The next morning, Amal Alamuddin left the Hilton Hotel as if nothing had happened. After experiencing the allure of her exotic charm, Matthew, now more familiar with her figure, had someone place an order for several new outfits from Chanel's latest collection to be delivered to her. He had noticed during their first meeting that Amal was dressed in Chanel, and she wore it again the night before, indicating her strong preference for the brand.
Amal's exotic charm and her professional identity as a lawyer gave Matthew an experience unlike any he'd had before—similar to Nina Dobrev's gymnastic agility or Karolina Kurkova's bold demeanor, each offering something different. Though Amal hadn't asked for anything, Matthew had uncharacteristically shown generosity during their time together.
Moreover, during their deeper conversation the night before, Matthew realized that Amal was not just a pretty face but someone with real substance. If the paparazzi case went well, he could consider her for future international legal disputes.
Afterward, Matthew met with Julia Roberts, who had flown in from Los Angeles, and once the crew resumed normal operations, he dove back into filming. Due to the series of incidents in London, the production schedule kept getting delayed. Christopher Nolan had to revise his plans again, especially regarding scenes involving Anne Hathaway and Emma Roberts. All their joint scenes were now filmed separately and would be merged during post-production. No one wanted a repeat of the physical altercation between the two actresses.
After meeting with Julia Roberts twice, Anne Hathaway dropped her intention to sue Emma Roberts. Since the details of their discussions remained private, Matthew didn't know what terms or persuasion Julia had used to convince Anne. With the issue resolved quietly, the situation became much easier to handle. A few days later, Emma Roberts wrapped up her last scene with the crew and returned to Los Angeles with Julia Roberts.
The next day, Anne Hathaway also left London.
With the departure of the two central figures of the scandal, the relentless British paparazzi finally calmed down. The number of paparazzi swarming the set dwindled, and the media's focus began to shift elsewhere.
Matthew stopped worrying about these chaotic events and focused entirely on the remaining filming. Once a few more scenes were completed, he too would be leaving London. His stay had brought many fond memories, like his time with Emma Watson and Amal Alamuddin, but it had also seen its fair share of unpleasant incidents.
On the rooftop helipad of the Hilton Hotel, a helicopter sat silently in front of a massive set wall. Christopher Nolan glanced up, waiting for Matthew, James McAvoy, and the other actors to board the aircraft, then signaled to his assistant.
"Inception, scene 88, take 21..." the assistant director called out, his voice carrying across the set.
The main camera moved along its track, approaching the helicopter from an angle. Suddenly, the helicopter door was pulled open from the inside, and Matthew and James McAvoy jumped out one after the other.
"Camera two!" Christopher Nolan whispered into his earpiece.
He looked exhausted, overwhelmed by the recent string of issues. Quietly, he added Anne Hathaway and Emma Roberts to his mental blacklist. He vowed never to work with either of them again.
What a headache.
Why did two beautiful women, if they wanted to argue or even tear each other apart, need to resort to physical violence? Aren't they supposed to be women? What kind of actress handles conflict this way?
Since they didn't follow the usual rules, they could both just get out—out of sight, out of mind.
A second camera, operated by an assistant, focused on Ken Watanabe's face as he emerged from the helicopter. The boom mic moved to the side of the aircraft to capture sound.
"Hey, Mr. Cobb."
Seated in the helicopter, Ken Watanabe called out loudly to Matthew's character, who turned around, his face full of weariness, looking even more exhausted than Christopher Nolan. Ken Watanabe spoke again in a tempting tone, "If I could help you go home, back to your children in North America, would you do it?"
At the mention of his children, Matthew's character paused, shaking his head slowly. "That's impossible. I'm a fugitive. No one can make that happen."
Ken Watanabe didn't directly respond, instead asking, "More difficult than planting a dream?"
James McAvoy, playing another character, stopped and turned, reminding Matthew's character loudly, "Cobb, we need to go."
But Matthew's character stood still, clearly tempted by the offer. His longing for home and his children began to show on his face. He ignored James McAvoy's urging and stood there, thinking for a few seconds before walking back to the helicopter to face Ken Watanabe.
