At some point Cobb talks to his children on the phone and he says their names for confirmation of who they are. Did anyone else find it odd that he apparently couldn't confidently identify his children by their voices?
Okay, he was probably saying that so that we, the audience, would know to whom he was speaking, but in the context of the movie, I don't think it made sense.
Please don't feed the trolls.
If you need an explanation beyond the fact that this scene was an introduction of Cobb's children and their names's spelling was required for an audience, I'll say that considering Cobb's life, where he wasn't seing his children for a veeery long time, pronounsing their names could be comforting and relaxing by itself both for him, and for the children (it's actually a known fact that little children got comforted when their parents call them by names).
Nolan, I love you forever!share
True. But he said their names like a question. Like he wasn't sure it was them.
It's not like it's a big deal or anything; it's just something that stuck out as being a bit odd to me.
Please don't feed the trolls.
There's no single word about him saying it like a question in the script.
Cobb closes his eyes, trying to picture his children: INSERT
CUT: COBB'S MEMORY- a LITTLE BLONDE BOY (3), back towards
us, crouches IN A GARDEN, looks at something in the grass...
COBB
Who's just okay? Was that James?
JAMES (over phone)
Yeah. When are you coming home?
COBB
I can't. Not for a while.
INSERT CUT: A LITTLE BLOND GIRL (5), also FACE UNSEEN, joins
JAMES, CROUCHING BESIDE HIM...
JAMES (over phone)
Why?
COBB
Well, James, like I've told you- I'm
away because I'm working...
LITTLE GIRL (over phone)
Grandma says you're never coming
back.
Cobb pauses. Takes a breath. INSERT CUT: James and Philippa,
FACES UNSEEN, lift their heads from the grass, responding to
someone's call- they RUN AWAY FROM US ACROSS THE GARDEN...
COBB
Philippa, can you ask Grandma to
pick up the phone-
Nolan, I love you forever!share
Well, since we're talking about DiCaprio's delivery of the lines in the movie, here's the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBmp0vPh0bw
"Who's just okay? Is that you, James?"
...
"Philippa, is that you?"
I honestly think that you're just paying too much attention to this. Inception is a movie which allows the viewer to explore its world, features a lot of hidden details and leaves a giant space for imagination and interpretation, but I think that there's nothing in here that could be regarded as any of this.
Nolan, I love you forever!share
Asking "is this ________?" to a child over the phone is a totally normal thing. For a kid, it's kind of magical for an invisible face on the other end to know who is speaking. My husband used to call me up at work, and put our son on the phone. I'd ask "is this Karston?" and he'd love it that I knew it was him.
share[deleted]