Christopher Nolan Movies Ranked

I’m adding a new feature on my blog in which I rank directors’ movies.  It’s an opportunity to complement my Favorite Movies by Year while filling in some holes.  There are a few little stipulations:

-I’m of course limiting this to movies I have seen

-I think the minimum will be four movies per director

-Some of the movies will have the directorial duties outsourced to someone else.  If I am led to believe that a filmmaker was the primary creative force behind a movie, I will include it on his list.

I’ll be starting with Christopher Nolan, one of the best directors working today.  Not only is he a skilled storyteller who can weave complex themes into still-thrilling storylines, he’s an excellent visual artist.  In an age when all movies look the same, Nolan’s films are refreshingly distinctive in appearance, partially due to his insistence on practical effects whenever possible.  He's equally adept at neo-noir mysteries and genre blockbusters.  My only complaint is that female characters are usually not represented as strongly in his work.  He has a great record, and the only two movies of his I don’t like still get 5/10 ratings from me.  The bad news is those are his last two movies.  Still, I have high hopes for Dunkirk.      

10. The Dark Knight Rises

2012

**********

A huge disappointment considering how great the previous two movies were.  While the cinematography was great, the story left a lot to be desired, and Bane was poorly handled in the adaptation.  While the other two movies did a great job reimagining Batman in a unique way without sacrificing the spirit of the franchise, this one missed the point and was practically a Batman movie in name only.  I would have liked it if it were simply titled Christopher Nolan Action Movie #4.  Still, it has some pretty cheesy moments to boot.  I love how Batman’s bad leg and back are brushed off and forgotten about halfway through the movie.  That’s how you handle vulnerability.  Now I know how Boomers/Gen-Xers felt when they saw Return of the Jedi.

9. Interstellar

2014

**********

While it started out strong, it eventually succumbed to clichés, stilted dialogue, irrational character actions (like losing 20 years on Planet Time Warp because they didn’t feel like traveling a couple weeks to the farther planet) and a tedious third act.  Still, while Nolan’s writing isn’t as fresh as it used to be, this and Dark Knight Rises demonstrate that he can still direct the hell out of a movie.  The practical effects are fantastic and refreshing, and the parts that are supposed to be thrilling are thrilling.  I also like pipe organs.  The call to action on space exploration is a good message.  It also refreshingly depicts Matt Damon as a backstabbing coward who gets his comeuppance.  Too bad it’s this movie which has the strongest female role I’ve seen a Nolan movie.

 

7. Doodlebug

1997

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A short, sweet little film with a darkly surreal/humorous twist.

8. Insomnia

2002

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While being mostly faithful to the plot of the 1997 Norwegian original, it’s different enough in its interpretation that comparison is difficult.  It’s a little more dramatic and convoluted than the cold, simple original, but there are a couple improvements.  One is that the protagonist is not a creepy ephebophile, which is something that did not add anything to the original.  I also thought that Robin Williams’ villain was more interesting and charismatic than original’s version.

 

6. The Prestige

2006

**********

Great style and a mysterious plot.  I particularly liked the tense rivalry between Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman’s characters. An additional plus was the presence of David Bowie as Nikola Tesla.  Scarlett Johansson’s character, however, was mostly an object of affection.

 

5. Batman Begins

2005

**********

A triumphant and stylish reboot that proved that Batman is relevant as ever.  Does a good job faithfully interpreting the character in a uniquely down-to-earth fashion.  Great score, too.

4. Following

1998

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A great neo-noir mystery that with an effective non-linear plot that will leave you guessing until the clever twist. 

3. Memento

2000

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Nolan’s first mainstream hit cleverly uses a backwards story to build up to a big twist.  Original and entertaining.

2. Inception

2010

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A truly engaging and cerebral thrill ride that reminded me of why I love movies in the first place.  Nolan effectively uses dream logic to show off the strengths of his style.  Another great score from Hans Zimmer, as well.

1. The Dark Knight

2008

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Nolan deserves credit for reimagining Batman in a thrilling, gritty, realistic universe and making it work while adding cerebral themes about human nature.  It has one of the best villains in movie history.  2007 was a frustrating year because I had to listen to people talk about how awesome "Transformers" and 300 were, so I found it refreshing that this time around all the hype was given to a movie that actually deserved it.

Improvement Graph 

Averate Rating: 7.7

[Note: I was kinda sleepy when I posted this, so it might have some typos]