Inception - Carpe Diem

So, I've now seen Inception twice. The first time I saw it, I knew I hadn't seen it enough times to give it a fair review, but I was really impressed by a lot of things. But after seeing it a second time, I can see why it's so universally beloved: the movie is amazing. And I need to see it a couple more times (not in theatres, I'm not made of cash) to get more of it.

Spoilers are probably ahead, so, deal with that as you will, brave reader.

I watch movies that are highly regarded/recommended, and about 5 to 6 out of 10 movies I see are movies I want to see again at some point. And I like different kinds of movies - character dramas, a good suspense thriller, movies with really clever writing/dialogue, dry humor, a solid action flick, and I'm a sucker for most superhero movies. And I had no idea what to expect with Inception. And I don't like hype, so I tried to ignore what people were specifically saying about this movie, other than that it was awesome. And Inception was not what I expected from Christopher Nolan, filmmaker extraordinaire.

The Dark Knight is intense, and for me, exhausting. And it is really good. But it's a difficult film to sit through because the stress on all characters is continually being ratcheted up. At the end, we see Batman drive off into the unknown, promising that he will be whatever Gotham needs him to be. And that's some real character catharsis, and I can get behind that. Inception does not have that.

Inception has characters, but I don't think they're the main focus. And the purity of the motives of each character - all gray areas. Young Fischer is neither good nor bad, same with Seito, Cobb, Arthur, Eames, Ariadne, et cetera. They have their motivations and plans, but I think Nolan wants us to be Cobb. And I think at the end, Cobb ends up in reality. So that's why I think the movie is as good as it is, and I'll get into that. But I think the interpretation is open, a theme I find similar to Life of Pi, a book I adore.

As I watched the movie the second time, I kept trying to piece together more plot details and figure out what was real and what wasn't. Well, I didn't get much further, so I abandoned that because I already made my decision the first time - the totem will fall right after the screen goes black, and Cobb is in reality. Done. Instead I focused on the levels of metaphor sunken into the film. I love when Cobb is talking to Ariadne inside Cobb's dream, when he's on the beach and his wife is playing with their kids on the sand. And I wish I could quote what they were saying, but I remember thinking this: we come to the movies to dream out a part of our lives that can never be, a part that we imagine and have thrills in, just like Cobb has his dreams of his wife. And I know that one of Inception's themes is how a movie is a shared dream for the audience.

This moment was pretty affecting for me. I love leaving movies feeling energized and superhuman - when I was a kid and watched Star Wars, I felt like I could throw stuff around with my hands and wield a lightsaber, and I was pretty sure I was invincible for at least a few minutes. I guess I'm still a kid, because for a few moments I've been Jason Bourne, or Danny Ocean, or the Fantastic Mr. Fox himself, at least in my mind. And I think I see what Nolan was pointing out - we leave the movies seeing a bigger dream, one we wish we were in sometimes (not that I want to be a heist criminal, a suit-wearing fox or a special agent turned fugitive), at least in some aspects. I want to be as clever, as agile, as keen, and sometimes I leave a movie feeling like my own version of the characters.

That was one highlight in the film. But that's probably not quite halfway through, and the next 90 or so minutes are so tense, so packed with action and stress. I was glad I knew what would happen the second time around, because the first time I was literally on the edge of my seat in a packed theatre hoping it would all work out somehow.

One of my major gripes the first time through Inception was the lack of catharsis. Cobb said that Fischer needed it so that the idea could be planted, and I thought it terribly ironic that Nolan stole our collective cathartic experience - we don't feel very relieved when Cobb is finally back with his kids. But I watched Cobb more closely the second time. And this is where it became key for me to feel that the movie ends in reality - Cobb lets go of his wife. He decides to give up his guilt and strife and move on. He has to confront his shadow of a spouse twice, finally reaching Seito and bringing them back up the levels into reality on the plane. So it wasn't really about Cobb reaching his kids, or Nolan would have emphasized that.

The irony shifted a lot for me when I (think I) realized what Nolan was saying. We can't keep living in our dream world, our lack of reality and float out there. And so it wasn't about catharsis within a particular character like it was with the Dark Knight. Nolan doesn't want us to feel great emotion for Cobb, I don't think. He was planting an idea into us, that we need to seize the day and get after it. And the way I say it is rather trite, but I'm not a writer. I'm not anything specific at this point anyway. But when Fischer Sr. tells Fischer Jr. that he's disappointed that his son would try to be like his father, I think that was Nolan telling us to quit trying to live in a dream world and to make the most of reality. And I found that ironic because earlier in the movie, I was on board with that love for the movies, and how we feel afterward. I felt like Nolan turned that thought around, directing us toward our own lives, futures, passions and responsibilities.

I doubt I could explain this like it played out in my mind during the last 30 minutes of the movie and as I was leaving the theatre. I want to grab a notebook and pen and dissect this until I can really nail down my thoughts. But until it's out on DVD, that's not much of an option because it's dark at the cinema, you know?

So anyway, I think the movie is masterful. Nolan and his crew are the inceptioneers (not a word, I know), and we are Fischer, in a sense. But we are also Cobb. Nolan is planting an idea in us, and he's trying to get it several layers deep and make it our own. A simple idea, like the one planted in Fischer Jr., but one we want to make a reality, so that we can change who we are. And the movie is rich on so many layers and is so well thought out that it will take repeat viewings to get it all. That's something I love. Usually I'm kinda peeved if a movie is overly complex and confusing (I'm looking at you, Quantum of Solace), but not this time. Like a good Radiohead album, there is a bunch to unearth. Oh, and the acting is good, the movie is beautiful, the special effects are lovely, the music is terrific and adds greatly to the mood, blah blah blah. Of course it is. Look at the cast, look who made the film, look who scored it. Not the point. This movie is great.

Inception, to me, is about an idea, and I love any movie that can plant a powerful idea in me, one that makes me want to change and grow. I love that in books as well, but I think it's more rare in movies. I feel like Inception was for more than entertainment, it was for some serious inspiration. So this movie is at least a 95/100 for me at this point. Go see it if you can handle some stress and tension.