Christopher Nolan wants to direct a Bond

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  • edited May 2013 Posts: 5,767
    While tending towards the opinion that Nolan is overrated, he would be perfect for a Bond film that is slightly over-the-top sci-fi, combined with a Blade-Runner-like portrayal of Bond.

    But I still would get seizures inside and outside if Zimmer was going to score a Bond movie.

    Anyhow, with Nolan being both one of the hottest directors at the moment and the only safe way right now for Eon to top SF financially, why shouldn´t Eon talk to him now, even if it was for a future Bond film? If they start talking to him after Bond 24, he´ll probably already have other things on his plate.

    On the other hand, Eon have done really well on the last three Bond films not taking the safe route. That would be a clear indication not to chose Nolan.
  • Posts: 14
    I'm not a huge fan of Nolan. I find him too inconsistent. I liked Batman Begins and The Prestige but I found his last two batman films to be super sterile. I also found Inception quite sterile for a movie based on dreams. And I don't want him directing the action. He is terrible at that. I would prefer the director of Hana.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Vic_Makey wrote:
    I'm not a huge fan of Nolan. I find him too inconsistent. I liked Batman Begins and The Prestige but I found his last two batman films to be super sterile. I also found Inception quite sterile for a movie based on dreams. And I don't want him directing the action. He is terrible at that. I would prefer the director of Hana.

    In what sense is Nolan's filmmaking inconsistent? Sounds to me, from the rest of what you wrote, that he's pretty much a reliable source of 'sterile' filmmaking... ;-)

    I sometimes can't believe the effort people invest in trying to 'prove' that Nolan is not quite the good filmmaker we're led to think. There's always, at the centre of things, a profound appreciation, whether intentional or not, for at least one or two of his films. And then we get to the 'buts', which quite frankly are sometimes so far-fetched that they get my mind spinning. Is there a cult out there of people whose mission it is to find reasons for disliking this man? I'm not saying one hasn't the right to dislike Nolan but at least I hope people are smart enough to dislike him for a valid reason and not because he recently turned into one of the most successful fimmakers of our times. The kind of silliness I often read via which some folks attack the man is downright crazy. Even Kubrick, Welles or Hitchcock can be dethroned if only one tries hard enough to find something that's out of balance in their filmmaking and pretend that's necessarily a bad thing. So what if Nolan hits more marks in column A than in column B? This is where diversity among filmmakers originates and it's a good thing we have that. We have seen the campy Batman of the 60s, the out-of-this-world fantastical Batman of Burton and Schumacher and now also the intellectual Batman of Nolan. It's a different style for sure, but there's no reason to call Nolan an inept filmmaker because of that. And from the numbers his last couple of films returned for WB, many people out there seem to agree with me. (Yes, I knooooow - *sigh* - a film's BO performance isn't an absolute indication of its overall quality. Yes, I know about Twilight and whatnot. Good grievance, it's not the point I'm trying to make so let's not go there again.)

    Nolan is often accused of being emotionally cold in his storytelling. I will object to that. I've seen all of his films a gazillion times and coldness isn't what I get out of it. What I do get from it is a very cerebral kind of story telling. None of his films are cheap tearjerkers, that's true, but there's room for a very grown-up form of emotional attachment to what goes on. Personally, that's where I see Bond. Even at the end of OHMSS and CR, we weren't supposed to cry rivers over the loss of important women in Bond's life; we were instead supposed to process that information and understand where it leaves Bond and how it will impact his life. The Craig Bond is obviously quite at home in this world, where dropping Mathis' body in a garbage can is an emotional scene without having us snotter like infants over the death of Bambi's mother.

    Nolan, like all filmmakers, is limited in the types of films he can make. Don't ever ask the man to write, produce or direct a romcom for it won't pay off. Don't get him involved in a raunchy high-school comedy flick either. He himself is perfectly aware of that and so he won't touch it. He wasn't even comfortable bringing the Penguin into his Batman universe so he wisely didn't. But the mind-labouring thrills of Memento, the frigid tension of Insomnia, the mental exercises of The Prestige, the mathematical approach to Inception, ... they all work for that material. Also, I can't believe some people object to the style he brought to Inception. Inception is his baby, he worked it out from scratch, spending years and years doing so. It's not based on any source material. He set out to make it exactly this: an intellectual voyage through the world of dreams. Freddy Krueger explored the nightmarish elements of the dream world, The Wizard Of Oz went into the realm of the fantastical. Well, Nolan decided he was going to explore the intellectual side of things. Therefore, this
    Vic_Makey wrote:
    I also found Inception quite sterile for a movie based on dreams.

    makes little sense if you think about it. Does it mean there's only one good way to talk about dreams? A 5 year old would probably rather see dreams explored in a happy fairy tale kind of way and loath the terrifying essentials of A Nightmare On Elm Street, yet I'm quite pleased with my Freddy. There's X amount of ways to explore this theme, and Nolan explored but one. It may come down to someone saying he or she doesn't like that for reasons of something a simple as taste, but to generalize that to Nolan being a poor filmmaker is a bridge too far. (And to be fair to @Vic_Makey, he didn't do that.)

