"I don't know how this movie will turn out in the end," Anne Hathaway said with a smile as she looked at the busy set and spoke to Ken Watanabe. "But I can be sure that my role is a significant one."
Ken Watanabe politely replied, "You will bring a new radiance to this film."
His English had a slightly peculiar accent, but the obvious compliment made Anne Hathaway laugh happily.
Since her character, Mel, was the most ornamental in the film, Anne Hathaway was always dressed up beautifully whenever she was on set, looking very attractive and charming.
What normal man doesn't like a beautiful woman? Ken Watanabe was no exception.
During rehearsals, he had been quite interested in Anne Hathaway, a famous actress known for baring it all on screen. At that time, she was deeply involved with Matthew Horner, so he didn't dare do anything. However, from the past few days of shooting, it seemed that Anne Hathaway had suddenly cooled off towards Matthew Horner, as if they had some irreconcilable conflict...
Ken Watanabe thought his opportunity had arrived.
But before he could say much, Matthew, dressed sharply in a suit, walked over.
"Ken..." Matthew glanced at Watanabe and said casually, "I need to rehearse a scene with Anne."
"Alright." Watanabe responded without a second thought, "I'll leave now."
Matthew paid no attention to Watanabe as he left and said to Anne Hathaway, "Next is a long take. Director Nolan wants us to go over the lines again."
The shooting was mostly done with live sound recording, and there was no post-production dubbing. While the actors had some freedom to improvise, they still needed to be familiar with their lines.
Anne Hathaway nodded and ran through the lines with Matthew again.
Since the next scene involved a large party, for the sake of the filming effect, Christopher Nolan had demanded that the food at the party be freshly prepared. The crew had finished setting up other parts of the scene and were now busy preparing the various party dishes.
Standing at the edge of the set, watching the crew bustling around, Matthew suddenly asked, "Anne, is something going on between us?"
"No..." Anne Hathaway instinctively denied, "Nothing at all."
Matthew turned to look at her. "Is that right?" He scanned her face and added, "If you're unhappy with something about me, feel free to say so. Filming with unresolved emotions can lead to problems, and I'm sure you're more aware of that than I am. Let's make sure it doesn't affect our work."
Anne Hathaway didn't know where to begin.
Matthew continued to study her. Without a doubt, as long as she didn't flash her broad smile, Anne Hathaway was very feminine, very sexy, and met most people's aesthetic standards.
She was undoubtedly a high-class Hollywood ornament.
In fact, Anne Hathaway's role in this film was also ornamental. Mel was the only other significant female character besides the architect, Ariadne. She didn't directly participate in the complicated dream-stealing plan; she was beautiful, with a stunning figure, a gentle temperament, and full of charm—an ideal ornamental role.
As Christopher Nolan put it, Mel's main function in the film was to add a touch of romance to Cobb's storyline; otherwise, the film's numerous bizarre and violent scenes would make the atmosphere too cold.
Anne Hathaway quickly adjusted herself. "It won't affect the work." After hesitating for a moment, she added, "I really did have something urgent come up on Oscar night."
Matthew didn't press further and said, "It's okay."
Hearing this, Anne Hathaway observed Matthew closely and felt that he genuinely didn't seem to care. Tentatively, she asked, "Are you planning to make a horror movie?"
"Yes." Matthew nodded lightly. "I've already reached an agreement with director James Wan, but someone tried to step in halfway and take over."
He appeared calm. "But it won't work."
Anne Hathaway responded with a soft "Mm."
In truth, she had regretted it as soon as she left that night. After all, she had already appeared with Matthew Horner in front of Harvey Weinstein...
Because of that night, she had avoided private interactions with Matthew these past few days.
Matthew had seen it all clearly. Perhaps Anne Hathaway herself hadn't realized that her fickle nature always led her to waver.
If she were a woman with a bit more resolve, she would have either stayed completely out of it or pretended to know nothing.
But Anne Hathaway was always looking to maximize her benefits, which made her indecisive.
That was fine, though. The plan that had been interrupted on Oscar night could now continue.
After finishing two scenes in the morning, Matthew used the lunchtime break to walk into Anne Hathaway's dressing room.
Ken Watanabe watched as Matthew closed the door behind him. Standing in the hallway, he was momentarily dazed. Not long after, he vaguely heard Anne Hathaway's gasps, followed by excited screams, like a traveler in a desert finding an oasis.
