Inception

1. When Cobb spins the spinning top: Camera zooms in, centering the spinning top. The awkward-long silence of the object spinning creates a tense suspense for Cobb it gives the audience a feeling that he’s expecting something out of it. Also, the focus of the object shows that the spinning top would later be put to use somewhere later in the movie.

2. When Cobb was first hired by Saito in the helicopter ride: The camera goes up when the helicopter goes up as well, as if it was attached to the helicopter. The angle of the camera was slowly becoming a birds eye view (as the helicopter goes up). This gives the audience to see what both Cobb and Saito were seeing from the helicopter.

3. When Arthur was setting up the dream machine in the factory: The camera was at the height of Arthur, as if it was a person as well. The sense of the shot was that it was wobbly and casual, not exactly steady. I think that this shot was use to give the audience a feel that they're in the situation as well. The camera angle varies from close up to the bird eye view. There were times when Arthur was bending down to set up the dream sequence, but the camera stays up and looks down, making it as if we're standing up and looking at what he was doing.

4. When Cobb was running away from the mobsters: The shot goes from close up of Cobb running away and slowly zooms out to a birds eye view looking at the city. Slowly you can see between the buildings there are little roads, and you see the trail of where Cobb is running as well. This gives us a sense that the city is stimulating a "maze", what Cobb wanted from Ariadne earlier.

5. When Ariadne was going up the old fashioned-elevator. The shot is close up of Ariadne's facial expression. But then we also see the camera shooting from inside the elevator, allowing us to see what is outside of the elevator as if goes down.

6. When Ariadne meets Mal. The shot was an over-the shoulder shot from Ariadne to Mal's facial expression. The shot indicates that there is something wrong with Mal and that she is about to do something to Ariadne. It builds certain suspense to audiences watching the movie and lets them get "involved" with the short conversation.

7. Cobb and Saito's conversation. The shot was filmed differently. Cobb's face was slightly closer to the camera while Saito's is not far away. While Cobb was speaking, the camera was focused on Cobb while Saito's face was out of focus. After Cobb finishes speaking, Saito starts talking, and the camera goes focused on Saito and out of focus on Cobb. This lets the audience focus on whoever's talking, and observing their facial expression.

8. At the end when Cobb reunites with his kids. Cobb goes back to America and back to his house. As he spins the spinning top to see if he's in reality or not, he turns away to reunite with his kids, ignoring the spinning top. The camera focuses on the spinning top and in the background of the shot was Cobb hugging his kids. This indicates to the audience whether Cobb is still in a dream or not. The fact that Cobb didn't care the results of the spinning top shows that he didn't care about the dream or his job anymore, and that he wants to reunite with his kids.