Rating: 
Summary: Original and Compelling
Review: Christopher Nolan puts Hollywood to shame with this no-budget film. Proving that good scripts, good directors and good actors are the key ingredients that constitute good movies, not swollen budgets, big "stars" or special effects Nolan has created a very compelling film indeed. Although it's a no budget affair, it sure doesn't feel like it. The B&W treatment feels like a natural complement to the gritty story and turns a potential limitation into an asset- it actually has a real artistic visual style. The performances are first rate as well, but what really floats this movie is the terrific script that will draw you in and keep you in suspense right up until the last frame. Then you'll want to see it again immediately. How many movies do you have that reaction to? The non-chronological narrative is dealt with masterfully and gives an already intriguing story a further dimension. An added bonus is Nolan's astute commentary and the alternate angle view of the shooting script, both wonderful resources for the aspiring filmmaker but fascinating for the rest of us too.
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.
Rating: 
Summary: noir at its noirest
Review: christopher nolan really knows bleak cinema. momento and this piece of neo-noir are both extremely hopeless pictures. momento is about the absence of forward consciousness (thus no point to exist because the cost of post-its would be crushing) and following is about a voyeuristic writer whom when bored decides to follow characters (heh...). imagine a world of a constant cliche, void of everything inspiring. bitterness. nolan's neo-noir work here is gloom and doom. the black and white photography only add to the mundane bleakness of constantly looking for something interesting in a world of busy bees...simply look on the cover to verify this (the voyeur is watching his subjects file past in the opposite direction). he can't offer them anything save the ability to play with them, label them, to his own advantage. that said, is this a movie for everyone? no...it ain't. the anti-hero's story caters to about 1, maybe 2, percent of the population. the cinematography is interesting but the lighting and quality is sometimes too dark, unlike another neo-noir b&w recent film, the man who wasn't there. but i really enjoy noir, and nolan's work, though i sometimes think momento, though having one of the greatest screenplays in recent memory, is lackluster as a whole (justifiable by its great commercial success and a nagging feeling i get watching it). following is worth the price and it is very interesting to see what the director did before the larger budgeted momento.
Rating:
Summary: noir at its noirest
Review: christopher nolan really knows bleak cinema. momento and this piece of neo-noir are both extremely hopeless pictures. momento is about the absence of forward consciousness (thus no point to exist because the cost of post-its would be crushing) and following is about a voyeuristic writer whom when bored decides to follow characters (heh...). imagine a world of a constant cliche, void of everything inspiring. bitterness. nolan's neo-noir work here is gloom and doom. the black and white photography only add to the mundane bleakness of constantly looking for something interesting in a world of busy bees...simply look on the cover to verify this (the voyeur is watching his subjects file past in the opposite direction). he can't offer them anything save the ability to play with them, label them, to his own advantage. that said, is this a movie for everyone? no...it ain't. the anti-hero's story caters to about 1, maybe 2, percent of the population. the cinematography is interesting but the lighting and quality is sometimes too dark, unlike another neo-noir b&w recent film, the man who wasn't there. but i really enjoy noir, and nolan's work, though i sometimes think momento, though having one of the greatest screenplays in recent memory, is lackluster as a whole (justifiable by its great commercial success and a nagging feeling i get watching it). following is worth the price and it is very interesting to see what the director did before the larger budgeted momento.
Rating:
Summary: Very Impressive Feature Debut from the Director of "Memento"
Review: Christopher Nolan surprised movie fans with critically acclaimed "Memento" with its stylish, original storytelling, and if you're interested how he started his career, "Following" is a must for you to see. The classic ingredints of the Holloywood's old film noir -- a deadly attractive but morally dubious character from the underworld, an unemployed self-claimed writer, and a blonde woman -- are suavely treated with skillful editing and moody 16 mm. black-and-white photography of London, and though the story itself is often too incredible (as many of the past noir masterpieces are), you find yourself drawn into the world Nolan created with this low-budget movie, just like the hapless hero of the film. Bill, a writer without writing anything, finds a new hobby. That is following people he picks up on the street at random. Without any particular reason Bill keeps on shadowing until he encounters Cobb, who notices his following, and boldly faces him to invite Bill to HIS own world of joy -- sneaking into someone's room. This is the beginning of his little adventure, in which Bill meets another mysterious figure, a beautiful blonde girl, whose motive is unclear to him and also to us.... As in "Memento," a comparatively thin plot is enlarged with Nolan's unique storytelling techniques that break the rule of chronological order, making use of flash-back and flash-forward. You have to always concentrate your mind on what's going on on the screen, to truly appreciate the impact of the unexpected windup of Bill's new hobby, which turns, as you know, a big nightmare. Though I find the middle part of the film a little bit dull, and the story itself is too unbeliebavle, the film's integrity is a considerable one, making "Following" a rare treat for the fans of this film noir genre. My material about the film I got at theater says that as the filmmakers did another job on weekdays to earn money, they could spend only Saturdays to film the scenes, so the actors had to keep their haircut always the same for more than 20 weeks, so as to preserve continuity!
