Disagree - Vaders revelation had emotional weight. None of the revelations in any of Nolans films have weight, with the possible exception of Memento, where the revelation has all the weight in the world, and justifies the backwards narrative - we see the protagonist break at the end (really the beginning) and…

‘Establishing character relationships using only assertions in dialog shall be punishable by directing neutraceutical commercials for ones entire career’ should be taught at film school and enforced across the industry.

If they did an ‘Eternal Sunshine’ style to the dreamscapes, getting more nuts (instead of more violent) the deeper they went, it would have been a very different and much better film, IMHO.

Wait, I remember the top spinning, and wobbling but still spinning, and then Cobb goes to see his kids... but we dont know if the top fell or did not fall, so ambiguous...?

You are correct - but we dont feel the weight behind the loss of his family. And a director needs to make us feel that in order to pay it off by breaking our hearts or making us cheer, or making us wonder which we should do.

A story without an idea is a technical exercise - and that is fine, but not as satisfying as a story and an idea.

I think the difference was that Kurosawas films had characters that engendered empathy. DiCaprio tried really hard, and I understood what he was going through but I didn’t really feel it.

His best character is the Joker, who embodies chaotic, soulless emptiness - so a movie about exactly that works well. Making films about people who are not sociopaths seems to be his problem.

If you liked it, try Shutter Island. It is not perfect, but it is better and holds up better to repeat watching.

It is well structured and executed and does not pander - and has an ambiguous ending that does have stakes (did he get his family back?). Acting is good - they sell the whole preposterous ‘in dreams’ thing really well and lend some weight to what is otherwise a technical exercise in framing and editing.

Ok, what is the sweet spot in crossovers now?

The military has problems, but as I recall, they were pretty harsh on violent or violent-adjacent crime. Hell, I saw guys get an OTH for their spouse bouncing checks at the PX.

Tangential question - can anyone recommend a good modern tutorial on 3d programming?

The Marines were non-white majority clear back in 1995, at least for enlisted, who comprise the vast majority of servicememembers. The Marine Corps Almanac, which they sent me regularly for years after my contract expired, had a breakdown by race for officers and enlisted. I recall reading that the Army was similar.…

Fair point. Not sure what the appropriate charge is, but I hope whatever it is, they get hammered with it.

Fair point.

I get that part - it is the ‘to them’ part you mentioned.

Frankly, the idea of seeing the racist ass clowns lose their collective shit over the playing of LEVAS sounds like lovely, lovely music to my ears.

Former Marine here. Know what drawing a weapon on someone means?

This is my favorite novel, bar none, for two reasons.