To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers: Bill is an unemployed writer who has lately taken to following strangers at random on the street. Nolan relishes the sheer nastiness he keeps stirred up, unabated for 70 minutes.

The man in the suit, having noticed he is being followed, quickly confronts the Young Man and introduces himself as "Cobb". This type of storytelling, he says, reflected the audience's inherent uncertainty about characters in film noir: In a compelling story of this genre we are continually being asked to rethink our assessment of the relationship between the various characters, and I decided to structure my story in such a way as to emphasize the audience's incomplete understanding of each new scene as it is first presented. [10] TV Guide called it "short, sharp and tough as nails",[11] praising its fast-paced storytelling and "tricky, triple-tiered flashback structure.

Many of Nolan's tentpole devices are still here; mainly the nonlinear storytelling, liquid senses of identity, and emphasis on memory; very…. In its first two seasons, it starred Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy in leading roles, as well as Shawn Ashmore, Natalie Zea, and Valorie Curry. Explore celebrity trends and tips on fashion, style, beauty, diets, health, relationships and more. Rated the #39 best film of 1998, and #3278 in the greatest all-time movies (according to RYM users). He attempts break-ins of his own, as Cobb encourages and guides him.

Cobb, meanwhile, vanishes into a crowd. ), Released in United States 1999 (Shown at Rotterdam International Film Festival January 27 - February 7, 1999. The Bald Guy Gillian El-Kadi. The material gains from these crimes seem to be of secondary importance to Cobb. Do they have a secret interesting life? Shown at New Directors/New Films in New York City March 26 - April 11, 1999.

It's definitely you. [18] Following also brought fame to Christopher Nolan who was just starting out in the form of the Black and White award as well as a Grand Jury Prize nomination at Slamdance Film Festival. "I always had him in the back of my mind, thinking, 'We're going to hear from this guy, big time.'

Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM. Your computer may be infected with malware or spyware that is making automated requests to our server and causing problems. "[20], The Wall Street Journal's Nancy Dewolf Smith considers the series "both better and worse than those movies where a procession of young people get killed so reliably and gorily that the audience laughs after it screams," adding, "There is some suspense here, even if it is mainly because the violence when it comes is so swift and sickening. [3], Williamson wanted to cast "a tough guy with a boyish side" as Ryan Hardy and told his agent that he had someone like Kevin Bacon in mind for the role. This was made easier by the decision to use 16 mm black and white film.

But the show still feels slack. Winner of the Ilford Black and White Ward at the 1999 Slamdance Film Festival. One day, Cobb, a man Bill has been following, catches him in the act. He invites Bill to join him. ), Released in United States 1999 (Shown at Dinard Festival of British Film (in competition) in Dinard, France September 30 - October 3, 1999.

[3] Jeananne Goossen was cast in the role of FBI agent Jennifer Mason in the pilot, but the role was reworked and in subsequent episodes her character was written out and replaced by Special Agent Debra Parker, played by Annie Parisse. Along with writing, directing, and photographing the film, Nolan also helped in editing and production. A (never-ending?)

Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style. I actually think he started to follow people around for awhile. Nolan pulled off something very impressive for a 6K dollar movie and the idea behind it was really creative. ©2020 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company.

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Your eyes pass over the crowd, and if you let them settle on a person, then that person becomes an individual—just like that.

Upon returning to his flat, he finds that the photos are innocuous modeling shots. It is…. The sound in the film make you feel claustrophobic even, it makes you feel as if everything isn’t fine.

work in progress. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep his distance. Both Bacon and Purefoy are so intensely earnest, The Following quickly supersedes its patent Silence of the Lambs setup. When his agent suggested Bacon himself, Williamson discovered that Bacon had spent the past four years trying to find a television program he would like to do. The sound design is uneven just like our protagonist. We've all been there.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan.