Figured it was high time I wrote an article about this guy since he has to date achieved something that no other Hollywood director has ever achieved – that achievement being never having made a single bad film. So far. And that in itself is pretty impressive because all good directors seem to have a misfire at some point. Whenever a director like this comes along they earn themselves a fairly large fan base, and also a large following of people who hate them just to stand out from the crowd. The Nolan hating crowd will revile me for being a Nolan fanboy but I honestly think his films are spectacular and as I’ve said before appreciation of art is an individual quality. Rarely is it that a director can tell a story in such a way that it captivates and fascinates an audience especially when the story is something as mundane as Batman. In this case most people would agree that Nolan’s films are as good as I say. So here are his films from start to finish, there aren’t many but they’re all noteworthy.
Following (1998)
This was one of the last Nolan films I got round to watching before the release of Inception. I wasn’t expecting much from it because the movie was made on a budget of $6000 so why would I? The only other half decent film I can think of that was made on a comparable budget is Primer and the cinematography of that film wasn’t great at all. I was wrong. Not only is the film very watchable but it’s also very gripping and puts most $100 million dollar movies to shame. The film basically follows a young writer – Bill who follows people through the streets of London out of curiosity, to see who they are, what they do and where they go. Then one day a man he’s following turns the tables on him and asks why. The man – Cobb turns out to be a professional burglar and invites Bill to come with him as he burgles people’s homes. The plot gets considerably more complex though as Cobb has an ulterior motive and use for Bill that the young writer is unaware of. The psychology, manipulation and sharp dialogue make this. The film like all of Nolan’s uses sharp cuts from scene to scene and doesn’t tell the story in chronological order meaning the viewer has to concentrate on what’s going on and piece the puzzle together themselves. Ultimately the film ties up very well and builds to a spectacular ending. For its budget, this is truly a masterpiece. IMDB Rating: 7.7
Memento (2000)
Studio bosses must have loved following because they gave Nolan much more money to play with his next film as well as a few big name stars (Carrie-Anne Moss, Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano). On a $1 million budget, Nolan directed what is arguably one of the best and most artistic films in the history of cinema. The film centres on amnesiac Leonard (Guy Pearce) who suffers from a rare memory condition which prevents him from forming new memories. The last thing he does remember is the murder of his wife and throughout the film seeks justice and vengeance for that act regardless of the fact that even if he achieves his goal he will be unable to remember it. He does this through a system of notes, tattoos and mementos that let him know how his investigation is progressing. The film proceeds as a good old fashioned film noir-type mystery thriller that builds to an intriguing and ingeniously tragic ending (which is actually the beginning). But it’s still more than this, this film isn’t the average popcorn flick – the viewer has to pay close attention to clues and complex plot otherwise it’s doubtful they will understand the film at all. The viewer is cleverly placed in identical shoes to Leonard as the whole film is presented chronologically backward i.e. it starts at the end and works its way back to the beginning so the viewer has no more clue as to what’s actually going on than the protagonist the film is about. So for the movie goer who expects big bangs and stupid dialogue, look elsewhere because this film isn’t for you. For the movie goer who is open-minded and likes to exercise the old grey matter a little – this film is definitely for you. Add to this the solid performances of the actors, the haunting soundtrack and the at times profound dialogue, it’s not difficult to see why this film is so great. Nolan’s best. IMDB Rating: 8.7 (Top 250: 29)
Insomnia (2002)
Ok so this was Nolan's weakest film by far but in no way could it ever be considered a bad one. Essentially this film is a psychological crime thriller set in eternal daylight near the arctic circle. It stars Al Pacino as Dormer, a detective brought in from Los Angeles to help solve the murder of a high school student in rural Alaska. During the course of the investigation he becomes disoriented in the fog and accidentally shoots and kills his long time partner. After this fact it is revealed that Dormer is being investigated by Internal Affairs back home for corruption and that his partner was planning to fully cooperate with the authorities. So Dormer finds himself attempting to cover his tracks whilst the murderer he is seeking has witnessed the crime and his now attempting to blackmail him. As the film progresses Dormer finds himself being driven gradually insane by the lack of nightfall and sleep, delirium and hallucination soon start making it difficult for him to distinguish fantasy from reality, fact from fiction and most importantly morality from immorality. The feel of the film is one of tense disquiet and is set amidst the backdrop of a beautifully gloomy arctic wilderness. Stars Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank. A great film. IMDB Rating: 7.2
Batman Begins (2005)
I’ve never been a massive fan of films based on comic books. I mean I tend to enjoy them but they’re never especially good films, at least they weren’t until this one. By the time Nolan got round to doing this one, the studios must have thought the sun shined out of his arse because they gave him more big names in the cast list than you can shake a stick at (Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe). After the original Tim Burton Batman films I really wasn’t expecting much other than a good yarn but somehow this film was just in a league of its own. Somehow the very two dimensional character of Batman is given considerable depth and even real life plausibility. Everyone knows the story of Batman – the caped crusader but not like this they don’t. This film explains the rise of Batman, the motivations and psychological scarring that led Bruce Wain to become Batman. It explains the training and mastery of ancient martial arts that allow him to become seemingly invincible. Of course it’s not all dialogue and plot though the plot is interesting, it’s a great action film as well. The visual effects throughout the film are very impressive especially the hallucinogen scenes which are very well done. The pace is perfect as well, it starts out relatively slowly but builds to a thunderous action packed climax. It’s about as perfect as a film based on a comic book can be or so you’d think. Nolan followed this up with the Dark Knight which was better still. IMDB Rating: 8.3 (Top 250: 113)