    And what about Bond? We've seen at least 20 different styles applied to the Bonds over the past 50 years. What if Nolan were to deliver that one intellectual, 'cold' (if the word must be used) Bond flick? There's always the next Lee Tamahori to go playstation on Bond again, or the next Guy Hamilton to stuff us in a roller-coaster of laughs and implausible spy folly. I agree that we should never get the Twilight or Bad Teacher or even Crank version of Bond but Nolan, IMO, doesn't fall out of the box of the acceptable possible takes on Bond.

    Ultimately, just my two cents of course. ;-)
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited May 2013 Posts: 12,480
    Wait a sec ... Bambi's mother died ..?? :(



    Oh, as for Nolan: I really like and respect him. And I love Inception.
  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    Good work and well said, Darth Dimi.

    I love Inception, too...
  • Posts: 5,767
    DarthDimi wrote:
    I sometimes can't believe the effort people invest in trying to 'prove' that Nolan is not quite the good filmmaker we're led to think.
    With all due respect, your effort in that post seems much more than any of the few anti-Nolan posts I´ve noticed so far must have demanded.

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    boldfinger wrote:
    DarthDimi wrote:
    I sometimes can't believe the effort people invest in trying to 'prove' that Nolan is not quite the good filmmaker we're led to think.
    With all due respect, your effort in that post seems much more than any of the few anti-Nolan posts I´ve noticed so far must have demanded.

    I wasn't talking about the posts in this thread, TBH. ;-) There's been a lot of talk about this before, on the forum and elsewhere too.
  • Posts: 6,601
    Ang Lee is free again. He dropped out of his current project, because he needed a rest.
    Maybe his energy level will be up again in some months.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Germanlady wrote:
    Ang Lee is free again. He dropped out of his current project, because he needed a rest.
    Maybe his energy level will be up again in some months.

    I think jumping into a Bond project may not be the best thing for him to do. Perhaps a standalone project, or another TV series.
  • Posts: 6,601
    Creasy47 wrote:
    Germanlady wrote:
    Ang Lee is free again. He dropped out of his current project, because he needed a rest.
    Maybe his energy level will be up again in some months.

    I think jumping into a Bond project may not be the best thing for him to do. Perhaps a standalone project, or another TV series.

    Why? If the time line gives im enough months in between to relax? Of course, there is a lot of pre production, so it might not give him enough time.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    @Germanlady, exactly what I'm saying. If he's taking time off to not do a TV project, I don't think such a short span of time can prepare him for the next Bond film, especially after spending four years on 'Life of Pi.'
  • Posts: 5,745
    He may have backed out to 'rest', or maybe he backed out and HE'S DOING BOND 24?!?!?!?!!

    I'm getting really desperate; I'm at that crazy level where I see everything as a sign and get over-suspicious of every major headline.

    I convinced myself yesterday that Nolan's Intersteller has just been a cover ploy by Eon and is really Bond 24 in disguise. Haha
  • Posts: 278
    Wow, never seen this much disapproval for someone since the great Daniel Craig divide. DarthDimi, I agree entirely, I just wouldn't like to see your $2 worth if thats your 2 cents.

    As for citing Nolan for killing Batman, what a complete load of tosh, yes you could argue that they tried too hard to tie up the loose ends in the Nolan Batman universe in TDKR which raised no end of plot holes and talking points, but you can't argue that his 3 film trilogy were a marvellous piece of cinema entertainment. The box office backs this up (yes we do get crap that makes gazillions, but not 3 films).

    The problem these days is that rather than go to the cinema and see a film for what it is, a release from day to day life into someone elses imagination and work, which is soon forgotten until the time when you may want to watch it again on DVD, what you actually get is people being over analytical of every different aspect that they have issues with and actually forgetting what the filmmaker wants to achieve. I've seen about 100 different posts into Skyfall along the same lines.

    The fact is, who really cares? If Nolan was to give me a Bond film of similar quality of the work he churns out today then yes please. If he comes in and decides to make QOS 2 then no thank you.

