ENTERTAINMENT

Reel Talk | Storytelling, heart at center of Nolan films

Craig Shoup, Reporter
Christian Bale made his first run as the caped crusader in Christopher Nolan's 2005 film "Batman Begins."

All directors, even Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and James Cameron, have to earn their stripes behind the directing chair. They don't start off with blockbusters, but, in most cases, those movies are what they are known for.

Often directors become a household names after a big independent hit film and then move into the world of blockbusters. But one key to their success is they have the vision of being a storyteller, no matter the genre.

Most people can name Christopher Nolan's more recent films, such as "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," "Inception" and "Interstellar," but Nolan worked his way up to the top from meager beginnings. His hit indie drama "Memento," which thrust Nolan onto the director's scene when released in 2000, has become a cult hit, and deservedly so.

"Memento" is a mind trip, featuring a reverse structure narrative. In this movie, we literally see the end first and work our way back to the beginning where the last shot of the film is the first shot and the introduction to our story.

Throughout the movie, Nolan tells the story of a man with a terrible memory. It's interesting, because like the story's main character Leonard (Guy Pierce), we are confused and have to play back, writing things down to process the information. It only adds to the confusing shift in structure of the film.

"Memento" is an original piece of filmmaking. Unlike most traditional movies, we see the characters' motivations play out before we even get to know them.

Despite seeing the end before you are wrist deep into your popcorn, Nolan keeps you guessing. Did Leonard find justice for the murder of his wife? That's the question. It's a guessing game throughout, and fun a ride.

The film is not a complete backward adventure, though, as Nolan uses black and white at times to move the story forward and fill in the blanks. The black and white also provides relief in deciphering whether the scene is unfolding in present time, or following the reverse story structure like the color portions of the film.

While "Memento" is not Nolan's best work, its unique structure and constant desire to tell a good story is why Nolan is one of my favorite directors working today.

When asked, I think most people would pick "The Dark Knight" as their favorite Nolan film, but for me, there is no better Nolan film than "Interstellar," which also happens to be the one that left most audiences and critics perplexed.

It’s not a film we are expected to watch and understand everything about; rather it’s a journey of spiritual and intellectual gratification.

I think if you invest yourself in the movie, you will have a satisfying experience. It may border on oversentimentality as it straddles the lines of what is explained by science and how that interacts with people’s religious beliefs.

The movie works on so many levels. The story revolves around an Earth with an uncertain future, forcing travel through a wormhole in space that leads to Earth-like planets that may be inhabitable.

The reason I love the movie so much is because, like the best movies, it swings for the fences and doesn't play it safe. I want a director to take a chance, and Nolan does. And boy, does he deliver.

Another Nolan hit that takes a big chance and hits a home run is "Inception." 

Never one to play it safe, Nolan enters our heads with "Inception," challenging us to use our brains — unusual for a summer blockbuster.

One thing I admire about Nolan is despite the fact he’s now got the big budget and access to the best computers in the industry, he still relies on real filming locations, not green screens, to create his worlds.

I think that give his movies more authenticity. You believe you inhabit the world his characters are in, making the movie a richer experience.

Yes, Nolan’s Batman franchise was great, especially "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight."

Admittedly, the first two in Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy were the Batman movies the world was hoping for, but never thought could be made. Nolan gave us a gritty, dark Gotham, marked by great storytelling.

Once I saw "Batman Begins," and how Nolan was able to make the classic Batman comic villain Scarecrow dark and ominous, I knew he could bring greatness to the screen with just about anything.

I think most people give credit to Heath Ledger’s performance as the reason the film succeeded, but Nolan, and his co-screenwriter and brother Johnathon Nolan, created a crime epic rivaling the best in the genre.

The caped crusader and Joker played it like they were policeman versus crime boss, with just a few extra toys at their disposal.

I always brim with anticipation for my favorite directors' next projects, and that is no different with Nolan’s 2017 film “Dunkirk,” a story of Allied British, Belgian and French soldiers surrounded by German troops during an evacuation attempt in World War II.

I’m a sucker for war movies, so my anticipation level is on high alert.

Once again, I am hoping Nolan swings for the fences.

cshoup@gannett.com

419-334-1035

Twitter: CraigShoupNH