Christopher Nolan is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern directors, and his latest film, Inception, just hit theaters. He has crafted superior films that toy with the mind (Inception, The Prestige and Memento) and is the filmmaker behind the outstanding reinvention of the Batman franchise through Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, both of which also look a bit deeper into the psychological viewpoints of both Batman/Bruce Wayne and his rivals. To have such an amazing output with just seven feature films is quite astonishing, and it makes me look forward to the rest of his career.
1. The Dark Knight (2008) - "How about a magic trick?"
To steal a move from Memento, it might be best if you read the paragraph for Batman Begins before this one. I was so taken by Batman Begins that I thought it would be very hard for Nolan to top it. Obviously, I was wrong. Heath Ledger's amazingly transformative performance as The Joker is just one of the great things about The Dark Knight. The film managed to mold the gritty, more realistic vision that Nolan brought forward in Batman Begins with stories of essential supporting players in the Batman universe. Nolan also added more of a suspenseful plot, as he has become known for, into the mix. All of the actors - Ledger, Christian Bale (minus the silly Batman voice), Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Maggie Gyllenhaal - do a terrific job of bringing incredible depth to the Batman universe.
2. The Prestige (2006) - "Maybe today you're more in love with magic."
Like that quote, somedays I love The Prestige more than The Dark Knight, and other days vice versa. In between the Batman films, Nolan, Bale and Caine reteamed alongside Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis and David Bowie to bring a superb mind-bending thriller to the screen.
3. Inception (2010) - "I'd hate to see out of control."
Having just seen Inception (for the first time), it would be easy for me to write volumes on how incredibly mind-blowing and breathtaking the film is. The whole hallway fight scene and the sequence of "defying gravity" (pictured above) could be enough to fill two volumes - one for its importance to the film in terms of plot and story, and another in terms of the technical filmmaking aspects that make it look amazing. Nolan continues his outstanding streak of outstanding storytelling, the film is perfectly cast, the score is perfect in assisting the pacing of the film, the look (through costumes, set design and cinematography) is flawless and, as hinted at above, the action sequences and special effects are quite awe-inspiring.
4. Memento (2001) - "I have this condition."
Memento is widely regarded as Nolan's masterpiece, and rightfully so. The amount of skill needed as a filmmaker to properly create and maneuver around in this story is quite high, and Nolan is definitely at that level.
5. Batman Begins (2005) - "Gotham isn't beyond saving."
I was a bit unsure of what to think going into the midnight screening of Batman Begins, but by the time the lights came up there was no doubt in my mind: they picked the right people for the job. Nolan ditched the camp that surrounded the earlier Batman films and went for something much more gritty and more realistic. (No nipple suits here.) As a fan of the Burton films and the TV show "Batman: The Animated Series," I was quite pleased with what Batman Begins did with my favorite superhero. It took Bruce Wayne and made him more human, more relatable; he wasn't simply a do-gooder. The film delved into his past and showed why he needed to become Batman, and it also managed to reveal why Gotham City needed Batman. There's one scene where Christian Bale, dressed as Batman, perches on top of a building, watching over Gotham City. It is one of the most iconic Batman images, and that moment encapsulates everything good about Nolan's reinvention of the series - Nolan stayed loyal to fans expecting certain things from Batman but still made it his own, a version of Batman that had never been seen before on the big screen. (Wally Pfister's cinematography didn't exactly hurt that scene either.)
6. Insomnia (2002) - "Small things, remember?"
Insomnia is actually the first Nolan film I saw. Needless to say, I was a bit underwhelmed and a bit puzzled when I heard he would be taking over the Batman franchise. The fact that this is the most disappointing of Nolan's films and it's still not entirely horrible is a testament to his talent and his increasing reputation as a modern master of filmmaking.
I still need to get around to seeing Nolan's feature directorial debut, Following. I realize I was a bit slight with some of these descriptions, but it's at least in part due to the fact that I think Nolan's films speak for themselves and I didn't want to give too much away about any of them.
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