Review of Following (1999) by Black R — 30 Nov 2011

I love this film! Christopher Nolan's debut film Following is nothing short of a masterpiece.

This film completely blew my mind. Not necessarily because of the signature Christopher Nolan twist and chonology, but becuase of it's uniqueness. I have never heard of a 70 minute film that packs as huge a punch as this. Emotion, conflict, intensity, dialogue, action.....this film truly has it all. I really was so captivated by the film and each scene was so brilliantly executed; time did not matter. It delivered just as much as any normal 2 hour feature film. Brilliant!

The budget of this film is basically nonexistent.....it was $60,000! That's all! In fact, the crew worked only on weekends in between their normal day jobs. Also, the actors were no names. They give fantastic performances considering they have been in nothing besides this. The performances definitely could have been better if played by well known actors, but this cast deserves much praise becuase they are brilliant in this film. Even though the acting is not top-notch, it still adds to the unique charm, appeal, and feel of this film.

Another thing I love is the Alred Hitchcock feel of the film. The black and white......perfect. Also, Lucy Russel looks just like a famous Hitchcock blonde actress. Many of the scenes I could have just as much pictured Grace Kelly or Joan Fontaine playing a role. The dialogue also had sort of an old-timy feel to it, as did the the music.

This little gem of film is certainly no Memento or Inception, but this little film is brilliant in ways Nolan's other, more modern, films are not. If you have yet to see this film and are a huge Nolan, check this film out to see where it all began. It really is a great, highly entertaining, engaging film! Absolutely fantastic...I recommend it!