From dueling magicians to caped crusaders, retrograde amnesia to dream heists, space exploration to warfare, and more "straightforward" crime thrillers, Nolan has shown quite a bit of range throughout his career. On the semi-recent heels of his first Best Director nomination and with the upcoming "Tenet", where it appears that he may tackle the spy genre next, what better time to take a look back at his career than now.
NOTE: Some thoughts may be shorter than others, due to me not having seen a couple of the films in quite some time.
*Something something IMAX*
10. The Dark Knight Rises (3.5)
Where do I begin?
I'll start with the positives. Christian Bale delivers some of his best acting moments as Bruce Wayne, particularly in the prison. Tom Hardy is also pretty good as the infamous Bane, Gary Oldman is ok as Gordon although he doesn't get too much to do, and Anne Hathaway is quite a bit of fun as Catwoman. There are even several scenes that do have merit, such as the opening plane escape, Bruces' final escape from the prison, and even the ending in the cave.
With that said, I can't help but feel that the film tries to accomplish too much for its own good, as well as feeling that the Nolan bros called it a day after writing the first draft. The last minute villain of the film easily could've been taken out, same for Gordon-Levitts' character, and the climax involving the atom bomb seems to out-of-this-world for the universe that Nolan created. And I won't even attempt to list many of the plot holes in this film, since that's been covered deeply in other places.
Nevertheless, the film does have a good amount of entertainment value, and I wouldn't consider the trilogy ending on a whimper.
9. Insomnia
A decent crime thriller that introduced Nolan to the studio system, and proved that he could make his mark in said system, even if he didn't write the film. Pacino delivers one of his best late-career film performances, Nolan really brings the Alaska atmosphere seem vivid, and the chase scenes are well-handled. Not quite great, but a film I'd recommend to watch if you'd like to take a closer look at pre-Batman Nolan.
Oh...and Robin Williams in a Nolan film isn't a combination you'd expect to see...but it is simply incredible. I'll leave it at that if you haven't seen it.
8. Interstellar
Ahh Interstellar...your visual effects are nothing short of amazing...and yet I'm still not sure what's going on in your third act. NOTE: I'm basing this on the only time I've seen the film.
One of the best aspects of the film is Matthew McConaugheys' performances as the space-pilot-turned-farmer, where he goes on a space mission in order to find a planet that will be able to inhabit humans in the future. He really delivers a great leading-man turn that manages to keep the film centered and offer the appropriate emotional weight to the story.
However, like The Dark Knight Rises, the story is too overstuffed for its own good. One example is Matt Damons' sudden appearance around two-thirds of the way through the film. It is rather jarring, since the films tone changes when he shows up, yet also adds an unnecessary device to the story.
Another thing I would like to mention is that I've always felt that the twist in the third act seems like it was added just for complexity's' sake, although again, McConaughey does manage to make it work.
As with TDKR, not a bad film in any way, but one where the Nolans should've invested more time with the script, as Nolans' direction is there.
7. Following (4)
A strong debut film from Nolan, as you can see many of his trademarks right from the gate (labyrinth plot, non-linear storytelling, a protagonist wearing a suit at one point). I found this film to be quite entertaining, as Nolan draws you in to the criminal underworld of London with a lead that gets in deeper than he's prepared to deal with.
I guess you could say the film is somewhat forgotten in the grand scheme of things in regards to Nolans' later films, but overall, it is a sign of things that would come.
6. Batman Begins (4.5)
One of the best superhero origin story films quite honestly, and you could make the argument that it is the best film ABOUT Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christian Bale really manages to make all the aspects of the iconic character come to life: the playboy, the vengeful young man, the student and quite simply, the action hero.
Nolan, in tandem with Bale, make the brilliant decision to make the films' main focus Bruce Wayne/Batman himself, as previous entries in the franchise seemed to care more about the villains. The action scenes are well done here, and the two villains are entertaining, particularly Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow. Liam Neeson and Gary Oldman in then-against-type casting as Ra's al ghul and Commissioner Gordon are also solid in really filling out the ensemble.