"How complicated is this idea?"
Ken Watanabe exuded confidence, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Very simple."
Matthew's character frowned deeply, his face full of anguish, as if grappling with one of the most difficult choices of his life.
After a moment, Matthew nodded resolutely at Ken Watanabe and then turned to rejoin James McAvoy.
"Cut! That's a wrap for this scene!" Christopher Nolan announced. "We're done for the day."
Matthew exhaled, the grim expression on his face quickly fading. He easily shook off the character and took a long drink from the water bottle handed to him by a production assistant.
Instead of removing his makeup, Matthew left the rooftop with the crew's public relations producer, heading to a scheduled interview.
In recent days, the crew had faced too many incidents and negative news. Warner Bros. had taken notice of the situation and arranged for several entertainment media outlets to conduct an exclusive interview with Matthew, the lead actor. This served both to shift media attention and as an early step in the film's promotion.
Matthew arrived on the third floor, heading toward a press room.
Brown Williams caught up to him from behind, speaking quietly, "The London Magistrates' Court has accepted Amal Alamuddin's case. The legal process will now begin."
"Let her handle it as she sees fit," Matthew replied. All he cared about was the outcome.
The Sun had already abandoned the two paparazzi involved, and the server had been fired from the Hilton Hotel. They stood no chance of fighting back and were sure to face legal consequences.
As Matthew walked into the press room, he put these thoughts aside, ready to face the gathered media.
Most of the reporters were from North American entertainment outlets. Thanks to prior coordination with Warner Bros. and the "Inception" crew, the questions remained focused on the film, avoiding any off-topic controversies.
After a brief introduction from the producer, the floor was opened for questions.
A female reporter from Entertainment Weekly was the first to stand up. "Matthew, can you tell us about this movie? There have been reports that it's quite confusing."
Matthew nodded, replying, "Inception will leave a lot of people scratching their heads after they watch it. Trust me—I'm one of them. I don't even know where to start, and I'm not sure what I should say. Director Nolan's dream film is definitely going to be exciting, full of action. It's surreal and very much under his control. He wrote the film, and if you ask him, I'm sure he can explain it perfectly."
"Action scenes?" another reporter picked up on this key detail, asking, "So, would you say Inception is an action film, like your previous movies?"
Matthew smiled. "In my view, it's a very unique action film." He paused, pretending to think deeply. "Let me put it this way—there were several nights where I left the set completely exhausted. Nolan is extremely particular about action scenes. He's the kind of director who will shoot the same scene over and over until he gets exactly what he wants. He has the entire tone of the movie in his head, and you just keep acting until he captures it."
This response served the promotional needs of the film. Labeling it an action movie broadened its appeal, ensuring it wouldn't be perceived as a niche film before it even premiered.
The producer then called on a reporter from The Hollywood Reporter, who asked a standard question heard in nearly every movie interview, "Matthew, did you enjoy working with Nolan?"
"Unbelievably so," Matthew answered, full of praise. "For me, he's like a teacher because he really expands my horizons."
He slowed down, thinking as he spoke. "Nolan always starts with these wonderfully complex ideas and then finds a way to simplify them through his storytelling. I don't mind films where you can guess the ending from the first few minutes—I can watch those kinds of movies—but I prefer to make films that challenge and expand the audience's thinking. Nolan has a way of using visuals or dialogue to communicate his ideas, and I love that—it makes the work hit you on a deeper level."
Matthew emphasized, "Nolan is the kind of director who constantly surprises you on set."
A reporter from Variety then asked, "You mentioned a while back that this is a film about dreams. Acting and filmmaking are both about creating dream worlds—what's your take on that?"
"I think that's true," Matthew said seriously, "and I believe that every time I play a role, it washes away some of the demons inside me. Acting is a form of therapy for me. When you live with a character for five or six months, you become incredibly familiar with them. The chance to get so close to another person—it's very appealing to me. I think it's taught me a lot."
The interview went smoothly, creating a positive atmosphere.
In the next two days, Matthew finished his remaining scenes and returned to Los Angeles.
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