As he listened, Ken Watanabe couldn't help but think of some Hollywood rumors, especially the stories that had come from certain actresses. Matthew Horner was naturally well-endowed, far beyond the average.
Thinking about this, Ken Watanabe looked down at himself and sighed deeply before heading to his own dressing room at the end of the hall.
How could he possibly compete with Matthew Horner? As a Japanese man, he was naturally lacking in certain areas and didn't have Kato's "golden touch." How could he possibly compete with Matthew Horner for a woman?
Besides, if he offended Matthew Horner, he might face a lot of unnecessary trouble in Hollywood.
The afternoon shoot continued, and many people in the crew looked at Matthew with a strange expression, though Matthew was oblivious to it. After all, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened on set, and he had done it during a break, not during work hours.
Even director Christopher Nolan didn't say anything.
"Aren't you going to do something about it?"
As her husband finished discussing the scene with Matthew Horner and Anne Hathaway and returned to the director's monitor, Emma Thomas whispered, "This kind of behavior sets a bad example."
Christopher Nolan glanced at Matthew Horner and Anne Hathaway. "What can I do? You know what Matthew Horner is like."
Emma Thomas shook her head. "A playboy."
"As long as it doesn't affect the work," Christopher Nolan gently patted his wife's hand, "and they're both consenting adults, you should just ignore it."
"Chris," Emma Thomas said, still disliking Matthew, "I've never understood why you invited him."
"You know why," Christopher Nolan replied quietly.
Emma Thomas first shook her head, then sighed. Of course, she knew why her husband had chosen Matthew Horner.
"The Dark Knight" had brought Christopher Nolan to an unprecedented career peak, not only with a box office hit but also with praise from critics and audiences alike.
But after a peak, there's often a decline. "Inception" would inevitably be compared to "The Dark Knight," especially in terms of its commercial success.
Warner Bros., the film's major backer, was most concerned with its commercial potential.
Bringing Matthew Horner on board minimized the commercial risks.
Besides, she also knew that Christopher Nolan wanted to secure the maximum level of directorial control. Warner Bros. had allowed him to be both director and producer, without another producer to balance him out as before. Inviting Matthew Horner as the lead actor was key.
If "Inception" succeeded commercially, they could continue the model of director and primary producer.
Then, Nolan could make the films he truly wanted to make.
In this business, everyone has their own interests and looks out for them.
Matthew was no exception. His decision to take this role was not just because it was "Inception," but also to establish a working relationship with Christopher Nolan.
It was a mutually beneficial collaboration.
Filming soon resumed, and Matthew continued shooting scenes with Anne Hathaway, playing Cobb in a dream sequence with Mel.
"Mel, what are you doing here?"
In front of the camera, Matthew walked up to the elegantly dressed Anne Hathaway and asked, "Are you here to sabotage my plans again?"
Anne Hathaway turned her head to look at him, her wide smile forming a thin line. "I thought you'd miss me." She raised her eyebrows. "You know you do."
Perhaps due to what had happened during lunch, she appeared particularly seductive.
Matthew furrowed his brow and spoke in a low voice, "I can't trust you anymore. You've said that too many times."
Anne Hathaway turned to look out the window. "Do you think jumping from here would be fatal?"
Matthew didn't respond to her question but pointed to a chair in the room. "Please, sit."
This seemed to have happened more than once. Anne Hathaway first poured herself a glass of red wine, savoring it slowly before swaying her body, walking unhurriedly to the chair, and sitting down.
Once she was seated, Matthew grabbed a length of rope from the side and approached her, binding her legs to the chair.
"Do the kids miss me?" Anne Hathaway suddenly asked.
Matthew paused with one hand on her slender leg, his expression still one of deep bitterness. "More than you can imagine."
The two of them fell silent, staring at each other for a moment.
Then, Matthew quickly began tying Anne Hathaway securely to the chair.
"Don't worry," he said as he tied her up. "This will be over soon."
Anne Hathaway said nothing, just watched as Matthew bound her.
Christopher Nolan nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with the scene, particularly with Anne Hathaway, who had embodied the seductive charm of a high-class ornament perfectly.
Maybe it would be a good idea to have Matthew visit her dressing room before every scene involving Mel?
The scene was quiet and tense. From a corner of the set, Ken Watanabe watched as Anne Hathaway, now tied to a chair by Matthew, shook his head in disapproval.
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