The Prestige
dir. Christopher Nolan (2006)
A dark and cleverly constructed film, more ‘inspired by’ than ‘based on’ Christopher Priest’s novel (and better seen without reference to it). Backed by top-notch acting and cinematography, director Christopher Nolan marshals a complex, fast-paced mix of mystery, drama, tragedy and obsession.
The Dark Knight
dir. Christopher Nolan (2008)
Too much guttural Batman, not enough Bruce Wayne. Heath Ledger’s virtuoso Joker raises the stakes for a mould-breaking dénouement: the recasting of Batman as villain; yet, with the Joker a more obvious scapegoat for Two-Face’s crimes, this carefully structured transformation lacks credibility.
Batman Begins
dir. Christopher Nolan (2005)
Batman Begins gave Gotham City its first ever truly serious treatment. By spurning CGI in favour of real (and far more gripping) action scenes, by casting quality actors and bringing top-drawer cinematography to an intelligent script, Nolan made Batman better than ever.
Memento
dir. Christopher Nolan (2000)
Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough film is a masterpiece of independent cinema, challenging viewers to follow a murder mystery backwards from crime to cause. Guy Pearce captures the forlorn determination (and occasional humour) of a man with no short-term memory piecing the clues together.