paradoxes and complexities as they wanted, it would have been fine. But they bring in the supernatural in terms of telekinesis which takes the plot for a ride and makes the movie passe from potentially good.

The Thirteenth Floor (1999) (7/10)

It starts with an intriguing concept of building a simulation of the past with lifelike beings. It naturally shifts to allowing the programmers to interact with this unreal world. So far nothing out of the ordinary. But then there are hints of the beings in the simulated world realizing that they may not be real. The fun starts there with one such being in particular wanting to climb into the real world.

The way the consciousnesses are exchanged between the two worlds, it makes interesting things possible, and the story is built around that with many loops, seeming exceptions, and a good handling of the concept. The simulation part is in a vague way like that in 'matrix', but the mechanism bears a closer resemblance to  'Being John Malkovich' and definitely to many aspects in 'The Mind's I'. How do I know I am not someone's dream.

Inception (2010) (8/10)

A cool idea executed pretty well. People believe dreams are ways to let your brain rest, recuperate, relearn. Some people even believe that they tell you the future. But could they be used for ulterior motives? By someone else? It is said that you should share your dreams. The movie takes it to a whole new level. Or 3. Leaves us wondering if we are ourselves in a dream. You need to have an ally to know. Wink, wink. ME TOTally.

But it does not stop there. How about it if besides learning from shared dreams we could use them to actually change the future? The concept is not unheard of, but here it is shown using technology somewhat ala matrix. Elements of Stalker (1979) are also seen. So also is a reflection of Douglas Hofstadter's 'Little Harmonic Labyrinth' (in 'Godel, Escher, Bach', the conversation before Chapter 5). It is hear that the concept of Tumbolia is introduced (a land where cartoon character live when no one is reading the cartoons). What is dreamland if not a version of Tumbolia in some other space. How different is limbo? The concept of GOD (=GOD Over Djinn) is also introduced there. The name comes from Bach's composition called 'Kleines harmonisches Labyrinth.' And labyrinths play an important role in the movie. It is interesting that Penrose is mentioned in the movie but Godel and Escher (and Bach) are not.

But making a movie that seems sensible on such a topic is far from easy. One thing I do not like in such movies though is that a lot relies (in terms of making sense) on the first and last few minutes. I am guilty of it myself in some short stories (all Marathi so far) but in my defense they are not feature length.

What will happen if the inception of dreams fail? Can there be time-like loops? Closed or open? What if it reverses? I would not want to actually say what is in the movie so that I do not end up spoiling it for you. I am sure you will enjoy it though.

Oh, BTW, parts of the movie have been shot in Pasadena and LA.

Inception (2010) (8/10)