To coincide with their latest LoveFilm voucher deal, Most Wanted are putting together a collaborative piece designed to help keep their readers entertained during the dark winter nights. As such, they’ve invited a number of film bloggers to come up with their ideal movie marathons, each featuring three films from the same director, and for my pick I’ve decided to go with one of the finest filmmaking talents working today – Christopher Nolan. But, how do you choose three standouts from a man who’s yet to make a bad film? Well read on and I’ll tell you my selection…
Memento (2000)
Although he made his feature debut in 1998 with the self-financed neo-noir Following, it wasn’t until 2000 that Christopher Nolan burst onto the scene with Memento, a psychological thriller about a man (Guy Pearce) whose efforts to avenge the rape and murder of his wife are hindered by severe short-term memory loss. Based on the short story Memento Mori by younger brother Jonathan Nolan and adopting an inventive, non-linear narrative structure (with the film essentially told in reverse), Memento established Nolan as a filmmaking force and saw him contend a number of prestigious accolades, including the Directors Guild of America Award and the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
The Prestige (2006)
After the success of Memento, Nolan went on to work with a trio of Academy Award-winners in Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank for Insomnia, before reinventing the ailing Batman franchise with Batman Begins. However, my second choice is his next effort, the Victorian-era mystery The Prestige, which is based on Christopher Priest’s 1995 novel of the same name and sees Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale leading the cast as two rival stage magicians. A gripping tale of obsession, The Prestige makes the list for three reasons: 1) To avoid Bat-Overload; 2) Because it’s got a cracking twist; and 3) David Bowie is in it.
The Dark Knight (2008)
With his sequel to Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan simultaneously redefined and legitimised the comic book movie, crafting an epic crime drama to rival the likes of Michael Mann’s Heat (which happened to be a major influence on the film). The Dark Knight has everything – a mature, complex storyline, visually stunning action set pieces and a solid ensemble cast that features the likes of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart. However, the real highlight is the wonderfully maniacal performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker, with the late actor creating one of cinema’s great screen villains in a role that led to a fully deserved posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The Dark Knight is the best comic book movie, and it’s also Christopher Nolan’s best movie. Still, if his body of work so far is anything to go by, this time next year we could be saying that about The Dark Knight Rises.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know what your three choices for a Christopher Nolan movie marathon would be in the comments below…
Holy Franchise, Batman! – Coming 2012.
Originally published November 25, 2011. Updated April 12, 2018.
