Review of Following (1999) by Dane P — 22 Jul 2012

Cobb: You're developing a taste for it - the violating, the voyeurism... it's definitely you. .

"You're Never Alone.".

Before Nolan hit it big with Memento, he first made his debut, with this short noir film. Filmed in black and white on an extremely small budget, Following is a film that not only hinted at Nolan's talent as a director, but showed it. Clocking in at around 70 minutes, Following doesn't waste any of its runtime. It is well paced and because of Nolan's sound direction, the film is tense throughout. It has the same sort of feel that Memento and Insomnia have. It's a dark and brilliantly executed film that basks in the atmosphere that Nolan created and succeeds largely do to his now standard use of pessimism.

Following is a film about a man who started to follow people. He started following people just as something to do. He wanted to see what they'd do and where they went. Soon, he finds himself breaking his own rules about only picking random people and never following a person more than once. He's then approached by a man he had been following for days, who introduces him to the world of burglary. From there, it's a twisty little movie that messes with what we think about the characters by showing scenes out of order.

I just watched Following for the second time and I was struck by how twisty the plot really is. The first time I watched it, I thought this was one of Nolan's more straightforward films, and from some standpoints it is. However, it isn't without a twisty and all around amazing ending. .

This is a great movie to watch now that we've seen where Nolan has gotten. It's interesting to look back at his first feature film and view it knowing that he would go on to direct even greater movies. This debut is one that proves that Nolan can direct movies that aren't fueled by big name casts and expensive action. At his roots, he is always telling a smart story, even now when the casual viewer may only see big effects and big names. The most impressive thing about Following is that it is my least favorite Christopher Nolan film, and I still think it is more than brilliant. .