The arrival of ‘Tenet’ forces us to review in one way or another the filmography of Christopher Nolan, the brilliant mind behind the sci-fi thriller. In Espinof we want to join the debate and then you will find all the films of the director and screenwriter ordered from worst to best, according to my personal criteria. Do not take it as an irrefutable statement but an excuse to open a reflection on Nolan’s cinema.
‘Tenet’ (2020)
A major disappointment that starts from a very juicy idea and then offers a show with an impressive scene but empty in the human. Its poor main characters weigh like a slab, as they should serve as an entry point and support for a universe. occasionally fascinating but that practically never manages to live up to the bombast it seeks.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Following’ (1998)
The first film de Nolan already reveals the great thematic constant of his early works and offers a direct and concise approach to his peculiar starting point. However, it ends up being a somewhat irregular proposal in which to a certain extent it focuses on experimenting, so it is not very interested in developing the story and ends up thinking about it a bit.
Criticism in Espinof
‘The Dark Knight: The Legend Rises’ (‘The Dark Knight Rises’, 2012)
The least inspired delivery from Nolan’s Batman trilogy. I remember that the first time I saw her I was quite satisfied, especially with everything that happens until the first confrontation with the fearsome Bane played by Tom Hardy. With the passage of time -and some revisioned- I have been falling little by little. It does not lack the impressive scenes and is boring at all, but it is unbalanced and gives the feeling that the filmmaker already wanted to turn the page and leave the DC superhero behind.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Insomnia’ (‘Insomnia’, 2002)
Remake of a Norwegian film with which Nolan had to prove that he was a director to be reckoned with in Hollywood for more ambitious productions. On the subject matter, it does fit wonderfully with his work, but he is somewhat more timid, bringing out his talent on rare occasions and being the great lead duo formed by Al Pacino and Robin Williams the best of the show by far. In spite of everything, it could have been a thriller of the heap and at the moment of the truth it has a worked atmosphere that helps one to pass through some of its weaknesses.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Origin’ (‘Inception’, 2010)
It is probably one of the favorite blockbusters of the freaks with pretenses – who are only a small part of the followers of this shocking film – but that does not mean that it is a great show in which Nolan took full advantage of his freedom to make such a film without being part of a franchise or adapting something of proven success. It is true that perhaps he explained something too much – and still many did not understand it – and that the filmmaker recreates himself more than necessary in some aspects, but also that in his own way it was the closing of his stage, more, so to speak, pessimistic and that still works like a shot today.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Interstellar’ (2014)
If there is one thing that can be accused of several Nolan films, it is of their limited humanity. His ideas are so ambitious and out of the ordinary that he sometimes forgets the need for audiences to connect with what happens beyond the impressive finish of his films. This is perhaps where he best integrates that on his more cerebral side, especially in a final section that is key to knowing to what extent it seems like a great movie or something somewhat absurd.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
A cool reboot for a franchise that needed a major boost after the ‘Batman & Robin’ fiasco. It is also the film of the trilogy in which we have a more measured Nolan to satisfy Warner’s interests and in which Batman’s role as a superhero is more marked, although it is also noted that he is not interested in this. especially. Its great cast and a perfectly tied script serve both to show us the genesis of Gotham’s vigilante and to see him at full capacity.
Criticism in Espinof
‘The Dark Knight’ (‘The Dark Knight’, 2008)
Many consider it the best superhero movie of all time. I love it but I am not so clear that a film so marked by the presence of the superlative Joker played by Heath Ledger that one sometimes misses that the vigilante of Gotham I have a greater presence. That does not mean that it is an impressive show in which Nolan printed all his obsessions to the delight of millions of viewers throughout the planet.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Dunkerque’ (‘Dunkirk’, 2017)
Pure intensity, undoubtedly Nolan’s film in which the dialogues have less importance and it is through the use of images and sounds – I do not forget the magnificent soundtrack by Hans Zimmer – that he immerses us in a key moment of World War II. In it he manages to combine the need to catch us from the first moment and never let go until the end with the fact of giving us a bad time in order to put ourselves in the situation of the characters. That leads to no one in the cast standing out in their own light, but in return they all score at a high and constant level.
Criticism in Espinof
‘Memento’ (2000)
For many – including most of his detractors – Nolan’s best film and he has no shortage of arguments to aspire to that honor. In it we already see the love of its author towards the characters who take their obsession to such an extreme that they often flirt or fall completely into self-destruction. All this with a skillful narrative that flawlessly presents the memory disorder suffered by the protagonist played by Guy Pearce. An excellent movie which was the true letter of introduction of the filmmaker in Hollywood.
Criticism in Espinof
‘The final trick (The Prestige)’ (‘The Prestige’, 2006)
The only Nolan movie that I like more every time I watch itAnd that already the first time I was very satisfied with it despite all the controversy that surrounds both its end and the treatment of its female characters, a recurring problem in his work and that I am clear that began to be pointed out here.
The point is that the fierce rivalry between the characters played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman never ceases to fascinate me, it has a model structure and a powerful visual finish that causes me to end up mesmerized. And to that we must add the impressive magnetism that David Bowie gives off as Tesla.
Criticism in Espinof