Following

*** (3 stars) - [in accordance with the new 4 star rating system]

Following (1998)
Genre: Thriller/Crime
69 minutes - R rating
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell

Brief Plot: This odd, claustrophobic film about a seedy young Brit (Jeremy Theobald) who's obsessed with following people -- albeit harmlessly at first -- is a great neo-noir movie that gets even better as the premise unspools. After meeting a like-minded bloke (Alex Haw), the twosome graduate to breaking and entering but meet their match in a tough blonde dame (Lucy Russell). - Netflix.com

Best Audience: A must if you saw and liked Nolans "Memento". If you like mysteries or detective pieces, this might also be a good film to see. Rated R for semi-frequent use of the F-word and for some brief scenes of strong violence (which are tastefully not shown very graphically).

My Review: Following was Christopher Nolan's first big movie, and earned him enough respect to launch a brilliant and successful film career. And despite being his first feature-length movie, Following is none to shabby when compared to his other work. The film is a great neo-noir film, and shot in black and white for the duration of this quick flick (only 69 minutes long but the story feels longer). There are no real star actors in the film, which was actually very nice, and made you focus more on the story. Not to say the acting wasn't completely competent. Nolan is a brilliant director and his characters fit his story like a glove. And what a story! The non-linear narrative form of which Nolan is a master craftsman weaves like a great dettective story, and the ending gives one final twist to make you jump.

I have now viewed all of Christopher Nolans feature length films and though they are very hard to rate, I would rate them in the following order (based on how much I enjoyed each film):
1. The Dark Knight
2. The Prestige
3. Following
4. Batman Begins
5. Memento
6. Insomnia
It really is tough because these are all very good films well-worth viewing. Nolan's success with the Dark Knight should keep him around for a very long time, and I am very excited for him to continue his impressive career in film.