5. Inception
An entertaining dream heist thriller, with Nolan really taking the opportunity to make his first original idea to a grand spectacle. Many of the scenes are fairly impressive, such as the hallway scene, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio in movie star instead of tortured soul mode) introducing Ariadne to the world of dreams, the snowy mountain, the van falling in the river, and of course, the final "kick". The subplot involving Cillian Murphys' character is also surprisingly effective, thanks in part to his and Berengers' performances.
I don't like to sound nit picky, but one quibble I do have with the film is the subplot involving Cobbs' dead wife, Mal. On re-watches, I find that the film does slow down every time she appears, and that has nothing to do with Marion Cotillard by the way. I even have to give credit to Cotillard herself, as that plot of the film could've easily been disposable with a lesser actress.
Nevertheless, the positives of the film far outweigh the few negatives, and it is quite a thrilling ride. I honestly wouldn't even mind if Nolan (or a director he'd trust) would want to return to this world.
Oh and bonus points to this film for introducing Tom Hardy to the larger mainstream.
4. Memento (5)
The film that put Nolan on the map, and deservedly so. Greatly aided by the underrated Guy Pearce, Nolan pulls off what easily could've been a novelty into a terrific addition: that being the choice to show the film in reverse.
Something I particularly like about this film is that it suggests that Nolan has a better knack for comedy than many give him credit for, as I have to admit many moments in the film generate a chuckle out of me. Besides that, the film has a good ensemble besides Pearce, especially Tobolowsky as a fellow retrograde amnesia patient.
A film that I would describe as a treasure of sorts, in that you can pick up on something new every time you see it.
3. The Prestige
A truly fascinating film, with one of the best performances of both Christian Bale and Hugh Jackmans' career, with Nolan really taking advantage of Jackmans' considerable charisma and showmanship.
I don't want to give too much away, since part of the greatness of watching this film is seeing it how builds and develops throughout its narrative. I will say however that the cinematography and production design both play a big part in creating an intriguing atmosphere and the film also has a solid supporting cast, with a musician-turned-actor making quite the impression.
2. The Dark Knight
It may sound like I'm joining the chorus with praise for this film, so I'll just clear out a few negatives. One being the Hong Kong scenes, while being impressively staged, feel more like a video game side quest (in terms of writing) that doesn't quite cohere with the rest of the film. Another is the Batman voice that Bale uses, which actually hurts Batmans' speech a little bit at the very end of the film, as it could've had a stronger impact without it.
Nevertheless, there are many reasons why its many peoples favorite superhero film, as the action scenes are exciting (the main chase scene, the opening bank heist, ), the themes that Nolan explores are thought-provoking, the addition of a secondary villain in Harvey Dent/Two-Face really works, and the film itself is a technical marvel.
I also want to mention that Gary Oldman is outstanding as Commissioner Gordon, as he is one of the main moral cruxes of the film, and manages to add a lot of dramatic heft to the film.
A film that perfectly demonstrates that entertainment and art shouldn't be mutually exclusive, but rather benefit everyone when they are together.
Oh...and the main villain is alright I suppose :)
1. Dunkirk
Nolans' first foray into a story that is based on true events, and boy does he knock it out of the park. The film is loaded with intense scenes, such as the torpedo, the large oil spill, the plane fights, and even the more (relatively) low-key pilot-stuck-in-the-cockpit (Jack Lowden) scene. What I find just as impressive though is that Nolan also includes scenes that are quite emotional ("Home", the ending, many of the scenes with Mark Rylances' ship captain) that cohere with the overall film and don't seem out of place.
The editing of this film is marvelous, as once again, Nolan pulls of a nonlinear story that is remarkably easy to follow. Hans Zimmers' score is also terrific, as it goes hand-in-hand with the intensity, yet also the more emotional scenes that I mentioned in the first paragraph.
Although this isn't quite the type of film where the acting is the main focus, it still is important in getting the weight of the events across to the audience, which everyone for the most part does. Highlights here include the aforementioned Rylance where he subtly suggests his own past personal trauma with the war up until the evacuation, Kenneth Branagh delivering exposition in a way that makes it seem more than that, and the underrated Cillian Murphy as a shell-shocked soldier.
A remarkable film the more that I think about it, and I'll think I'll cap it off with the ending.
What would be your favorite Nolan film? Sound off in the comments below!