    One thing is certain, either way I shall go see it and buy the DVD.
  • edited May 2013 Posts: 388
    Weird that the anti-Nolan brigade trot out his politics like that's relevant. Anyway, he's one of the most gifted and cerebral directors working on major films today. He really would be the most obvious choice for Bond - given both his track record and his declared love for the franchise - but I wonder if now is the right time. I got the distinct impression, from an interview he gave last year, that he would prefer to direct a debut for a new Bond.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Nolan just said it had to be the right time for both him and EON, I'm sure he'd love to direct Craig.
  • It's just my gut feeling from the statement (based on how I judge him personally too - I think he'd want to shape the new Bond.) Not based on anything other than that though.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited May 2013 Posts: 13,355
    Maybe he wants to try both? EON want Mendes back and maybe they'd want Nolan back one day too.
  • edited May 2013 Posts: 388
    Hopefully. I would love it if Eon could establish a stable of high-calibre directors for the series. Even if they only returned, like Martin Campbell, at 10 year intervals. Imagine having, for example, Sam Mendes, Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Cuaron taking turns at the series over a 10 - 15 year period.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited May 2013 Posts: 13,355
    It would be better for everyone, much like how the first sixteen films had the same rooster of five directors. Let's see how things pan out.

    I wonder how Craig feels about having yet another new face behind the camera?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Stating that Nolan couldn't do Bond because he can't handle romance is like stating Mendes couldn't do Bond because he can't handle action, but look how that turned out.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    And look at Tamahory, who reportedly could handle action...

    So yes, Nolan could steer a Bond film in a very particular way, but perhaps a surprisingly fresh and by all means excellent way.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Creasy47 wrote:
    Stating that Nolan couldn't do Bond because he can't handle romance is like stating Mendes couldn't do Bond because he can't handle action, but look how that turned out.
    I think Nolan's handling of the relationship between Cobb and his wife in Inception was beautiful, both visually and from what he got out of Leo and Marion in regard to performances. I think he does romance quite well, other strong relationships being Bruce and Rachel in the Batman trilogy and Memento's main character dealing with the tormenting death of his wife. Each film showcases the deep affect the loss of a loved one can have, and it is done beautifully.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, I agree with you, I was going off of what another user said.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited May 2013 Posts: 28,694
    Creasy47 wrote:
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, I agree with you, I was going off of what another user said.

    I know, I was just backing up your statement with some proof that Nolan can handle romance/love/relationships.
  • Creasy47 wrote:
    Stating that Nolan couldn't do Bond because he can't handle romance is like stating Mendes couldn't do Bond because he can't handle action, but look how that turned out.
    I think Nolan's handling of the relationship between Cobb and his wife in Inception was beautiful, both visually and from what he got out of Leo and Marion in regard to performances. I think he does romance quite well, other strong relationships being Bruce and Rachel in the Batman trilogy and Memento's main character dealing with the tormenting death of his wife. Each film showcases the deep affect the loss of a loved one can have, and it is done beautifully.

    Agreed @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 and @Creasy47. The relationship/s between Christian Bale and Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige is also very nicely done.
  • Posts: 12,526
    After seeing how Nolan handles the charactors in the Dark Knight trilogy? I would have no problem seeing how he would deliver a future Bond movie?
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Creasy47 wrote:
    Stating that Nolan couldn't do Bond because he can't handle romance is like stating Mendes couldn't do Bond because he can't handle action, but look how that turned out.
    I think Nolan's handling of the relationship between Cobb and his wife in Inception was beautiful, both visually and from what he got out of Leo and Marion in regard to performances. I think he does romance quite well, other strong relationships being Bruce and Rachel in the Batman trilogy and Memento's main character dealing with the tormenting death of his wife. Each film showcases the deep affect the loss of a loved one can have, and it is done beautifully.

    Agreed @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 and @Creasy47. The relationship/s between Christian Bale and Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson in The Prestige is also very nicely done.

    I still need to see The Prestige and Insomnia to finish the Nolan filmography up to this point.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Take it from me, you'll love both Brady. Great films.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Take it from me, you'll love both Brady. Great films.

    It's Nolan, so I am sure I will. I just have to find a time to see them after I get the films watched that I currently need to see.
  • edited May 2013 Posts: 388
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Take it from me, you'll love both Brady. Great films.

    Agreed @Samuel001. I've loved Nolan since I saw Memento at the cinema but The Prestige is his absolute best work, IMO. One of those films one can happily go back to time and time again.

    (Also, again IMO, one of the relatively few films that's miles better than its source material)
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