I think the subtitle "A Fable" does a lot to provide cover for some of the things you bring up. My 2¢ on a few of your questions:
* I saw the ability to start and stop time to represent creative vision. At the beginning of the movie, Catalina is in his office, then nervously goes out to the edge of the building and steps off then commands time to stop. I think this was him testing if he still had the ability to be creative because he didn't know if he could or not. Julia "sees" his creative ability during the building demolition, and demponstrates her understanding to Catalina, which is why he reveals his model to her, and with her eyes closed she can "see" how he actually envisions it. He tries to stop time in jail and finds he no longer can, after encouragement from Julia together they can start and stop time. I see this as either Julia becoming his muse, or that they are now creating collaboratively.
* I think this also explains the scenes of them on the clock, which is supposed to be a figurative location. I'm pretty sure we only ever see Julia and Catalina there. It's because only they can enter this metaphorical creative space together.
A few questions I have are: why do they need a lock of Catalinas wifes hair to heal his eye? Why as prosecuting Catalina did Mayer Ciscero hide Catalinas wifes corpse. Would be curious to hear others thoughts.
* I saw the ability to start and stop time to represent creative vision. At the beginning of the movie, Catalina is in his office, then nervously goes out to the edge of the building and steps off then commands time to stop. I think this was him testing if he still had the ability to be creative because he didn't know if he could or not. Julia "sees" his creative ability during the building demolition, and demponstrates her understanding to Catalina, which is why he reveals his model to her, and with her eyes closed she can "see" how he actually envisions it. He tries to stop time in jail and finds he no longer can, after encouragement from Julia together they can start and stop time. I see this as either Julia becoming his muse, or that they are now creating collaboratively.
* I think this also explains the scenes of them on the clock, which is supposed to be a figurative location. I'm pretty sure we only ever see Julia and Catalina there. It's because only they can enter this metaphorical creative space together.
A few questions I have are: why do they need a lock of Catalinas wifes hair to heal his eye? Why as prosecuting Catalina did Mayer Ciscero hide Catalinas wifes corpse. Would be curious to hear others thoughts.