Following [HD]

Exceptional DVD
If you're looking at this DVD, odds are it's because you saw "Memento" and wondered about the director, Christopher Nolan. Let's cut to the chase: Yes, "Following" is similar to "Memento" -- its narrative jumps around in a similar way, to start with -- and yes, it's basically just as good a movie. If you're wanting to stumble across a great young film noir director, Christopher Nolan is your guy, and this movie is well worth a look. Make that two or three looks.

I have to say, when I read the DVD case and saw that this plot wasn't told chronologically, the first word that came to mind was "gimmick." For "Memento" it made sense to tell things backward, because of the whole memory-impairment center of the story, but here Nolan was doing it again in an earlier movie? I was set to see a sort of warmup run, especially because this one was made with almost no budget at all.

Okay, so I was wrong. "Following" tells a few...

Smart and Clever (4 1/2 stars)
Christopher Nolan is a very talented director who proves how talented he is with his first "no-budget" movie, "Following." This a dark film noir that will keep you thinking and guessing until the shocking last scene.

Bill is a struggling writer who has been on his own for quite sometime. During that time he has become very bored and needs to find ways to kill time. He starts to follow people... anybody who seemed interesting to him. At first it was supposed to be a way for him to gather material for characters in his stories, but soon he becomes obsessed and cannot stop following people. Once a thief, Cobb, catches Bill in the act, he decides to allow him to enter his world of robbing houses, showing Bill how to really violate the lives of strangers. Soon everything starts to spin out of control and things for Bill will never be the same as he starts to learn that somebody just might be trying to use him as a decoy.... but a decoy for what? This dark film...

Original and Compelling
Christopher Nolan puts Hollywood to shame with this no-budget film. Proving that good scripts, good directors and good actors are the key ingredients that constitute good movies, not swollen budgets, big "stars" or special effects Nolan has created a very compelling film indeed. Although it's a no budget affair, it sure doesn't feel like it. The B&W treatment feels like a natural complement to the gritty story and turns a potential limitation into an asset- it actually has a real artistic visual style. The performances are first rate as well, but what really floats this movie is the terrific script that will draw you in and keep you in suspense right up until the last frame. Then you'll want to see it again immediately. How many movies do you have that reaction to? The non-chronological narrative is dealt with masterfully and gives an already intriguing story a further dimension. An added bonus is Nolan's astute commentary and the alternate angle view of the shooting...

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