"Usually, I have to study at least someone's accent for a period of three or four days of prolonged exposure. While the dream can account for minor discrepancies, the last thing you want is for everything to fall apart because of the way you pronounced a flat 'a'," Eames says, watching her curiously as if trying to assess whether she is a threat to him or not. He is one of the best -- even better now that he's got inception under his belt -- but it does pay to be wary and to practice.

"Do you find this very different?" he asks, shifting back to his own form from dear Sophia, clad in a sharp little number with a purple pocket square framing the gray suit. "Switching in the dream compared to reality?"