Following (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Are you a fan of Christopher Nolan? His impressive filmography includes Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises. But his first feature was Following, and I imagine that there are plenty of Nolan fans who haven't got around to seeing it. My first viewing was just a few months ago, shortly after the Criterion Blu-ray release.Why do I want to review it?Well, one reason is that I wanted to talk about the first first film made by one of the best directors working today. Another incentive was the presence of actual ideas. Following is unpredictable, and does not use proven formulas. It works because it is genuinely interesting and compelling.You have probably never heard of the actors involved. The two principals haven't had much of a career since, but I enjoyed their performances. The film is full of mysteries and revelations, so I am not going to talk about everything that happens. Instead, I'll limit most of my comments to things we learn in the opening 10 minutes.The film grabbed my attention after two minutes during the opening narration by Bill (Jeremy Theobald), who is the main character. He tells us that he's unemployed, and frequently bored and lonely. In order to combat his boredom, he decides to start following people at random. In his own mind, he's an aspiring writer, although he probably views himself that way to justify his miserable existence. He's interested in people and what motivates them. When he's following someone, he has a certain set of rules, such as not pursuing women along dark alleys at night. He's a keen observer, but not a predator of any kind. He follows people of any gender, watches what they do, and then leaves.Bill's problems begin when he breaks one of his biggest rules, and decides to follow the same person more than once. The man calls himself Cobb (Alex Haw), and after noticing that he's being followed, he confronts Bill and questions him. Cobb dresses, acts, and sounds like a successful man, which is in total contrast to Bill's scruffy appearance and less formal way of speaking.Minor spoiler coming:Cobb allows Bill to look inside the bag he's carrying, and Bill realizes that it's full of goods that are presumably stolen. The two form a kind of partnership, and start to do burglaries together.I'm not going to reveal any more specific information, but I want to talk generally about the plot structure, and the overall feel of the film. The plot is fragmented, jumping around in time. If you have seen Memento, you'll recognize the style immediately. Bill's appearance changes, and is always a clue as to the timeline. As he's a writer, there's also a strong possibility that some of the events are things that he is imagining for a future story.Another key element is the music. It reminds me a little of Angelo Badalementi's work, and it wouldn't be too out of place in a David Lynch film. The film was shot in black and white with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, so be prepared for that. Following was originally shot using 16 mm film, giving the piece a raw feel which suits the story, but the Criterion presentation is superb. The Blu-ray also includes the option to use an updated 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, as well as the original mono. Like the Memento DVD, the special features offer the chance to see events in chronological order.After viewing the film a second time, I noticed that events had a different meaning because I was in full possession of the facts. Seemingly random encounters have more meaning because some of the people are recognizable. You'll probably ask yourself a lot of questions the first time you watch the events unfold. How does the character know that? Why is he doing that? Why is she acting that way? All of those questions will be answered by the end of the film, so trust that Nolan knows what he is doing and enjoy the ride. The revelations in the final 20 minutes will make you question everything you've seen up to that point, and then smile as you understand the logic.Following cost around $6,000 to make, and grossed just $43,000, but Nolan hasn't made a weak film yet and this deserves to be seen. Although it runs for just 69 minutes, it feels as though it's crammed with ideas. The acting, story, dialogue and music blend together well, and Following is something that you'll probably want to see many times if you appreciate Nolan's style. Buy the Criterion and check it out for yourself.Overall score 4.5/5

I bought a DVD copy of this film earlier this year. It was a hard to find item and I'm a huge Chris Nolan fan, so I searched high and low for a used copy. The one I got was okay quality. It appears that it was simply transferred over from film to digital without any sort of restoration to the film itself. Like with any Nolan release, there are some good bonus features on it, including a fascinating director's commentary from the man himself.Now on to the blu ray....Criterion continues to blow me out of the freaking water with their blu ray releases. I had the opportunity to see this film the Thursday before it was released in the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA, followed by a Q&A with Nolan himself. The film was a newly created 35mm print and in my opinion, this blu ray looks a bit better. The grainy look of the original film is there, but it has been cleaned up and sharpened quite a bit. This is probably the best this film is ever going to look and it was a revelation to see it. The restoration was supervised by Chris Nolan himself. Included are several bonus features such as a side by side view of the script and the film, an in depth 26 minute interview with Nolan done in 2010, the director's commentary on previous releases, and a version of the film in chronological order, like on the Memento special edition DVD release.The Criterion Collection has done this film some serious justice and put out a beautiful looking and worthy title of their name. They've packaged it beautifully, put not many, but enough bonus content and put it out for film buffs to own. If you're a fan of the Dark Knight Trilogy or any other works by Chris Nolan, this is where it all began. Following on Blu Ray -this is a MUST OWN.

A great disc and a great and inspiring film as a filmmaker, seeing what a beloved and extremely popular filmmaker was able to do with a shoe string budget basically completely resorted just for the film stock. Definitely a great pick up for any Nolan fan or Criterion collector!

A fantastic first feature from a director that would light up the big screen with great movies like Memento, the batman trilogy to this year with Interstellar. The blu-ray is top notch like criterion always does. A company that always restores movies true to the director's and/or cinematographer's vision. Don't expect a crisp clean movie though. Christopher Nolan shot this low budget in the 16mm film stock, so there is heavy film grain and dark blacks in the movie. That said it gives the movie a film noir undertone that matches the films mood perfectly. You'll get sucked into the mystery of the story anyway, and you will lose yourself in the movie and forget about the films look.

Interesting film from Nolan, especially considering how he did using only the resources he had, with only a small budget.

I watched this short film because this is Christopher Nolan's first film and I am a huge fan. I watched this movie over and over to get the grip and understand it 100% Christopher Nolan, his wife, and his brother are by far the best film writers, producers, and directors of this modern age. Brilliant minded team. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, and Emma Thomas are wonderful together. Even though David S. Goyer and Charles Roven didn't have anything to do with this film, they are apart of the team as well.

For the materials used, and the type of budget it had, Nolan's first feature is very engaging. The story is descent, but the way the film is edited elevates it to something remarkable. The acting was good, and the dialogue was also really good; it truly gave these characters some life. This should give the up-and-coming filmmaker some hope that they could film some of their own masterpieces. The special features also provides really good info for those looking to start their own film.

Fantastic first feature film effort from one of Hollywood’s greatest modern visionary directors. Made not only with undeniable Nolan-esque style and non-linear storytelling, but also with the budget of a 7th grader’s allowance. Great special features too. If you like Christopher Nolan, check this one out. I blind bought this Criterion and have but not one regret.

Increíble layout, todo lo que incluye por un precio asequible.

This is the first full film of Nolan. If you have seen Memento or Inception, you easily realize the unique style of not presenting the scenes according to the timeline, but using visual cues (e.g haircut, a bruise) you understand where in the timeline you currently are.Even though the use of black and white film was to reduce cost, it actually suits the type of the film.Lots of extras, including Doodle Bug!

Criterion Collection’s BluRay release of Chris Nolan’s debut film, so of course it is a must own. It looks & sounds the best it is ever going to, and the bonus features are pretty cool. Overall, it’s a strong debut film from an awesome filmmaker & an awesome BluRay release!

A very special movie, unique, that sets the tone and signature of that now reknowned filmmaker. Criterion makes sure we get the best PQ and AQ along with great features such as a commentary track by Nolan himself. Rare! Highly recommended