New theory: it was an extraction

This 2010 contemporary sci-fi actioner follows a subconscious security team around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams.
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Posts: 1
Joined: July 2010
Hey everyone. Long-time lurker, first time poster. I guess Inception was enough for me to finally register. Here is my theory. I have not seen it posted yet. One thing that I can't get past was the lack of aging of the kids (who sound older on the phone in China), and, the location and activity of 2 scenes in particular.

Cobb is wanted for the murder of his wife, which he can't defend because of Mal's actions. When Cobb is presented with the airline tickets from his lawyer to escape the country, sees his kids outside, he is sedated, and everything that follows is actually an extraction -- The Truth of Mal's death.

The extraction is coordinated by the father (who's there when Cobb wakes up). Presumably in this theory, Ariadne is the extractor, later introducing herself to the dream in a role where she gains his trust, and eventualy she is the one that does get the whole story. And, the complexity of the inception was simply to get deep enough for Cobb to open up about Mal.

Once the truth of Mal's death is extracted, he is awoken, at the same house, to the same aged kids playing outside, even though a year or 2 have passed in his extraction dream. This would mean the reality scene's were limited to the lawyer scene, the last scene, and the scene with Mal and him waking up on the floor. (plus his memories in the hotel, technically).

What do you think? plausible?

Posts: 34
Joined: July 2010
The kids are older at the end of the film, and are dressed in different (but similar) clothes. Watch closely the next time you see it, the girl's shoes change to sneakers; her dress has changed and she's wearing a blouse underneath. The boy's shirt has changed, and he also has the same voice of the child Cobb spoke to one the phone if you listen very carefully. They composition of the shots and lighting are also different. It's not quite apparent on first viewing, but much more noticeable after that.

Posts: 21
Joined: February 2009
Interesting theory, but the one thing I would say that Cobb reveals Mal's death to Ariadne in Level 1. He doesn't reveal the inception at this level, but he clearly states that Mal's death was a suicide. They could have continued on with the dream though in order to make Cobb believe it all happened, much in the same way Fischer was left in Level 1 so he could make his discovery.

Posts: 27
Joined: July 2010
Arthur wrote:The kids are older at the end of the film, and are dressed in different (but similar) clothes. Watch closely the next time you see it, the girl's shoes change to sneakers; her dress has changed and she's wearing a blouse underneath. The boy's shirt has changed, and he also has the same voice of the child Cobb spoke to one the phone if you listen very carefully. They composition of the shots and lighting are also different. It's not quite apparent on first viewing, but much more noticeable after that.

Sure about that? I just got back from a second viewing and specifically paid attention to these details. They are wearing the EXACT same clothes except for the scene on the beach (when Ariadne is perusing Cobb's memories in the elevator).

Posts: 5
Joined: July 2010
SPAWNmaster wrote:
Arthur wrote:The kids are older at the end of the film, and are dressed in different (but similar) clothes. Watch closely the next time you see it, the girl's shoes change to sneakers; her dress has changed and she's wearing a blouse underneath. The boy's shirt has changed, and he also has the same voice of the child Cobb spoke to one the phone if you listen very carefully. They composition of the shots and lighting are also different. It's not quite apparent on first viewing, but much more noticeable after that.

Sure about that? I just got back from a second viewing and specifically paid attention to these details. They are wearing the EXACT same clothes except for the scene on the beach (when Ariadne is perusing Cobb's memories in the elevator).
Ya im sure the clothes were different, orange dress had a white shirt under it

Posts: 71
Joined: July 2010
I agree, the clothes are different... actually quite different if you pay attention. The only thing they share is 1) The shirt that James wears is plaid, though a different plaid pattern altogether and 2) Phillipa's dress is still pink, though has an undershirt and different dress.

I compared the children to my two younger brothers and, in my opinion, they are in fact older... 3 and 5, on the phone, and in the end of the film according to height, maturity, movement, and speech recognition, as opposed to 1.5 and 3 years. One clue to me was the way the girl kept bending down. On the beach she was much more immature and playful about it, like a younger child who hasn't yet found her balance. This is lost in the final scene.

Beyond this, it is just ridiculous trying to judge the age of something so drastically close to each other. It's ridiculous and not meant to a tell all in my opinion. Ages are toooo close.

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