Following (1999)

Why is this story told backwards and what's the chronological version like? Is there a way to find it online? Also, is the burglar's name really Cobb or the name on the credit card that the young man forged? The old man at the end states there's no listing of Cobb and that the house being robbed was Danny's (the name on the credit card). Yet, in the beginning, we see the two rob Cobb's house without the young man knowing that it's his. It would make sense since Cobb never had a last name and police don't know what he looks like anyway.

Not one of Nolan's best films (second weakest from personal opinion), but for a debut and for being made on such a low budget much of 'Following' is very impressive. Even if it became much more refined in his later films, there is a sense that Nolan has found his style and not hopelessly trying to find his feet.'Following' isn't perfect. The motivation for the lead female character is very thin, likewise with the character herself and Lucy Russell is a blank acting-wise. The film doesn't get going straight away with a slightly dull first 10 minutes, and there is one or two twist(s) too many which gives the ending a convoluted and contrived feel.However, the production values could have been much worse considering that it was a debut film and that the budget was reminiscent of a miniscule student film budget. Granted, Nolan's visual style became more audacious in later films, and very quickly (the difference in style between 'Following' and his next, and best, film 'Memento' is staggering), but as the way it's shot, lit and composed has much more atmosphere and class than most "student films" calling it one seems somewhat of an insult.David Julyan provides a chilling score, that is not as good as his thematically complex one for 'Memento' but on the same level as that for 'Insomnia' and better than the fitting (within the film) forgettable (on its own) one for 'The Prestige'.Apart from the odd stilted moment, the dialogue has many clever and thoughtful ones, and Nolan does a good job directing even if more expansive, ambitious and refined in his later films. The story is interesting and remarkably tight, with very few needless elements, a case of ambition mostly not getting in the way (something that undermined 'Interstellar' and to a lesser extent 'Inception', though those films have many strong elements) until the ending tries to do a little too much.Characters are interesting, being likable but doing not so likable things. The acting is mostly very much committed, with Alex Haw especially being very good and charismatic.On the whole, Nolan went on to do much better things (especially with 'The Dark Knight' trilogy and 'Memento') but 'Following' is not a bad start at all and fares better than some more famous and more influential director's debut films (Kubrick with 'Fear and Desire' for example). 7/10 Bethany Cox

It's easy to see, in his first production, exactly why Christopher Nolan is one of the best modern directors. Like with what we would eventually see in Memento, this is an out-of-order complex confusing psychological thriller with plot twists galore. Stylized in black-and-white and stripped of 90's technology, it could pass for an old school noir-film.While not as intricate and lavish as his later films, Nolan does a tremendous amount of good with practically no budget and a cast of competent actors. The fact the cast plays their roles like regular people instead of the Hollywood cliché acting we'd expect from a drama is sort of refreshing. At 70 minutes, it's short but definitely not short-changed.

Following is the directorial debut of Christopher Nolan. As it was made on almost no budget with unprofessional actors, I was not expecting much. The protagonist is a young writer who has resorted to stalking people that he finds interesting so as to pass his time. On one particular day, the guy that he was stalking confronted him and questioned the reason for why he was stalking. Both of them begin to break into other people's home and just try to guess the type of people that lived there.Despite the lack of professional actors, it never feels as if the acting is poor due to the well rehearsed scenes. According to Nolan, all of them had rehearsed every scene so well that the majority of the movie had scenes which were filmed in the first or second take.To make a movie without any distributor is courageous and a bit of a gamble. However, Nolan took the risk and today he is among the most well known directors in the world. Do not go into this movie for viewing a technical masterpiece because it isn't. However, if you are looking for a compelling story with a stellar ending, this movie is right for you.