Following
I finally watched Christopher Nolan’s first film, “Following,” and I was definitely not sure what to expect. I take that as a good thing; it means that in the ten years since Nolan hit the scene with his brilliant “Memento,” he is still finding ways to surprise me.
Having said that, “Following” follows a lot of the same ideas of his later films, albeit on a much lower-budget scale (the film is in grainy black-and-white, shot by Nolan himself in 16mm, and a brisk 70 minutes long). It finds a unique, narrative way into the world of film noir; it is far more interested in the mental aspects of its characters than the mechanics of plot; and the style always feels like an extension of the story rather than overshadowing it.
Compare to Nolan’s later films, the plot is rather simple: our main character, who is unnamed (and played by Jeremy Theobald), is an aspiring writer who likes to follow people. No, he’s not a serial killer or anything. He just follows, curious about the lives people live, but when he finds out where they live, he stops. One day, our protagonist is confronted by one of the people he follows, a thief named Cobb (Alex Haw), who is equally fascinated by our main character. They begin to work together, during which time the main character begins to date one of the women he has followed (a blonde played by Lucy Russell), who has gotten involved with criminals herself.
Once again, Christopher Nolan proves himself a master of mood and bold imagination in telling a story of criminal behavior. Of course, I supposed I should say “from the start,” but since this is only the most recent film of Nolan’s I’ve watched, the use of the original phrase stands. As with all of Nolan’s films, the final moments lay bare the story’s truths, and it’s deepest revelations, and honestly, I thought it was one of his most ingenious twists alongside “Memento,” which also told a story of a loner used by those around him to cover up unspeakable acts. Aided by a superb musical score by David Julyan (who also scored “Memento,” “Insomnia,” and “The Prestige”), Christopher Nolan reiterated to me, with his first film, why he’s one of the best storytellers in the business which, after the disappointments I felt after his last film, were quite welcome indeed.
