Celebrity Measurements

With

Oppenheimer hitting theatres this weekend, it’s time to look at the work of one of the greatest directors of our generation: Christopher Nolan. Our Christopher Nolan movies ranked lists are just one person’s opinions, and his work can be divisive. I hope this ranking will spark some discussion below. Everyone has their favourites and least favourites. We do not include Following in this list, as it’s not feature-length (only seventy minutes) and can’t be put on the same level as his other work – although it’s an interesting curio. Also, note that this list ranks all of his movies from worst to best, so if you don’t see your favourite film of his right off the top, don’t panic!Insomnia

In my mind, Christopher Nolan has never made a bad movie. When I say that one of his films is his “worst,” it doesn’t mean that it’s bad.

Insomnia is based on a tremendous Norwegian film that stars Stellan Skarsgard in the lead, and I think his performance is slightly better than Al Pacino’s here. Wally Pfister’s cinematography is stunning, and Robin Williams delivers a truly unnerving performance in the role of the antagonist. It’s just that – at least compared to other films on this list – it’s the one that feels the most like an assignment.Interstellar

One of Nolan’s most ambitious efforts, Interstellar is brilliant at times and annoyingly conventional at others. The movie is great when Nolan tries to make his own variation on 2001: A Space Odyssey

. I don’t like the side story where Matt Damon gets marooned on a desert island and becomes an antagonist. A movie like this doesn’t need a “bad guy.” However, Matthew McConaughey is terrific in the lead, and the cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema is a revelation.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWOiVu8bqWUTenet

Oppenheimer

is clear as a bell.The Dark Knight Rises I enjoyed Nolan’s divisive end to his

Dark Knight trilogy

, even if it couldn’t help but pale compared to its predecessors. Tom Hardy’s Bane may be a disappointment as a villain compared to Heath Ledger, but it is still a satisfying ending to the franchise. It’s also the first movie where Nolan’s sound mixes became problematic, and I’ll never forget how hard it was to figure out what Bane was saying the first time I saw the opening action sequence when it was attached as a teaser to IMAX showings of Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol.Memento I know this will be a controversial place for the movie that put Nolan on the map. It’s a brilliant movie, but I don’t believe it holds up as well to repeated viewings. It’s still a pretty audacious movie, and you can see why it made him a star director. Hugh Jackman delivers the performance of his career as one of two duelling magicians who are rivals over a teleportation illusion that has devastating moral consequences for both of them. David Bowie as Tesla is my favourite Nolan casting ever. This also has one of my favourite bits of Nolan casting ever – David Bowie as Tesla.

Batman Begins

Nolan started to reinvent the superhero saga with this, and I remember, when I first saw it, thinking it had more in common with epic adventure movies like

The Last Samurai

or

Gladiator

than anything else I’d seen. I thought it was a great investment. Christian Bale is a fantastic Caped Crusader and Michael Caine, my favourite Alfred, will always be my favorite. DunkirkThis one seems divisive, as some think Nolan’s WW2 movie is too thinly plotted. To me, they’re missing the point, as this is supposed to be a raw experience that puts you in the shoes of the various soldiers participating in the evacuation of Dunkirk. It’s his shortest movie since

Following

, and it can’t be beaten on a technical level. Tom Hardy has one of his best roles as a heroic RAF fighter pilot, acting almost completely with his eyes until the final shot.Oppenheimer When it was announced that this would be a three-hour biopic of Robert Oppenheimer, people cracked wise on Twitter that it would just be three hours of men talking in rooms. It’s true. Nolan knows how to make a movie of this caliber. It’s one the most intense, tight, and explosive three-hour dramatic films you’re likely to ever see. This is an epic film and a masterpiece in every way. It features perhaps Nolan’s most talented cast. Cillian Murphy is brilliant in his portrayal of a man who has shaped the modern day world, for good or bad, while Robert Downey Jr. gives one of his best performances since IronMan, and this is in a crucial supporting role.

Inception

What else can be said about one of our generation’s best science fiction movies? It’s a movie that proved an action movie could be as challenging as a small independent film and still make millions of dollars. Hans Zimmer’s score is one of my favorites of all time. The Dark KnightBut, as good as

Inception

is, to me, Nolan’s masterpiece will always be

The Dark Knight

. It’s the best superhero film ever made. I believe it belongs to any serious discussion about the greatest movies ever made. The movie is rich in themes and Heath Ledger as Joker gives one of the best performances of modern times. It’s still a tentpole movie that every would-be blockbuster aspires to be 15 years later.

Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch