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FOLLOWING - REVIEW

Following ( English , 1998)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Unknown faces.

If there is one movie , among all those that I have seen , which makes you go completely numb after watching it , it has to be this one. Christopher Nolan's debut movie , shot on a paltry sum of 7000 $ , " Following" took me back to the noir days.

I will just give you a very brief description of the story as I don't want to spoil things for you. The protagonist of the movie , Bill , is a wannabe writer , who stalks people , for reasons he himself is unsure of. We are left to assume that he "follows" people , as it might aid him in creating characters for his literary pursuits. He sets himself certain interesting rules , for following people. What happens when he starts breaking the rules , is what the entire movie is all about.

We are then introduced to another character called Cobb , a burglar who happens to take Bill under his wings . I will stop with the story here. I implore you watch the movie to find out what's the big deal about a rather simple story .

The movie is an absolutely satisfying example of Nolan's genius. There are certain similarities to "Memento" in the style. The movie smoothly jumps from the past to the present and back again,many a time, in a complexly woven storyline, which you will not "follow", unless close attention is paid to the finer aspects of the story.

This film never has a dull moment , thanks to its length ( just over an hour). There are enough twists and turns in the movie , which keeps you hooked till the end. What I liked about this movie is that for a debut movie , this is truly amazing. Many directors start off from scratch and make some half-baked movies , before striking it big. But Nolan has set himself a benchmark , right in his debut flick.

There is another important character , a blonde. I will not reveal anymore. The movie is set in London , although not much importance is paid to the set, the camera work , and other technical aspects of film-making. It is rather the storytelling abilities of Nolan , which makes you go completely gaga about it. There are however a few scenes which make you scratch your head , as this is a very difficult movie to "follow".

The characterization is simply brilliant. Although the character of Bill is extremely odd , believe me , he is the character whom its easiest to "follow". Cobb and the blonde are the two most unbelievable characters whom I have come across so far.

There are many scenes which simply sweep you off your feet . The acting is exceptional , and none of the cast members are professional actors , to the best of my knowledge. This movie was made when he was unknown in film-making circles. The movie will come as a surprise to all those people who swear by the fact that it takes millions of dollars to make a decent movie. Christopher Nolan has proved them all wrong in this little gem of his.

Christopher Nolan's movies are always something to look forward to . The guy who gave us "Memento" , "The Prestige" , "Batman Begins" and the recent "The Dark Knight" , proves his worth as a force to reckon with. He is truly out of the world . Mr.Nolan am your "follow"er.

Now onto the verdict. This is a masterpiece from one of the greatest contemporary directors in Hollywood, Christopher Nolan. May his tribe increase !! I will go with 4 out of 5 for this gem.

Verdict: Masterpiece . 4/5

THE DARK KNIGHT- REVIEW


THE DARK KNIGHT

(ENGLISH,2008)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gylenhall, Gary Oldman

Just when we had started to give up hope on Hollywood after a string of mediocre releases "The Dark Knight" came to our rescue . Literally.

We have to admit that we were never big fans of the Batman franchise. Maybe a few comic strips once in a while, but nothing beyond that. However, we had loved " Batman Begins " the predecessor to this movie. Christopher Nolan is one among the best in the the business and had done justice to the Batman character in " Batman Begins " . But generally sequels tend to cut a sorry figure, apart from maybe a few.

"The Dark Knight", thankfully, is a rare exception. This is another classic Good v/s Evil movie but it is the execution that differentiates this movie from the other Superhero movies.

The movie starts off rather well with a bank robbery scene.The audience is left to wonder, "Who the hell is the Joker? ". That's when we have a close up shot of the late Heath Ledger. " I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you .... Stranger", pretty much sums up the character of the Joker.

Then we have the Batman making an appearance in a rather interestingly shot impersonation scene. The movie then dwells on the corruption and crime scenario of good, 'ole Gotham City.

Unlike "Batman Begins" the character of Bruce Wayne is underplayed by Christian Bale. "The Dark Knight" focuses more on the Batman character, with very little emphasis on Wayne. Michael Caine as the butler is impressive as usual. The role of Mr. Fox is again portrayed by the versatile Morgan Freeman.

What stands out in the movie however is the character of The Joker. Heath Ledger gives us a performance of a lifetime. The sheer ruthlessness of the character is portrayed brilliantly.

The movie could have easily been "Oh..so predictable" like many Superhero flicks.But you can always bank on Nolan to give that extra something, which makes his movies stand apart. Yes, being a Superhero movie there are a few cliched scenes, but you will hardly notice them as Nolan keeps you glued to your seats. Although the movie is pretty much based on the Joker v/s Batman rivalry there are some exceptional scenes without these two characters. The "Social Experiment" scene with the two ferries is simply brilliant. This scene stands out because we believe that's what the movie is all about.

The Batman character is the best among all the various Batman versions on screen. Bale is as reliable as ever. Although the Joker easily steals the show, there are some scenes involving The Dark Knight which will take your breath away. There is this amazing sequence based on a party hosted by Wayne in which the Joker makes an appearance. Or the shots of the Batman swooping down across the night sky among the skyscrapers. And the BatPod sequence. It is scenes like these which makes the movie stand out.

"The Dark Knight " is technically brilliant and will be a visual feast. The background score is mighty impressive and the OST is definitely worth your money.

The movie is a tad long compared to recent releases with a runtime of 152 mins. But rest assured you will never feel bored the slightest bit as the screenplay is as fast as lightning and Nolan ensures there is never a dull moment.

The piece 'de resistance however is the " Why so serious, Son" scene involving the Joker. This is easily one of the best cinematic scenes in history and there is a superb scene in which the Joker joins the applause when Oldman is appointed Commissioner. Heath Ledger definitely deserves an Oscar. May his Soul Rest in Peace.

The star cast is top-notch. Bale, Ledger, Freeman, Eckhart, Caine, Oldman are all at the top of their game in this movie. Maggie Gylenhall does have a rather small role and does justice to it.However we terribly miss Katie Holmes from Batman Begins. She was a stunner!!!

Alright then. The Verdict. This is an exceptionally brilliant movie and it has something in it for everyone. We will give it 4.5 out of 5

Verdict: Simply Uber (Ultimate) . 4.5 / 5