Following (1998)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Jeremy Theobald

****1/2

A small part of what makes Christopher Nolan such a great director is his ability to find new ways to entertain his audience with each film he makes. Beside's the obvious narrative structure, Memento is a brilliant murder mystery. Even the Batman films are very individual of each other aside from the characters. There are a lot of similarities in his filmmaking and storytelling however, all of which found their origin in his first film, Following.

The film follows Bill (as he introduces himself). His narration, which is actually an explanation to an unknown character explains his interest in following random strangers, a idea and concept so simple that its both brilliant and amazing that it hasn't really been done. The question is would this concept work as well as it does if not for what Nolan does best. We get inside the mind of Bill. We don't completely understand why he follows people but its not due to lack of exposition, its because Bill isn't completely sure why he does it. All he knows is that he's interested in people, in who they are and where they are going.

The film runs only 70 minutes long so expectedly, its not long after I'm convinced I want to start following people that I'm introduced to the consequences of such an activity. This is where we meet Cobb, well dressed and smart, who confronts Bill looking for answers as to who he is and why he's been following him. A logical question for anyone who's being followed to ask but Cobb has bigger concerns as his duffel bag is full of stolen materials. Its nothing overly valuable, Cobb simply robs people's homes for the thrill and to shake people up. An aspect of what Cobb does is of particular interest to Bill and that's learning who people are on a much deeper level than what one could learn just by following. Photos, personal belongings and clothing are much more telling and thus much more interesting.

Most of this film surrounds Bill trying to make sense of everything that's going on. As good as Nolan is, without the performance of Theobald, we'd not get the truth of what is going on inside Bill's head. The eyes are the gateway to Nolan's most common theme, the mind. His exploration of the mind exists in all his films. Memento studies a character who's mind is debilitated, Insomnia surrounds a character who's mind can't function normally thanks to lack of sleep, The Prestige is just one big mind game disguised as a magic trick and Batman surrounds mind control in both films. Don't even get me started on what's to be the greatest movie ever. His soon to come Inception is also about what goes on in someone's mind.

Something else we've seen before is a Nolan film not moving chronologically. Now and then, we see Bill, clean cut and shaven, unlike we see him early in the film, and even occasionally he's beaten and bruised. Here is where the mystery is introduced. Its introduced so subtley however, that's its almost uninteresting. This is both a flaw and a strength of the film. On one hand, by not divulging too much information we are intriguied enough to move forward with the film but on the other hand, the scenes themselves aren't all as entertaining as the rest of the film. As the scenes come together everything makes sense but on their own, I found them almost too story telling which is very much unlike the rest of the movie which relies on mood and emotion.

Following leaves little to be desired. There is a very powerful ending that made me do a complete 180 on my desire to start following people. If the film says anything on the surface its, dont' follow the wrong person but that's not what this movie is about. Its another, or should I say the first of Nolan's character studies. It could be about the consequences of anything we do or more accurately, our physical capabilities are no match for what our mind can stir up. Made for only six thousand dollars, slightly less than the hundred eighty-five million spent on The Dark Knight but its just as smart. Maybe its not as good but it was certainly a sign of things to come, much like the Batman logo sticker on the door of Bill's apartment.