The Prestige (2005)
The Prestige was another film of Nolan's that really hit the bullseye. Set in Victorian era England, the film depicts the rivalry between two competing magicians whose lives gradually become consumed by their hatred for one another, so much so that it eventually destroys everything that either one cares about. In typical Nolan fashion, the film is told chronologically out of sequence and jumps about in time and place but as usual it works perfectly in creating the appropriate level of suspense and intrigue. It's hard to classify this film as any particular genre as it seems to straggle the line between mystery, fantasy, drama and sci-fi - yes sci-fi. It could be said without a doubt that Nolan has a proclivity for warped narratives and this film is no exception as it twists and turns in every direction ultimately building to a very unexpected ending (unless you have an exception eye for detail). It features an ensemble cast and stars Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson amongst others. It even stars David Bowie as Nikola Tesla – the ‘real life wizard’ as the film puts it. My biggest gripe with this one - there would seem to be rather a large plot hole in this film [Spoilers] – When Hugh Jackman gets hold of the copying machine, why the hell doesn’t he just use it once and then do the trick the same way as Borden rather than killing himself every time he does the trick. Er… whatever it was a good film anyway. IMDB Rating 8.4 (Top 250: 73)
The Dark Knight (2008)
This was pretty much the most hyped movie of the year so naturally I wasn’t even remotely interested in watching it. Until it came out that is. The reviews from the critics were resoundingly positive and indicated that this was one of the rare occasions in movie history when a film actually lived up to and even surpassed the hype. Hollywood blockbusters aren’t generally supposed to make you think, they’re supposed to be straight forward action movies without plot or depth. The Dark Knight differs in this respect because whilst it could be considered a straight forward action movie, it also has plot and depth. The film continually twists and turns in every direction presenting moral and ethical dilemmas all over the place which Batman as the icon of justice in Gotham is constantly unsure of how to deal with. The film also introduces Batman’s nemesis – the Joker played by Heath Ledger. But Ledger’s Joker is a far cry from Nicholson’s Joker in the decidedly average Burton vision of Batman. Ledger’s Joker is arguably one of the most sinister and evil movie villains of all time. He’s corrupt, insane, psychotic, terrifying and down right psychologically disturbing. And this is really what you want from a movie villain where it’s a black and white, good vs evil sort of story. The Joker’s character in this film is absolute, no backstory, no reason, no rhyme, he’s just evil for the sake of it or as Michael Caine puts it in the film “Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Once the film kicks off, it’s pretty much action and drama for two hours straight, not one scene feels superfluous and the film never feels slow. Lends itself well to repeat watchability. Stars Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Nestor Carbonell and Eric Roberts. IMDB Rating 8.9 (Top 250: 10)
Inception (2010)
I would have to say that this film was the best film released during 2010. It wasn’t the best one I watched last year as I’d been scouring the IMDB Top 250 for new greats – 12 Angry Men and It’s a Wonderful Life spring to mind but it was the best film released. And by a country mile. After a string of box office hits Nolan was awarded the most coveted prize a Hollywood director can attain – the do what the hell you like cheque. With that cheque Nolan crafted yet another triumph of cinema. The film has all the ingredients of an amazing summer blockbuster. It’s fairly cerebral – much more so that your average blockbuster, layered with complexity, for at least an hour of the film there are four different storylines taking place simultaneously (although not in a way that is confusing) and finally the film just oozes tension. The combination of Hans Zimmer’s impressive score and the constant action sequences for the last hour of the film just ratchets the tension up to boiling point and keeps you there on the edge of your seat until the end of the movie. So what is this blockbuster actually about? Dreams and the nature of reality. The protagonist is Dom Cobb, a man exiled from his home country for a crime he didn’t commit. Condemned to wander the world he works as an extractor – a type of corporate saboteur whose job it is to enter people’s minds and steal ideas from their dreams whilst they’re asleep. But then the head of a powerful corporation offers him a way home if instead of stealing an idea, he can plant one – something much harder to do as the subject can ‘always trace the genesis of an idea’. To give away any more of the plot would spoil the film although in fairness the plot is complex and fairly open ended. People will debate for a long time some of the finer details of this film especially the ending which had the entire audience gasp in bemusement. It is difficult to really classify this film. It feels like a mishmash of a few different films. The easiest way to describe it would be a cross between the Matrix and the Bourne Identity although it seems to bear similarity to a few other films I’ve seen such as the Thirteenth Floor and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The film even borrows some of the ambiguity of Memento as well as introducing the main character as a tortured soul who at the end arguably chooses to believe a lie so they can find their own happiness. Inception is one of the finer films to have been released in the last few years and deserves to be watched by anyone who loves an action blockbuster which keeps you thinking afterwards. Stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine. IMDB Rating 8.9 (Top 250: 8)
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