MovieChat Forums > Christopher Nolan Discussion > People only love him because...

People only love him because...

posted 5 years ago by sONOMArEturns (1339)
50 replies | jump to latest

...he made Batman "realistic". If any other director did the same thing, they'd be getting the rabid fanboy praise and not Nolan. Most people don't even seem to care that he made Momento, which is a brilliant work of film. It's just BATMAN BATMAN BATMAN BATMAN for most. A bunch of nerds are finally happy that someone took the comic about a furry in skin-tight spandex who lives in a cave and occasionally beats up a mentally challenged clown seriously. He's not a terrible writer or director by any means, but nobody would be calling him an all-time great if he didn't helm the Batman trilogy. Almost all of his films past Momento are heavily flawed in the writing department It makes no sense that this dude is hailed by the internet as some sort of revolutionary genius when so many of his films are so glaringly flawed.

[–] LeWildPlatypus (772) 5 years ago

A good enough reason to love him I'd wager.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

People love him because he directed several great films.

[–] Burgershmurger (1461) 5 years ago

His Batman sucked. Thanks to Ledger's untimely death, the Dark Knight became an overhyped sensation. The DKR was even worse.

[–] bozo_500 (13397) 5 years ago

With batman he did what movie audiences wanted. Its like he had his finger on pulse of what movie audiences were yearning for .. a realistic hard edged batman like the 90s comics after the silly excess of the last 2 adam west style cartoon movies (maybe 3 if you count burtons german expressionist bat-christmas movie)

[–] AP (5295) 5 years ago

90’s Batman comics were realistic? Are you sure about that?

[–] bozo_500 (13397) 5 years ago

The 90s were all the frank miller stuff no?

[–] AP (5295) 5 years ago

Miller was the 80’s. He was never all that realistic. His best known Batman work takes place in a dystopian future setting and features Superman. It’s darker for sure but calling it realistic doesn’t quite fit.

[–] bozo_500 (13397) 5 years ago

Where am I getting the idea of gritty realistic batman graphic novels from then?

[–] AP (5295) 5 years ago

Gritty Batman graphic novels are plentiful. I’m not sure of too many realistic Batman comics. They might be realistic in comparison to, say, Silver Surfer but Batman regularly takes part in unrealistic adventures. I mean, his main villain is a guy who looks like a clown. Said clown even wore his own severed face which would be impossible.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

He's never made a bad film and the only films he made that were not masterpieces were Insomnia and Dunkirk. I don't know of any other director that has a resume as impressive as Nolan.

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

DUNKIRK IS BETTER THAN THE FIRST AND THIRD BATMAN MOVIES EASILY.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Dunkirk is by far one of his weaker films, all 3 of his Batman movies were masterpieces. His trilogy started out strong and it only got better.

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

KATIE HOLMES AND ANNE HATHAWAY DO NOT APPEAR IN ANY MASTERPIECES...ALL THREE BATMAN MOVIES ARE FUN BUT ULTIMATELY DOWNERS.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

First of all Anne Hathaway was amazing in TDKR, secondly a film can be great and have individual pieces that aren't so great. Example: The Shining is considered to be a horror masterpiece yet Shelly Duvall's performance is not considered to be good.

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

THE SHINING IS LONG AND BORING...YOU CONSIDER IT A MASTERPIECE,NOT EVERYONE...I ENJOY THE NOLAN BATMAN FLICKS...THEY ARE ALL FAR FROM MASTERPIECES THOUGH.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Well again a lot of people considered The Shining to be a masterpiece yet hate Duvall's performance, again a movie can be good yet have bad individual aspects of it. The inverse is also true.

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

YES..A MOVIE CAN BE GOOD WITH BAD INDIVIDUAL ASPECTS...IT CANNOT BE A MASTERPIECE THOUGH...A MASTERPIECE IS PERFECT IN EVERY ASPECT.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

So the film critics who consider it to be one of the greatest horror films of all time are wrong?

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

THEY HAVE AN OPINION...THAT I AND MANY OTHERS DO NOT AGREE WITH.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Fair enough and my opinion is that he's only made two films that weren't masterpieces them being Insomnia and Dunkirk.

[–] peter_t_2k3 (1053) 5 years ago

To be honest if a film is a masterpiece or not is subjective.

I do agree though the trilogy, certainly the first 2 where great films, but more entertaining than anything else.

I also don't think the shinning is as good as most think. It is an okay film but it often gets called the best horror film. I'm not a Kurbick expert as I've not seen many of his films but I seem to remember the consensus being it was his worst film.

My main issue with the film is it actually leaves a lot of the background out that made the book as good as it is

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

WELL SAID.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

I think part of the reason for that might be because Kubrick seems to love ambiguity. Much like the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey there is no clear cut answer for what happened.

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

Huh...she's gotten so many accolades that I never noticed Anne Hathaway has never been in a perfect film...

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

I can’t think of many actors who have been in a ‘perfect’ film. Is there even such a thing?

