AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS CHRISTOPHER NOLAN IS A GENIUS?

Started by Xeditor, January 18, 2003, 12:34:03 PM

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Xeditor

The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.

Duck Sauce

I was less than impressed with Insomnia. It was average. I really liked following. The more and more I think about it, the less spectacular Memento is to me. At first it was mind blowing, but now I am realizing that it was a little gimicky in its narative, but still a great movie. Very cool. I think its too early for me to pass judgment on Christopher Nolan, you think he is a genius in what sense? Writing or directing? I have only seen 2 films he wrote.

Xeditor

Well writing really.  To make that script without forgeting things and never leaving things unanswered.  Its true that the more i see it, the less impressed i am. But, i believe it is the first impression of an audience that really counts.  A movie could be great the first time you watch it, but upon closer inspection, have many flaws.  That's just my opinion anyways.  I think Nolan should def be on this board as a topic.
The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.

Duck Sauce

Wait, didnt his brother write Memento, and since it had not been published yet, it was considered an original screen play?

sphinx

Quote from: Duck SauceWait, didnt his brother write Memento, and since it had not been published yet, it was considered an original screen play?

his brother wrote the short story, which chris then adapted into a screenplay.  you're right on the original screenplay fact, though.

Xeditor

I know that his brother wrote the story.  However, i dont belive it was his brother who wrote it backwards.  That was Nolan's work.  He did it so that the audience could feel what Lenny was feeling (being thrown into a situtation w/o knowing what has just happend or why)
The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.

Gold Trumpet

From watching Memento and Insomnia, he is just good at what he does. I didn't even like Memento on first viewing at all because it was so gimmicky and nothing more and my feelings for it decrease even more after time. Insomnia is good but never really tries to distinguish itself from the original so I wondered what the point was to even make it. Also, its never the first impression that is most important when looking at a film, for me, it is actually the contrary because the idea of first impression relates to the things you see on the surface more than anything else. When a movie is deeper analyzed, the better it holds up or actually starts to grow deeper in meaning is when it becomes a great film because the ratio of time when a movie has seen its first year of release and all the years after it is basically stacked as the latter having an endless amount over the first so it really makes no sense that the importance of a film can be for first impression.

~rougerum

Bud_Clay

Does a remake EVER try to distinguish itself from the original?...that's what i find as being so pointless about remakes..I agree that "Following" and "Memento" are terrifically wonderful films and they did infact give me a lot of enthusiasm for Christopher Nolan, as a director...i have, however, set him aside with the other sell outs like Bryan Singer and Ridley Scott....it's an endless list and a mind-boggling thing with these sell outs....and it's a crying shame when a director, like Nolan, does it so early on in his career by remaking an original film simply because America is illiterate enough for such a thing. Remakes are dumb and pointless..shame on anyone who does it.

Duck Sauce

I wouldnt call him a sell out, unless you know his circumstances, but the original Insomnia is much better than Nolans, but still, I didnt think it was a strong enough film to warrant a remake.

RegularKarate

So many people are so quick to use the term "sell-out", I don't think anyone really has any idea what it means any more.

Bud_Clay

well i'll explain to you my use of the term & then maybe you can tell me if i'm wrong.....i'm calling christopher nolan a sell out in how i feel he once had great ambition in being an artist..& then money was waved around in his face and he "sold out to hollywood"...i think there's a fine line between art & entertaiment..Hollywood produces entertainment....another thing to consider is stardom...maybe Nolan latched onto, not only money, but the stardom he'd feel in making "insomnia"...i dont kno why they do it...why did ridley make "gladiator" and "blackhawk down"?...i thought those were god awful movies and non other than patriotic american pleasers. (No, just because a movie is set in another country in a different time does not mean it is uneligible to be an american patriotic pleaser)...and it seems without such things tempting Nolan he would never do such a film or even consider to remake a movie that there is no other purpose to remake, other than "americans dont read subtitles." this is where i come up with the term "sell out"..

RegularKarate

Quote from: Bill Maplewoodwell i'll explain to you my use of the term & then maybe you can tell me if i'm wrong.....i'm calling christopher nolan a sell out in how i feel he once had great ambition in being an artist..& then money was waved around in his face and he "sold out to hollywood"...i think there's a fine line between art & entertaiment..Hollywood produces entertainment....another thing to consider is stardom...maybe Nolan latched onto, not only money, but the stardom he'd feel in making "insomnia"...i dont kno why they do it...why did ridley make "gladiator" and "blackhawk down"?...i thought those were god awful movies and non other than patriotic american pleasers. (No, just because a movie is set in another country in a different time does not mean it is uneligible to be an american patriotic pleaser)...and it seems without such things tempting Nolan he would never do such a film or even consider to remake a movie that there is no other purpose to remake, other than "americans dont read subtitles." this is where i come up with the term "sell out"..

Selling out is when you sell what you believe in for money.  Now, if Nolan had said "I will never make a remake, I don't believe in them" then when offered enough money, did it anyway, that would be like selling out.

In this case, he took a job.  That's what directors do when they're starting out.  They take jobs so they can get established enough so they can do more of what they want to do.

People like Soderbergh and Guermo Del Toro make mainstream films so they can be able to do more projects that they feel closer to.  Is that selling out?  Probably not.

Fincher made Alien 3.  That movie sucked... but he made it so he could be that much closer to making films he wanted to make.

My point is that people assume that just because directors are paid for making films that when they don't turn out well, they were doing it just for the money and are obviously sell outs.  It's just an extremely over used term.

Bud_Clay

Quote from: RegularKarateSelling out is when you sell what you believe in for money.  Now, if Nolan had said "I will never make a remake, I don't believe in them" then when offered enough money, did it anyway, that would be like selling out.

i would think that as being a hypocrite rather than a sell out.

Quote from: RegularKarateIn this case, he took a job.  That's what directors do when they're starting out.  They take jobs so they can get established enough so they can do more of what they want to do.

People like Soderbergh and Guermo Del Toro make mainstream films so they can be able to do more projects that they feel closer to.  Is that selling out?  Probably not.

Fincher made Alien 3.  That movie sucked... but he made it so he could be that much closer to making films he wanted to make.

My point is that people assume that just because directors are paid for making films that when they don't turn out well, they were doing it just for the money and are obviously sell outs.  It's just an extremely over used term.

I understand what you are saying and I have a term for it...it's called "prostituting yourself"...there's nothing wrong with it...hell, even Kubrick did it-however, he only did it for ONE film....what is Ridley Scott doing?!...he has already established himself as a director and is now busy doing patriotic pleasers....i think it's fine to prostitute for one film, but after a while it makes you lose hope in the director..

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: Bill Maplewood"prostituting yourself"...there's nothing wrong with it...hell, even Kubrick did it-however, he only did it for ONE film

I doubt Kubrick had the intention of prostituting himself. Spartacus was just a mistake, and he had too much faith in Kirk Douglas, and was tied down for that movie.

RegularKarate

Quote from: Bill Maplewood

I understand what you are saying and I have a term for it...it's called "prostituting yourself"...there's nothing wrong with it...hell, even Kubrick did it-however, he only did it for ONE film....what is Ridley Scott doing?!...he has already established himself as a director and is now busy doing patriotic pleasers....i think it's fine to prostitute for one film, but after a while it makes you lose hope in the director..

Well, I liked neither Gladiator nor BHD, but I really think Ridley Scott LIKES those films.  I don't think he's really trying to make patriotic fare to attract american attention, I think he just likes that shit.

I get at what you mean by "prostituting yourself", but it's a little harsh.  Seriously, where do you work?  By your terms, you're prostituting yourself for them.