Review of Following (1999) by Dave R — 03 Mar 2010

"Following" is Christopher Nolan's first full length feature film that set the standards for his future films. "Following" is shot in a normal, yet at times positively eerie black and white and features the story of a young writer who starts following people in order to gain motivation for his next work. He sets his "work" on the basis that he won't communicate with the people he follows in any way and if he learns where they live then he will never follow them again. However, thing's get complicated for the young man when he gets caught following a man by the name of Cobb who claims to be a burglar. The young man is then further brought into random people's lives as he joins Cobb in robbing different people's houses.

The element that makes "Following" work is its unbelievable normalcy. Since it is shot in black and white, it doesn't give off the feeling of a distinct location nor is it able to express feelings and emotions so as if the viewer can be sucked in. Unlike Nolan's future work, "Following" doesn't involve even one household name in its cast; however, that only further supports Following's foundation. Altogether, "Following" includes cinematography, acting, writing and a situation that closely shadows reality. There is no God-like, futuristic world or breathtaking, ground-breaking visuals in Following, but rather everything about the film makes it feel as though the viewer is watching the events pan out like they were happening in real life. In that sense, the title, "Following," and the tag line: "you're never alone" are supported due to the fact that the viewer is like an observer of the lives of the characters; a follower of them.

However, it isn't exactly as straightforward as watching the average Joe's day-to-day life. "Following" presents a narrative structure that quite surely had an impact on "Memento" and it's easy to get confused if you don't pay attention. Though, don't let it's complexity intimidate you; the structure of "Following" makes the story and the situations even more enthralling than they already are and ultimately, like "Memento", it makes the story that much stronger.

So, can "Following" be consider one of Nolan's masterpieces? Hard to say. One thing is for certain though; "Following" has had a huge impact on Nolan's career as he's used its structure, its themes, its bleakness, its sincerity and most of all, its character realism in his past, present and quite surely, future, work.