Even though the movie has been analysed to death and endless thinkpieces have been written, 'Inception' is still endlessly debated and its cliffhanger ending is still open to debate.
Michael Caine, however, is here to put a stop to all of this once and for all because he's probably had enough of people asking him what happened. The veteran actor was introducing a screening of the movie at Film4's Summer Screen series at Somerset House in England, and laid out his reasons for signing on for the movie.
"When I got the script for Inception, I was a bit puzzled," said Caine. "I said, 'When is it a dream and when is it a reality?' And he (Nolan) said, 'When you're in the scene, it's reality.' So get that, if I'm in it, it's reality. If I'm not in it, it's a dream."
Last night at @SomersetHouse... the one and only @themichaelcaine introduced Christopher Nolan's Inception! #Film4SummerScreen pic.twitter.com/u3NCzqodcW
— Film4 (@Film4) August 11, 2018
If you'll recall, the ending of 'Inception' saw DiCaprio's character, Cobb, return home to see his children with Michael Caine's character, Miles, standing behind him as it happens. Cobb spins his wife's totem on the table and then goes to pick up his kids, ignoring the top as it continues to spin. Miles is there the entire time, and even called out to the kids when Cobb arrived home.
Ergo, Cobb is awake and in reality when he arrives home and is no longer dreaming. The spinning top thing is just, well, a spinning top that goes on for a long time.
Here's that scene, just for reference.
So, there, you have it. Anyone gives you some crap about the spinning top or whatever, shut them up with this.