As “Inception” is no doubt a film that people are watching all over the world, I’m curious, for those who saw it – what do you think happened at the end?

It seems to me that there are two possibilities – Leonardo’s character woke up from the job on the airplane, or he is still in limbo.

The only argument I can think of to support him being awake is that the powerful cocktail of drugs did not impact the inner eardrum, (so it was said in the film) so the “kick” awake could have happened on descent of the plane. (However, since airplanes tilt frequently in flight, I am perplexed why nobody woke up before landing.)

I believe Leonardo’s character is still in limbo at the end. Here’s why:

1. Did you notice that in the final scene of confrontation with the old Japanese man, Leo’s character is eating something? It’s the only dream scene where food is ingested – what does that mean?
2. Upon waking, he doesn’t speak to anyone.
3. The people on his team to do not speak to him in the airport. They only acknowledge him – sort of like figures in other subconscious minds we step into during the film – only the ones that have more of a leading role for that person DO speak. Odd that Ellen dePage’s character, “the architect”, who has been so talkative and pushy to get Leo to confront his subconscious demon, doesn’t even say a word of congratulations.
4. He clears customs, greets his father who takes his bags, and then we are in Leo’s home. Remember at the beginning, he told Ellen’s character that the way you know you’re in a dream is that you have no idea how you got where you are. So, how did we get to Leo’s home?
5. And wait – what’s his father doing at the airport?  Leo was in Paris with the gang, and last minute, they go fly to Los Angeles on this mission, first going, I believe, to England, and have a 10 hour flight.  Did dad go with everyone – and if so, must have been economy?  And, why would he go with them at all? And, this is the critical piece – if his father were on the plane, which is the only plausible way he could have gotten from Paris to LA at the same time, he would have met Leo in baggage claim and cleared customs together, not found him outside customs!?
6. When Leo and his dad get home, where supposedly “grandma” is watching the kids, there is no other adult there – just the two kids playing outside – do you buy that they were home alone?
7. He seems to feel safe at home, but in real life, at the start of the movie, Leo’s character was running away because he failed his mission and knew his company would look for him – so how could he feel safe anywhere?
8. “Grandma” (Leo’s mother I presume?) was very angry with Leo on the phone at the start of the movie. She even told the kids he was never coming home. This would indicate he was away from home for more than a few days or weeks. So, how come the kids, when he returns home, are not only the same age, but also wearing the same clothes, doing the same activity, as in all of his memories?
9. Remember, when Leo and Ellen’s characters are in Leo’s mind at one point in the film, he takes us to this exact spot, with the kids playing outside, and he says something like, “I keep returning to this place over and over, but no matter how much I try, I cannot change this one moment. I want to see the kid’s faces, but I get scared…” and this time they turn towards him, indicating, to me, that he is now living out his subconscious dream, as he did with his wife before that.

** What’s your opinion? Cast your vote here Update – GREAT answers to those of you who used the “OTHER” option!  I never even thought of those ideas.  Food for thought – one respondent said the whole movie was to bring Leo back from the Limbo he was in at the start, and another voter said the whole movie is a dream, EXCEPT the ending!