Rating:
Summary: Very Impressive Feature Debut from the Director of "Memento"
Review: Christopher Nolan surprised movie fans with critically acclaimed "Memento" with its stylish, original storytelling, and if you're interested how he started his career, "Following" is a must for you to see. The classic ingredints of the Holloywood's old film noir -- a deadly attractive but morally dubious character from the underworld, an unemployed self-claimed writer, and a blonde woman -- are suavely treated with skillful editing and moody 16 mm. black-and-white photography of London, and though the story itself is often too incredible (as many of the past noir masterpieces are), you find yourself drawn into the world Nolan created with this low-budget movie, just like the hapless hero of the film. Bill, a writer without writing anything, finds a new hobby. That is following people he picks up on the street at random. Without any particular reason Bill keeps on shadowing until he encounters Cobb, who notices his following, and boldly faces him to invite Bill to HIS own world of joy -- sneaking into someone's room. This is the beginning of his little adventure, in which Bill meets another mysterious figure, a beautiful blonde girl, whose motive is unclear to him and also to us.... As in "Memento," a comparatively thin plot is enlarged with Nolan's unique storytelling techniques that break the rule of chronological order, making use of flash-back and flash-forward. You have to always concentrate your mind on what's going on on the screen, to truly appreciate the impact of the unexpected windup of Bill's new hobby, which turns, as you know, a big nightmare. Though I find the middle part of the film a little bit dull, and the story itself is too unbeliebavle, the film's integrity is a considerable one, making "Following" a rare treat for the fans of this film noir genre. My material about the film I got at theater says that as the filmmakers did another job on weekdays to earn money, they could spend only Saturdays to film the scenes, so the actors had to keep their haircut always the same for more than 20 weeks, so as to preserve continuity!
Rating:
Summary: Quirky Film Noir
Review: Christopher Nolan's first film is an absolute gem of no budget filmaking that should make Hollywood producer's stand up and take notice.
The film shot in London on Saturdays because the cast and crew had other day jobs on a budget of $6000.00 is a stylish film noir with a unique time structure that was used to suberb effect in Nolan's second feature Memento.
The film follws the story of a young man(Jeremy Theobald)who takes to following random people on the street in order to overcome his boring and lonely lifestyle. One day he follows a stranger carrying a leather bag who turns out to be a thief. Being invited to join in on some break ins a story of double and triple crosses follows.
The story is just quirky enough to keep the viewer's attention for its short 70 minute run time and nary a frame of film is wasted. There are good supporting performances by Alex Haw as the thief, Cobb and by Lucy Russell as the obligatory blonde femme fatale.
The DVD is presented in a full frame addition only with Dolby 2.0 sound. The disc contains a commentary that tells new filmakers how to deal with the problem of a non existent budget, a screenplay viewer and the ability to view the film chronologically.
All in all a good way to spend 70 minutes of your time. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Memento trial run
Review: Everyone was rightly blown away by Memento, and the director is now rightly one of the most admired around. He smashed the logic of temporal sequences and pasted them together in a way that made his story, already inherently interesting, unfold like a wonderful puzzle. With Following we see that talent in development. Once again the temporality of the story is not linear. This makes the ending seem like dozens of secrets finally revealed. This film is also a well exectued bit of noire cinema, as our heor Bill runs into a dirty world of pretenders out to use him for their own good. The premise, that Bill shadows or follows people to learn about humanity and how that curioisty leads him into the heart of a noire masterpeice, is as interesting and dark as Memento. Everything you see in the film is important, pay attention. Lighting, pace, camera work are all exceptional.
Rating:
Summary: great psycholigical thriller
Review: fabulous dialogue, great cinematography...great actors..i was amazed at how flippantly ones life could be sussed out. i loved memento , but i loved this even better.. i want to see more from this guy!!
Rating:
Summary: Just like Memento
Review: For those of you who liked Memento, here is another film by Christopher Nolan. The hero, Bill, has a hobby, he follows people around. But one day, the person he was following found out Bill was following him. This lead to them to become friends, and led to secrets to become uncovered. Following has the same cool feature Memento has, the film is not in chronological order. Some people might think of that as a downside, but it is not. It just proves how genius Christopher Nolan.
Rating:
Summary: "If you take it away, you'll show them what they had."
Review: From the director of Momento, FOLLOWING is a gritty, low-budget tale of one man's obsession of following strangers. Bill is an unemployed, aspiring writer who substitutes the dullness in his own life by following strangers walking down the street. His plans, however, take an unexpected turn when he follows a man who confronts him for shadowing him. Soon Bill realizes that this reluctant 'subject', Cobb, also participates in voyeuristic activities of breaking into apartments and rummaging through their belongings. Cobb leads Bill down a path that will forever change him, and one that he cannot return from. In a similar fashion as Momento, FOLLOWING is filmed in non-chronological order and includes many plots twists and turns along the way. Once the audience believes they know what is going on, the tables are turned on them once again. This film has a similar feel as Momento and even contains a comparable narrator. Also included on this DVD are several special features that further enhance the viewing experience, such as an alternate version of the film shown in chronological order and a version shot from a different camera angle. FOLLOWING is a film that leaves a residue of creepiness on the audience that is difficult to shake off. If you enjoyed Momento, then you will also like FOLLOWING. Recommended.
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