16 Days of Birthday, Day 1: My Undying Love for Christopher Nolan

What's this '16 Days of Birthday' business? Well well, seeing as this time in 16 days, I'll officially be 16 whole years old (or as we all like to call it, 'legal'), I thought that I might celebrate. Because, after all, I've been waiting to be 16 since bloody ages ago. Why? When I'm 16, I'll be able to get out R16 movies. But how will I be celebrating, especially on the blog? By giving you a special post each day for the next 16 days, ending the marathon on my birthday. Each day I'll pick something new to talk about. This new topic will be something cool that I've found in my love for movies...consider this like my premature autobiography. So, who's ready for 16 days of rambling? Come on, don't all rush in at once!

Today's topic is that of my main man, Christopher Nolan. As some of you may or may not know, I quite like the man and his work. 'Obsessed' would have been a more apt term to describe my admiration for him this time last year, with the release of Inception and all. This year, I've toned down my love for him quite a bit, but I still enjoy the occasional rewatch. No, I'm not one of the obsessors who feels the need to post about every little piece of news that comes out of The Dark Knight Rises. Even I admit, apart from the recent Ane Hathaway and Tom Hardy set pics and, I suppose, the slightly disappointing trailer, I roll my eyes at just about every little detail that is surfaced on the web. It will only be when I see Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard on set, plus a better trailer that I will actually start shitting bricks over it.

Alas, I do quite enjoy the films he has made that have been released. So much so that three of his films are in my top 5 (though there has been a bit of shuffling around since I did my last list, so I wouldn't know where his films stand now), which a lot of you seemed to frown upon. I'm sorry that I'm a simple girl with simple taste, and I guess I am 'brainwashed' into liking Nolan films.

Let's take The Dark Knight, for example. I saw this in the cinemas with my friend mainly because I loved Heath Ledger dearly and this was his final completed film. It actually took me just about two years after watching this to watch Batman Begins. But even with my zero interest in Batman or anything like that, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Dark Knight. This is probably because I thought all superhero movies were meant to be as cheesy as anything, looked cheap and were pretty much brainless. The Dark Knight, however, was the complete opposite to my pre-conceived thoughts. There were times in that first screening when I was completely lost in the screen, forgetting that I was in a cinema, and even better yet, I forgot that it classified as a superhero movie.

Another thing I remember about The Dark Knight was how well-received it was as soon as it opened. I remember seeing it shoot straight up to number one on IMDb's Top 250...a move which puzzled me and still puzzles me to this day, but I'm still proud of what it achieved in such a short time. Especially seeing as it was a sequel. I think it improved so much on the first, which came down to many things: everything getting a shade darker, Maggie Gyllenhaal arriving on the scene, one of the best performances ever by Heath Ledger...it really changed things, as you've noticed a whole lot of superhero movies trying to be dark and moody, but ultimately failing to do what Christopher Nolan achieved.

One thing that never fails to piss me off, though, is how this film was forgotten over the more 'Oscar-bait' movies. Yes, there were some good movies made in 2008. But the Academy made all sorts of stuff ups everywhere. The Dark Knight was nominated for many technical awards, winning one for Sound Editing. Heath Ledger was justly given a posthumous Oscar for his amazing performance. However, the movie was missing from the Best Picture, Director and Screenplay races. Had the Best Pic race been opened up to 10 back then, TDK would have got in. But I'm sure people have already forgotten about the likes of Frost/Nixon and The Reader. TDK lives on, in it's small way, influencing other superhero movies and giving people the smart movie they need. I just need to think of the closing speech and I get goosebumps.

Oh well, there's just something about Chris Nolan and the Oscars. I was at the head of the hate crew when he got snubbed this year for his work with Inception. I was also at the head of the hate crew when his screenplay, which was pretty much the definition of 'original' didn't get picked and The King's Speech, with it's 'original' screenplay did. Anyway, those wounds have healed, and I've moved on. Especially since some great directors never won an Oscar in their lives...even though everyone knew they were the best.

I don't really know why I love Chris Nolan so much. I just find his movies something...special. Following was a marvel, considering it was made for $6000 and was still completely awesome. Memento, probably my favourite movie of all time, always feels new every time I watch it...it's like I've lost my memory, just like Leonard. That is truly Nolan's masterpiece. Insomnia, though a remake and not written by Nolan, had a very insomniac kinda feel to it. Batman Begins began the new way superhero movies were supposed to be, kick-ass while still being intelligent. The Prestige is exactly like a magic trick: once you know the outcome, everything becomes blindingly obvious (seriously, that movie is trippy). The Dark Knight...well, we've already talked about that. Inception, of course, is exactly like a dream. Finally, someone has come along and injected his original ideas into a dying Hollywood. He's playing the game that the likes of Michael Bay is playing, but he's doing it so much better.

2012, The Dark Knight Rises will be hitting cinemas. Can Nolan really cap off such an epic trilogy with style and make it be as good as the other two? Who knows. But I've got to say, I completely trust Nolan. He's a guy who doesn't think the sun shines out of his ass, who doesn't seem to think much of his immense talent, who has a profound knowledge of cinema, who knows his limits, and who is just an amazing bloke. Is that why I love him? Probably.

So, have you got any film-making idols you just think are all-out amazing? Do tell!