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Special Features
- Second Angles with Director's Shooting Script
- Ability to Restructure the Story Chronologically
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Customer Reviews
I have to say, when I read the DVD case and saw that this plot wasn't told chronologically, the first word that came to mind was "gimmick." For "Memento" it made sense to tell things backward, because of the whole memory-impairment center of the story, but here Nolan was doing it again in an earlier movie? I was set to see a sort of warmup run, especially because this one was made with almost no budget at all.
Okay, so I was wrong. "Following" tells a few different lines of the story at once, but it doesn't tell them in reverse; here the idea is that the story's framework is a conversation between our main character and another man who's interviewing him in the opening moments. In the (dryly funny) director commentary, Nolan says he's trying to provide the viewer with details and themes in a "conversational" way. Maybe that's a conceit, but dang it, the mixed up storyline worked on this one too.
Two other common points of the two movies: they're built on incredibly spare, lean writing, and they really, really reward watching at least twice.
Following, if anything, is even more minimalistic than Memento; it's literally true that you come out of the movie not knowing any of the characters' real names. Given the premise -- that the main character develops an inappropriate, fascinated interest in the intimate lives of anonymous people he sees in a crowd -- the doubt you feel even about the characters' names makes perfect sense. A bunch of other little touches on that theme really hit home with me -- boxes full of memorabilia that are (or maybe aren't) giving our protagonist a look at people's internal lives, and so on. Gradually you realize the story's so sparely told because we're like the main character, trying to figure people out by looking at the pieces of their story from a distance in a crowd.
And man, does Following reward a second watching. You'll get through it once and you'll kick it around for a while, work out the stuff you missed, tell your friends what you noticed... and then you all want to hit Play again. Every scene plays a little differently the second, or third, time through. That's exactly the sort of movie you want to collect, right?
If you are a collector sort, you'll like the few extras this one provides. For a "no budget" indie film, it really "gets" the DVD thing. There's an alternate camera angle with the modified script, so you can play through and watch where Nolan and company made changes along the way. Some of the changes are pretty funny; the sound guy's name got substituted for one of the character names. Nolan's commentary soundtrack is really worth hearing, too, especially because he made this with no money at all. He talks about how he established continuity for the viewer with little visual cues, throws off very funny little asides about how he cut corners, and stuff like that. Finally, you also get a "chronological" option, so you can see everything in order. It's all set in a nicely elegant set of menus that match the sleak tone of the movie.
So, yeah, it's worth it. Following is extremely memorable. It's not a perfect movie, or anything -- I'd still say either The Third Man or The Big Sleep is my favorite film noir -- but give it four stars and change, for doing so much on a shoestring.
You gotta wonder what Christopher Nolan can do to back this up. He's going to have more money in hand, and the fractured story thing might not last another movie. Hearing the director commentary on this disc, I don't think he's going to necessarily be limited to the cynical point of view these two movies have seemed to push. The guy has a real eye for character, for the way people head in unlikely directions... This could be an amazing career we're seeing start up, or then again maybe these are just a little too cynical to start with.
Bill is a struggling writer who has been on his own for quite sometime. During that time he has become very bored and needs to find ways to kill time. He starts to follow people... anybody who seemed interesting to him. At first it was supposed to be a way for him to gather material for characters in his stories, but soon he becomes obsessed and cannot stop following people. Once a thief, Cobb, catches Bill in the act, he decides to allow him to enter his world of robbing houses, showing Bill how to really violate the lives of strangers. Soon everything starts to spin out of control and things for Bill will never be the same as he starts to learn that somebody just might be trying to use him as a decoy.... but a decoy for what? This dark film noir will keep you watching and thinking, even when it's all said and done. Then, you're going to want to watch it again.
Very much like "Memento," Nolan screws around with time, forcing us to remember exactly what has happened and the order they occurred in. However, the movie is not backwards, it is very much out of order in parts, so pay attention to every little detail that you come across. Is this film confusing? Yes, it is, or at least the first time you see it. This is a movie that will require you to watch it at least two times. Although I thought this was a good movie, I was a little disappointed with the length of the movie. It is only 70 minutes long, which isn't very long at all. It's also not widescreen, but I'm sure that' s because it wasn't filmed that way. It is black and white, very much like "Clerks," but it actually makes the film seem more darker and eerier. The movie does have great acting, from people you've never even heard of most likely, and it does have a great story line. It tends to be confusing at times, even frustrating. So see it with an open mind. I loved the music in it and you will be glad to know that it is the same person Nolan used for "Memento." There are a few extras on the DVD; one of the best features is the ability for you to see the movie in chronological order. There are also trailers for "Following" and "Memento." ("Memento" is probably one of the best theatrical trailers I have ever seen. "Following" is also a fine trailer.)
"Following" is a fine first from Nolan, who has proven that he is a brilliant writer and director who loves to make us do a lot of work when watching his films. If you liked "Memento," chances are you will enjoy this film as well. A brilliant movie, and one that shows you that you do not need a big budget to make a great movie. See this one as soon as you can.
I saw this film accidentally because I grabbed the box too hastily from the video store, but boy am I glad I did!
Highly recommended.
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