Brokeback Mountain and Rachel Getting Married are probably her best, but neither is close to perfect.

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

Maybe not, but Casablanca's pretty close. At some point it is subjective, I guess.

But Casablanca's still got to be pretty, pretty, pretty close.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

Yes, Casablanca is one I wouldn’t argue with. :)

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Casablanca is really good, I wouldn't call it perfect though.

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

I can't really answer "what's your favourite movie", because by the time you factor in genre alone, there are too many variables. It's apples and oranges.

But if I'm really, really pressed, I will go to Casablanca, which has humour, heart, elements of thriller, it's quotable, every performance is riveting, the film itself is pretty insightful into humanity, and it's got a great message (or two or three) at the heart of it. Plus, if Hollywood is your thing, it's even got a bundle of "star power" with the Bogart (and Bergman, Lorre, Raines, Greenstreet, et al.) touch.

Heck, it's even got a great Old Hollywood song break with a classic tune...!

[–] degree7 (821) 5 years ago

Nolan's only good movie is Memento

[–] sONOMArEturns (1339) 5 years ago

Uh, I mean, if you say so. Dunkirk was one of his better films for sure. I don't think Nolan is a bad director, and I think he's made several great films (Momento, The Dark Knight, Dunkirk) but he's overrated as hell. Insomnia, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar are flawed as all hell and I fail to see how anybody could call them masterpieces.

"I don't know of any other director that has a resume as impressive as Nolan." That's a shame, because too many directors to count have had just as good, if not better, resumes than Nolan.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Uh no Dunkirk is definitely his weakest film. Insomnia is OK I just wasn't buying Robin Williams as a psycho killer, but TDKR and Interstellar are masterpieces and are his best films. Nolan is definitely one of the greatest directors of all time.

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

I think he's a solid filmmaker who's done some good work. I liked his first two Batmans, The Prestige, Memento, Inception, and Following. I didn't dig Interstellar or TDKR.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Interstellar and TDKR are his best films.

[–] LiquidOcelot (2454) 5 years ago

Learn what an opinion is you jackass.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

I found Interstellar atrocious. His other films are all at least watchable, some of them even quite good, but nothing that rocks my world.

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

I loved the cleverness of Memento and its unique storytelling. Inception was pretty great (though I didn't like the ending) and creative, too.

Have you seen Following? I found it was understated, but kinda powerful because of that.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

Memento and Inception were among my favourites of his, inventive and engaging (I’m not sure I’d call Memento’s storytelling unique, it wasn’t the first film told in this way, but I did like it). I don’t think I would watch them a second time, though.

I haven’t actually seen Following... have always meant to check it out one day.

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

I'd recommend Following; it's groovy.

What was the first backwards film? I've never looked that up.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

Betrayal (1983) was entirely told backwards. Various other films have used this technique for at least part of their narrative, going back at least as far as The Three Sided Mirror (1927).

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

I'm assuming Betrayal was an adaptation of the Pinter play? If so, we could probably add "The Betrayal", the Seinfeld episode (and parody/reference to Pinter's work), to the list.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

You are correct - and I had forgotten about the Seinfeld episode, I really need to watch that again now!

[–] Ace_Spade (9659) 5 years ago

When I first heard about it (before seeing it) it was told to me, "Uh...it's weird." When I watched it, I thought it was a great concept, but I didn't really dig it. On repeat viewings, it is SO REWARDING and makes it one of the better episodes (in a series jam-packed with brilliant material).

It would be years before I would find out the name of the episode "The Betrayal" and make the connection to Pinter's play. I was pretty embarrassed I didn't pick up on it before, actually.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Interstellar was a great film and the twist at the end was so well done. For me it's ranked 9th of all time.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

...while for me it’s the fifth or sixth worst film of 2014, but it’s good that such divisive movies exist.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

Easily the best movie of 2014 for me but like TDKR I have found that most people who don't like it don't fully understand it, but to each his own. Some people like myself like deep thought provoking films while others are more happy with films like Disaster Movie and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. You do you.

[–] rudeboymurray (3291) 5 years ago

Er... no, I am very much in the ‘thought-provoking’ films camp. Doesn’t mean I can’t find a film like Interstellar dreary and pompous. I managed to stay awake and understand what was going on, I just didn’t like it.

I really liked The Dark Knight Rises, as it happens. Superhero movies are really not my cup of tea but I found this one, while obviously flawed, genuinely audacious and thrilling.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

I didn't think it was dreary or pompous at all, I found it engaging, thought provoking and emotional. TDKR is a great film I totally agree and aside from some very mild continuity errors like random LOS henchman #4 putting the tablet into his bag twice it's a relatively flawless film.

[–] samoanjoes (58629) 5 years ago

I've loved him since he made Memento so there goes your theory.

[–] Kowalski (79158) 5 years ago

THATS RIGHT,MEMENTO...I ALMOST FORGOT...^^^ HE NAILED IT.