Following

For me.. Christopher Nolan is one of the most favourite director in the world and Memento, The Prestige and The Dark Knight are one of the favourite movies ever.

Now Before there wasMemento, there was Following which. Following contains many of the same themes writer/director Christopher Nolan explored in Memento - identity, deception, and unrequited love. But (most notably) Following is similar to Memento in that it toys with the audience by shifting the timeline away from the linear, a technique which is at first confusing but eventually incredibly satisfying
and here too Christopher Nolan uses his signature fragmented story telling skills to tell a gripping tale.

The storyline of Following is almost impossible to discuss without giving some pivotal plot point away, but here's a synopsis: An aimless young man and a wannabe writer spends his days following people around, just to see what they'll do with their day. He eventually finds himself following one particular man around, until the man confronts him. It turns out that he's a thief, and isn't terribly upset by the fact that he's been stalked for the last couple of weeks. He offers the young man the chance to accompany him on a few jobs. To say any more would be unfair and downright cruel.

Nolan's first feature was obviously shot on a minuscule budget - the film's in grainy black and white, there are no recognizable actors, etc. - but it manages to be just as fascinating and compelling as Memento was (if not quite as polished). The first half hour seems to be a simple story of a guy with way too much free time on his hands, but as we soon discover, there's a lot more going on than is initially revealed. Nolan takes his time peeling back the layers (and plays around with our notions of what's in the present and what isn't in a big way), but when everything is laid out - it's a stunner.

And it makes sense, too. Unlike some other flicks that have had this sort of labyrinth structure, Nolan's made sure that everything works (same as he did with Memento). It's the sort of film (again, like Memento) that demands a second viewing, just so you can see what sort of hints Nolan dropped along the way.

Following is a superior modern film noir - a neo-noir if you like - which is always engaging, keeping you guessing, right up until the bitter and twisted end. Anybody who enjoyed Nolan's subsequent film Memento, will certainly love Following.

Rating :

* * * & 1/2