Inception: "We're Gonna Have to Watch That Again"

Last summer, I heard a slew of reactions to Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending blockbuster Inception, most of them positive. Amidst all the praise, one “voice” particularly stood out to me: that of LOST co-creator Damon Lindelof. Two months after the controversial finale of his epic series, he was lighting up Twitter with his fanboyish ramblings, of which my favorite was this: “I wish that someone would break into my dreams and give me an idea HALF as good as INCEPTION.” No doubt there are many LOST fans who wish for the same thing – along with a time machine to furnish a more satisfying ending.

While I was one of the few LOSTies I know who pretty much got the finale I was hoping for, I both appreciated Damon’s self-deprecation and figured that was a pretty good endorsement of the movie. Having seen it now, I can understand why the guy responsible for my all-time favorite show connected with the film so strongly. One thread involves the resolution of deep-seated Daddy Issues, another the importance of “letting go”. A majority of the movie takes place during a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. And boy, does it leave you scratching your head and saying, like John Locke in the scene quoted in the Addicted to LOST Superbowl commercial, “We’re gonna have to watch that again.”

I watched it again. The first time around it made some sense to me at times, but just as often I was hopelessly disoriented. But the second time around, it just clicked. I understood much better what precisely was going on in this strange world in which it is possible to break into someone else’s consciousness and manipulate his or her mind. I found it much easier to follow, and beyond baffling, I concluded that the film was quite brilliant. But I also felt like you’d have to be something of a genius to totally get it on the first viewing.

Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, who specializes in extracting valuable information from poorly protected minds. It’s strange, wondrous and dangerous work, and it’s especially treacherous for him because of the personal issues plaguing his subconscious, manifested in the form of a beautiful but crazed woman named Mal (Marion Cotillard). Cobb has delved deeper into his own mind than anyone ever has, which makes him the best at what he does but also a liability. He needs a fresh new face to help him with his latest mission, an all-important job whose success could grant him the one thing he wants most in the world. This vital team member will design the dreams in which the work will be done. The opportunities for creativity are limitless, but closely mirroring reality is a must if they are to have time to complete their task before the artifice crumbles around them.

What Cobb needs is an architect, and he finds the perfect candidate in Ariadne (Ellen Page), a talented, spirited young woman who comes to understand the demons that drive him better than anyone else, even his longtime colleague Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Having only seen Page in Juno before, I was struck by the difference in her here. There’s still a youthful naivety about her, but this is a more mature character, and even as she’s faced with a fantastical situation, she catches on quickly, delighting in pushing the boundaries of her new artistic range. Also in on this great task, which must be accomplished during a single flight, are Eames (Tom Hardy), a tough intelligence expert; Yusuf (Dileep Rao), who specializes in sedation; and Saito (Ken Watanabe), the Japanese businessman funding this project. The task: to manipulate Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), the young heir to a vast fortune, into breaking up his father’s properties so that his company will not control the majority of the world’s energy.

“Robert Fischer,” my dad commented when the character was introduced. “Like Bobby Fischer.” I don’t know if that was a deliberate nod or not, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the film intentionally alluded to one of the greatest chess players the world has known. Ariadne fashions a pawn for herself as a totem to help her keep track of her reality, so it wouldn’t be the only chess reference. This is a complex game that Cobb and his comrades are playing, a game of the mind in which every move is strategically planned and crucially important.

It’s a curious concept, since this is a movie packed with action, yet almost all of it happens while the characters are calmly sleeping. What does it matter if disaster befalls them within the dream? All they need to do is wake up. Actually, the film raises the stakes by making the matter more complicated than that, with heavy sedation posing a threat to the consciousness of each dreamer if he or she should fail to survive within the dream. Still, it’s odd to see all of this play out while realizing that it will have no impact upon the real world, unless it is in the form of an idea that develops within an unsuspecting mind and changes real-life actions. For all the car chases, gun battles and other harrowing situations, all that truly matters is planting that idea. Everything else is set-up.

As a Star Trek fan, I found myself reminded of both the original series episode Shore Leave, in which the thoughts of crew members spring to illusory reality on a mysterious planet, and the Holodeck in the Next Generation, which allows crew to construct their own virtual playgrounds and populate them however they wish. The special effects are amazing, with things occurring in this dreamscape that never could exist in real life. It’s certainly a feast for the eyes. And it is perilous. Far more than any threat of violence, the characters face the possibility of losing track of what is real and what isn’t, and that danger preoccupies this movie, with Cobb particularly susceptible to doubts about whether the dream is real and whether reality is a dream.

The acting is impressive overall, with Page and Watanabe making a particular impact on me. But it’s the dizzying structure of the movie, its intriguing discussion of the nature of dreams and the arresting visuals that really make the film a standout. I’m glad I watched it twice, and it makes me suspect that I should revisit other movies I didn’t quite get the first time around. Maybe it just takes a little extra mulling for it to sink in. Inception is a deeply puzzling movie, but it’s a puzzle worth trying to solve.