Start
was a phenomenal film about a fascinating subject, but there was so much more potential for the film that was highlighted in the story. Christopher Nolan is a wonderful storyteller, who puts his heart and soul into each project, refining them over the years and winning a series of awards with each new release. And among his wonderful successes, Start stands out as one of the films that really put him on the main stream map.
However, despite the incredible imagination of StartThere are flaws in the film that could have been improved. Of course, this is speculative and based on opinions, as Christopher Nolan is a visionary and the project he set out to do turned out beautifully. In fact, it even had some of the most creative and imaginative scenes in the history of modern cinema, as the worlds unfolded, but there are elements that would have made this dream film an even more immersive and satisfying experience.
Inception Never Dreams Big Enough Despite The Story's Limitless Potential
The beginning had a lot of room to innovate
Start is a film about people implanting themselves into other people's dreams, playing with their subconscious and trying to retrieve information or, as can be seen from the film's premise, implant new ideas. So, it's a movie that's all about dreams. But despite the fact that these characters reach into the deepest recesses of people's minds, their adventures are typically incredibly mundane. There's skiing down the slopes and rappelling off buildings, but much of the time is spent in spaces that seem to perfectly resemble the real world.
The thing is, dreams are rarely this mundane. People can fly towards the sun or dive into the depths of the ocean. A dream could see someone chased by a witch or piloting a hot air balloon. There is unlimited potential in dreams and therefore Start there was an infinite number of possibilities and ideas to play with in this mind-bending film. However, the the end result looks more like a spy thrillerand ultimately it seems like the story could have “dream[ed] a little bigger,” as suggested by Tom Hardy's Eames, before pulling out a massive gun to fend off the security that threatens to put an end to his mission.
A different film about shared dreams, dreamed bigger than the beginning
Dream Hopping Films Have Great Potential
Of course, Start It was always intended to feel like a gripping spy story that intersects with the human mind, but it felt like a missed opportunity to not be more fun in its approach. Especially when you consider how well received the scenes where reality and the laws of physics were disregarded were. By far some of the film's best scenes involve Cobb and Ariadne walking through a city as it transforms around them and transforms before their eyes. But Start that kind of imagination was lacking where other films, like Paprikano.
Paprika came out four years ago Start for Japanese audiences, before being translated and distributed by Sony Pictures for a wider English release. The film features a similar plot, as a research psychologist tries to track down a dream terrorist who uses new technology to enter other people's dream worlds. Over time, with prolonged exposure, serious effects emerge, and the game of cat and mouse provides something similar to the thrill of Startbut it is explore dreams and their infinite potential in a much more fluid and interesting way.
The well-behaved world of Inception was part of the charm of Christopher Nolan's film
Christopher Nolan has a very specific style in his films
There is a big distinction between anime and animated films as a whole and live action. And yet, there is a much bigger gap between the world of anime and a Nolan film. Even when the director approached Batman, everything was grounded, gritty and real, with the fantasy elements of the character and his rivals absent. Ultimately, Nolan uses these rules, and the rhythm that is created in their storiesto create something that is uniquely his and that can be felt as the film unfolds.
Despite the infinite possibilities, Nolan's world-building begins with finding a safe, solid foundation on which to build. Things are meticulously planned, much like Inception itself, as the director introduces his own sensibilities into the work. The world of Start It may not seem endless or limitless in terms of potential, but the story that has been told feels complete, with the focus entirely on the details he considers most important. This created something unique and very worthy of the praise it received in Start.