I want to plant an idea inside your mind
I wouldn't say Inception was the first movie to give me a panic attack. The movie didn't get me that far. But it took me about halfway there.
The experiential combination of personal loss, nerves and complication sent me toward a racing head, disorientation and distance. The movie made me believe a panic attack was possible. If you can believe that.
Not everyone has this reaction to the movie. Some friends have hated it. Others have found it your typical summer blockbuster. With sleeping issues since spring, work grabbing most of my head this month, a long legacy* of work dreams, and my usual investment in movie-watching, I was a solid target for Inception. And I saw it sitting sixth-row center at the Uptown. I explained to Meghan the math Spencer had done in high school, and the curving screen, typical for those seats, enveloped us.
So, seriously, go see this movie. Go to the Uptown. Sit near the front. Pay attention and — similar but different — follow along. Let the story get a few levels deep in your head. Inception isn't a four-star film, but it's three-and-a-half and a mental kidnap. Just don't lose yourself in it.
*Last night's dream involved a former colleague telling me my replies to Facebook posts weren't short and punchy enough. That's one for Leonardo DiCaprio, for sure. Dream Jon Burns, I'll get cracking on those replies.
