If you read my stuff regularly, then you know that I was chomping at the bit to see “Inception” again while it was still in theaters. On August 29th, 5 days after my birthday, I got my wish. Hollywood Blvd, a favorite theater of mine, sends out a pass for birthdays that’s good for free admission for up to eight people. We had 5: my girl Samee; her mom, Mary; Samee’s sister, Erica; Erica’s friend Mike; and, of course, myself. If you’ve never been, the great thing about Hollywood Blvd. is that they do full food service while you watch the movie. Said service is typically first rate. On this day, unfortunately, our waitress was nearly incompetent. Our drinks didn’t come. In fact, I had to track down another waitress to retrieve them. We weren’t asked if we wanted free refills OR dessert. Again, I had to track someone down. To top it all off, the waitress never brought change. Had I not asked for said change on my way out, she would have had a $10 tip for lousy service. Even this, though, could not ruin my experience with Inception: round 2!
The fun of the second viewing for me was in trying to see little details that I hadn’t seen the first time, while enjoying the things that had impressed me before. Honestly, though, I got so caught up in the experience that I didn’t always remember to look for new things. The actors all commit to the material in a way that made me want to follow their individual and collective journeys, even though I knew their outcomes. If anything, I questioned the motives of Cobb (DiCaprio) more in this viewing. He seemed to me to be more of a protagonist by default this time around. He has the capability of throwing anyone under the bus if it means he can see his kids again. The only reason that Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) has avoided this is because he reads Cobb like a book. The tension in their professional relationship is partly there because Arthur could potentially be a more efficient team leader than Cobb, and Cobb is threatened by this knowledge. Ariadne acts as a sort of conscience to Cobb, right down to forcing him to confront the projection of Mal in limbo. I didn’t fully appreciate her role in the overall plot the first time. And while Eames (Tom Hardy) isn’t crucial to Cobb’s story, I had forgotten what a brilliant character he is and how well Hardy brings him to life.
Nolan’s eye for an evocative image is certainly no less present here. I found myself staring in awe at many of the wide shots. His DP, Wally Pfister, knows how to frame gorgeous shots, as evidenced in many of Nolan’s films. It’s obvious here as well, with the snow scenes being an obvious standout. The filming angles in the anti-gravity scenes are also stunning.
For me, the bottom line is this: Inception entertains me. It engages me mentally. I enjoy the hell out of it. I doubt that it’s actually as deep as some people want it to be, but who am I to say? I love it. It’s a new classic and I will likely buy the DVD on the day of its release so that I may watch it many more times.
Also, the pizza was delicious.