Sedai, Pyro Tramp and all the others who doubted Christopher Nolan

Oh my god, are you joking? You're on a windup, mate. I watched Inception again and I have concluded that it's a flawed yet majestic piece of work. I still don't understand your beef with that, or Nolan even.

Yeah, i'm not sure where you are going with this. So Nolan didn't take inspiration from the Bazinian long take theory in Inception, oh boo hoo, he must not be a deep and insightful director, blah blah blah. You are talking about a particular style of cinema. A style that Nolan has experimented with in other films. He has done plenty of long takes in his early stuff and the music in his first 3 films are less bombastic and more subtle and stuff. Doesn't make it better. It's just a STYLE that corresponds with the material. Inception IS a BIG film about BIG ideas with BIG sets and BIG action sequences, homie. So obviously the music and the editing and pacing is going to reflect that. If that's a style you dont' like, cool. But don't suggest that ALL of Nolan's films are like that when that simply isn't true.

You're awesome, Prestige

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What a weird thread.

Is the debate about wether or not Nolan is a great director? Of course, he is. On a technical level, anyway. The man is a perfectionist to the nth degree. In fact, he doesn't have a second unit for (most, all?) his films because he likes to personally oversee each shot of the film. His films have a polish and glow to them that is rare in a lot of filmmakers.

However, he's also sort of cold and clinical. There's not always a lot of personality or emotion in his films. He's far better at creating a narrative than appealing to an emotion or envoking one. Even the scene in Inception where Mal dies isn't so much emotional as it is a story beat. It happens and the viewer basically say "Ah, yeah, so that's what happened." But you're heart doesn't go out for Cobb the way it should.

I've never understood the people who croon over Nolan. Yes, he's one of the best filmmakers working now; his strengths are undeniable, even to a hater (at least one who's being intelectually honest). However, his films are just to cold and distant for him to be great.

Plus, for some reason, he seems stuck in a place where he can only make genre films. I'd like to see him branch out of his comfort zone. For example, Scorsese makes great crime epics, but he also shines when he makes straight dramas like The Aviator. Nolan doesn't have an Aviator, yet.

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This is true. I don't think he has ever used a second unit even for his biggest films. I can't think of any other director working in commercial cinema that can say that this.



In the case of Inception, I would reluctantly agree with you. That's probably the main and only problem I have with it. Although I do really like the scene with Cobb and Mal at the end in limbo, I always feel like I should be a lot more emotionally drained by that point in the film. Despite the tragic nature of Cobb and Mal's story, and it is tragic, there is something almost so-whatish about it that prevents the film from being 5 stars. So I would say it's the 'coldest' film he has made yet, but that could also be a reflection of just how overwhelming technically brilliant it is.

That said, this does not relate to every other Nolan film. Following, Memento, Insomnia and The Prestige are DEEPLY personal films. The Dark Knight and Batman Begins have many moments of genuine emotion too. Nothing cold about those films at all, in my opinion. They may not be over the top melodramatic, but I challenge anybody not to be shocked, disheartened and appalled at Leonard Shelby by the conclusion of Memento. Or root for and against Detective Dormer in Insomnia. Full of emotion.



Well Following is COMPLETELY different to, say The Dark Knight. The former is more of a drama/film noir type of film.

I'm not being a smart-ass when I ask this, but how are they deeply personal films? I don't know much about Nolan, but what makes those films special to him? Especially when Inception is a long metaphore for the filmmaking process and the creative process in general. It seems that would be his most personal film and yet it barely resonates as something touching.

Personally, I didn't ever feel emotionally attatched to Guy Pierce in Memento. His condition isn't exactly something I've ever suffered from. What he went through and experienced is tragic and horrible, but the thing that's conveyed strongest in that film (in all his films) is his sense of crafting a tight and concise story, and sometimes telling it in an unique fashion. I never feel moved at the end of one of his films by the characters on screen, I feel completely satisfied that I just watched an awesome film told by a competent and accoplished filmmaker.

Genre films. You know, action, sci-fi, horror, crime thrillers, etc. Nolan hasn't made a straight drama. He works in this comfort zone of crime thrillers and/or action films. There's nothing wrong with that, but the tone of every single one of his films is the same.

You know what I want, I want to see him make a light hearted comedy or a family film. I don't think it interests him, but he doesn't seem to challenge himself creatively.

I agree with bouncingbrick as far as emotion goes, and come to think of it as far as Nolan's skill goes. He is undeniably one of the most technically accomplished storytellers and filmmakers around today, but he's certainly no Polanski, Darabont or Boyle when it comes to stirring a genuine emotion in his audience. His films are awesome to look at, have compelling stories and interesting characters, but each and every one of his works that I have seen: Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and Memento, have left me satisfied, but cold.

That's not even necessarily a bad thing, it's just his style. I just don't think you can call Nolan's films emotional.

Following was based on Nolan's personal experience with buglary. He had his flat broken into when he was living in the west end in London and all he could think about was how the burglar felt when going through and invading his personal items. As personal as it gets, really, isn't it?

Memento 's narrative structure forces the journey we go on in the film to be personal. How could it NOT be personal? It's a film about every facet of the human mind. The nature of self deception. Perception vs reality, trust, the fragility of memory, etc. These are things we deal with as people EVERYDAY, and Nolan himself has always said he sometimes doesn't trust his memory. Even myself at 26 am starting to misremember things.

Insomnia deals with similar themes to his first two films and I felt The Prestige was Nolan's own personal commentary on the ways the auteur, authorship and obsession.



I would argue that Following is more straight drama than a genre film, even though it has borrows the familiar thropes of film noir and the like. And I certainly wouldn't agree that he even has a 'comfort zone'. While his films are thematically identical, he has worked across a broad range of genres which still makes him one of the most versatile directors out there. It's true that Nolan isn't a fan of romantic comedies and musicals, but why do something you don't like? Anyways, his next project after the 3rd Batman film is rumoured to be a biopic on Howard Hughes which I imagine will be more 'straight drama' orientated.

Hummmmm

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I can buy that.

Eh, you can call it personal if you want, but a film about themes that most people understand and can relate to seems less personal to me. But, whatever.

Insomnia put me to sleep (irony!), so I don't remember it. The Prestige is awesome, and it works on that similar metaphoric level that Inception works, but compare it to an emotional outpouring like Fellini's 8 1/2 or Spielberg's E.T. Not even remotely close. And it still has a somber, Nolan-ish off-putting tone.

I don't understand this sentence at all. All of his films have a strange crime-thriller feel to them, even when that's not what they're about. The Prestige is the closest he's come to moving away from what he does. But it has the exact same tone and pacing and look as his other films. There are senes in his films that look like they could be interchanged with scenes from his other films and people would hardly notice. It's all blue-toned and persistent musical score and dead serious acting. Crap, I bet I could count the number of jokes in his films without taking off my shoes.

I'm not trying to hate on the guy as much as I am, he's one of the few directors that actually makes me go to the theater anymore. However, he's starting to look like a one-trick pony to me. If the man ever makes a comedy, I'll crap myself.

Wait, he's remaking The Aviator?

His films are ambitious, at least, and actually have ideas. I suppose his films do have a certain austere quality like Fincher's, which I sometimes like and sometimes don't, depending on my mood.

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Just because a lot of people can relate to themes doesn't make them any less personal to him, hence why he decided to explore them in his films.




Well at least I don't have to convince you about Nolan's authorship You are talking about Nolan being distinctive, which I don't think suggests a comfort one. Following can be construed as a neo noir for the most the most part, that's true, but I also consider it more or less a drama until the conclusion. Anywaysi, that's a meaningless argument to get into because I ingthink it's pretty obvious that Nolan is versatile. He has recurring themes and a consistent photography and straight acting, but I consider genre changing versatile soo...
Nolan is bed and green colour blind hence why his and Pfister photography often have that bluish cold tint to it.

You really really really want to just see him do something wacky, don't you? I can't see that happening. I am in saying Nolan will NEVER do a straight forward comedy. He himself said that himself humour is very different to most people in that it's dark and he even says he finds his own films funny, which I agree with. With the exception of Insomnia and Batman Begins, Nolan's films do have their moments of dark humour. Just he is smart enough to be sly with them so as to not disrupt to flow of them.


Now I know you are just taking piss a little bit sex bomb but I think it's worth mentioning that Nolan had written his version of a Howard Hughes film years before The Aviator had even been greenlit. He called it 'the best thing I have ever written'

Apparently The Prestige is Nolan's brother

Clearly Prestige/Dark Knight whatever is a 15 year old girl.

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"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo.

I don't even think he changes genre at all. His films are all very similar in tone and theme. I like it, but it may get tedious down the road. I can't imagine a Howard Hughes biopick in the style that he uses to make films. I hope he changes things up a bit for that one.

Interesting, but do I have to be color blind to watch his films?

No, I want to see him make a film like In the Loop. Something with grown-up humor.

This is why I say he has a comfort zone. I don't think he can really be a truly great actor until he challenges himself. It doesn't have to be a comedy, but he should try his hand at something totally different. Maybe make a film that doesn't have any crimes in it?

Hey, man, I never said he couldn't make a remake!

Nolan makes good films....but are they good enough??

Stagnation isn't good enough

Let me rephrase, I like McDonald's, but I'd rather eat a steak.

Meh, doubt you can name 5 that aren't stagnating. I can only think of PT Anderson. Maybe Claire Denis.

David Fincher, Danny Boyle, Wes Anderson was until he made Fantastic Mr. Fox, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, The Coen Brothers, David Cronenberg, Gus Van Sant, Sam Raimi, I'm sure there's more...

Hell, I barely even touched foriegn directors!

I wouldn't say Scorsese has done much interesting work outside his recent documentaries in the past decade at least, but other than that yeah what you said.