About Christopher Nolan

While not expansive, this is my first completed filmography. Nolan dazzles while still giving you something to think about, and still retaining the human elements to keep you engaged. A particular theme I noticed in his work is the idea that time will not heal all wounds, it may in fact only intensify the hurt. He invests you in his films, and their characters, creating a realistic world for them to inhabit. He makes you believe in his worlds, so when the fantastical comes, you accept it as a natural part of that universe. His movies tend to share a wall with our reality, close but just off in places. His leads are tortured, generally by accidents or mistakes from their pasts.The results or outcomes of these issues is generally the thrust of his work. He has shown the versatility of the theme and the many direction you can go off one emotional element. I love Nolan's women. They are all so varied and realistic. I even like Rachel Dawes, she was the light in Bruce's night, and I thought both actresses did well with the material. He has depicted the light and dark side of femininity and I have to say, I prefer the dark. I would love to see his take on a female protagonist. Two of his staples, that I absolutely adore, are his use of the unreliable narrator, and playing with subjectivity. It's most notable in Inception, but plays a large part in The Prestige, and can be traced all the way back to Memento. Then there is the non linear element of Memento and Batman Begins, and I suppose The Prestige and Inception to lesser extents. He keeps you engaged, without letting you zone out, he makes you pay attention. The Batman franchise is an odd animal. He tackled one of my favorite subject matters, and set a high bar for not only Batman films, but all super hero films that would follow. None are without their flaws, but they dug dip into the the mythos while creating something new and exciting that was true to the spirit of such a beloved property. I love his Batman movies, but it is the movies that they allowed him to make that I truly enjoy. Without Begins we probably would never have gotten Prestige, and so on. Even if he would have been able to make them, without the financial success of the Batman films I doubt he would have had as much clout or freedom, both financially and artistically. I am excited for post nolan Batman, although a part of me will always hope for a Dar Knight Returns in 15/20 odd years. If I had to pick a favorite I would have to go with The Prestige, with Dark Knight and Inception trailing close behind. His weakest being Insomnia easily, it has merits but is just ok, which I suppose is high praise for a film makers weakest work. He is not above reproach, but I have greatly enjoyed nearly all his movies. He knows how to make an accessible, engaging story, with the wonder and fantastical that you want to see when you go into the theater, and I respect that immensely.