Review of Following (1999) by Arman A — 16 Jul 2010

Christopher Nolan's voyeurism special.

The initial premise is certainly very interesting. A writer decides to start following people to satisfy some mislaid curiosity. I was actually reminded of the passage in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles where that protagonist engaged in the same behaviour.

The ante is upped when the protagonist crosses paths with a curious burglar who has his own voyeuristic tendencies. This goes to an even higher level when the police are involved. However the weakness of Nolan is that this is all so literally explained.

Cobb also provides an interesting partner in crime. Someone who seems all too knowing. The stark contrast of the black and white is also reminiscent of Aronofsky's Pi. The snappy pace also works well, though that means the film becomes more plot oriented than interested in the characters. It would have been nice to investigate the protagonists obsession a little more deeply.

Several aspects seem similar to his overall style. There is a strong opening image that is representative of the theme of the film. The mixing up of chronology is also toyed with here, if only to keep the audience off balance. Then there is the reveal. Followed by the derivative reveal.

Special mention to the Batman insignia. That is simply meta.

Time to hunt down My Best Friend's Wedding.