evil blogger

With The Dark Knight blowing the minds of moviegoers everywhere, and Christopher Nolan’s name being thrown around with the likes of “Jesus” and “God,” it seems only fitting that another Nolan get his credit: Christopher’s brother, Jonathan.

For those of you who have been Christopher Nolan fans long before The Dark Knight, you’re already aware of his impeccable track record:

• The Dark Knight (2008)
• The Prestige (2006)
• Batman Begins (2005)
• Insomnia (2002)
• Memento (2000)

Three of those marvelous films were penned by Jonathan Nolan (Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight). A good director needs a great script to become a great director, and it’s safe to say Christopher Nolan is a great director, so let’s look at the great writing that has sent him to the top, starting with “the beginning.”

Memento
This film was truly remarkable. The whole film plays backwards? It’s so complicated and intricate it’s absolutely beautiful. The film starring Guy Pearce was based on a short story Jonathan wrote in college revolving around a man unable to make short-term memories. To cope with this he writes notes and tattoos on his body and convinces himself to escape from an asylum to track down the man who killed his wife and gave him the amnesia-inducing head injuries. While on a road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles, Jonathan pitched the idea to his brother Christopher, who loved it and asked him to write up a draft. Christopher then began working up a screenplay from Jonathan’s first draft while Jonathan continued to finish the short story. Ultimately the two stories (”Memento mori,” and Memento) were very different, but it was Jonathan Nolan’s idea that got his brother’s juices flowing. Memento was so good you it’s probably safe to say it launched Christopher’s career. So thank Jonathan for that.

The Prestige
2006 saw two period magician films. A little odd? Yeah. The Illusionist involved the Incredible Nazi-loving Hulk actor Edward Norton using his “magic” to woo Jessica Biel. The Prestige saw Wolverine and Batman act like the mind-bending bad-ass magicians they are (oh, and David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla and does all sorts of crazy things with electricity and accents…hell yes). Jonathan Nolan adapted the script (with help from brother Christopher) from a novel by Christopher Priest. The end result was a beautifully scripted, visually stunning, twisting and turning story that’s worth watching at least another four times.

The Dark Knight
I’ll spare the review of The Dark Knight, as you’ve all already seen it (at least once) or have heard of its greatness. While the acting on every level was superb (hey…give Christopher a little credit for Heath Ledger’s goosebump-inducing performance), it would not have been possible without some a beautifully twisted script that took Batman to the dark depths where the character belongs.

Christopher Nolan has a heavy burden on his shoulders, knowing that the world expects nothing but greatness from him from here on out. But he should take comfort in the fact that he has an equally-genius brother to help write the stories that will enthrall us for years to come.

Random fact: Though both Christopher and Jonathan were born in London, Jonathan has more of an American accent and Christopher has more of an English accent. Now you can impress your friends!

Sources: imdb.com, wikipedia.org