OK I Get It

Rating: 6/10 (6 March 2011)

First off, I resisted watching this film after all the hype. I hate pretension in a movie, q.v. my IMDb review of Vanilla Sky (I didn't want to watch a movie that required "heavy lifting"). And more importantly I hate DiCaprio, q.v. my DiCaprio reviews. But this past Friday my wife popped in the DVD, and I proceeded to lazily watch, barely awake, and quite tired after a long week. By the end, I was fully awake which is why I give it 6/10.
All in all, a good pic. But for me, I will not be spending long periods pondering it's metaphysical blah, blah, blah. I mean, I get it. I understand that Cobb and his wife were stuck in a limbo and he planted the idea that the world was fake which stayed with her in an awakened state. I get that Cobb and his team were attempting the same with Fischer.
But what I don't get (read: stupid plot points imo) is: why is Leo was an international man of mystery on the run for his wife's suicide? Or, why Saito could make a phone call and make all of Cobb's problems go away. Or, why being asleep for 8 or 10 hours could feel like your stuck in limbo for dozens of years. And last of all: the stupid cut at the end with the top still spinning.
Apparently, the director spends more time fielding questions about the ending than anything else. Serves him right.
So here is my suggestion: pretend you're in a dream watching this movie, and "kick" yourself just before Leo spins the top at the end. This can be effectively accomplished by hitting the eject button on your remote.