Happy birthday, Christopher Nolan: Looking at best characters he created
Christopher Nolan needs no introduction. Considered not just a film director, writer, and creator par excellence, he is also regarded as an entire cinematic institution in himself since his cinema is in a different league of its own. Over the years, Nolan has given us numerous landmark films. On his 52nd birthday, we look at the five most remarkable characters created by him.
Dr. Jonathan Crane
While Nolan is collaborating with actor Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) for the sixth time in their upcoming film Oppenheimer, their most memorable association remains their maiden one. In Batman Begins, Crane was evil personified and was the villain who wreaked havoc in Gotham City with fear toxins. Murphy also reprised his role in The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
The Joker
To talk about the genius of Nolan and not mention The Joker would be blasphemous. The Joker is everything you expect out of a bonafide "evil" person: smart, cold, calculative, and always two steps ahead of you. After Heath Ledger's tragic demise, several actors have brought the character to life, but cinephiles largely opine that the magic brewed by Nolan and Ledger remains unparalleled.
Robert Angier
Robert Angier, played by Hugh Jackman, appeared in Nolan's 2006 film The Prestige. Set in the 19th century, it chronicles the fierce rivalry between two stellar magicians, both of whom lock horns to create the most impressive illusion. Angier is best remembered for his fall from grace, as he goes from being charming and likable to dark, brooding, and overambitious as the plot progresses.
Leonard Shelby
According to Nolan, his 2000 mystery-thriller Memento is a "strange cousin" of Funes the Memorious, a short story penned by Jorge Luis Borges. Memento is about an insurance investigator who suffers from anterograde amnesia. Leonard Shelby, played by Guy Pearce, is one of Nolan's most memorable and intriguing characters since Nolan effectively spun a complex web of lies, illusion, deceit, and suspense around him.
Dom Cobb
Dom Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), from Inception, is the lead protagonist and belongs to a heist group that infiltrates people's dreams. The fantastical setting of the film is, naturally, quite far removed from ours. Despite that, one will find themselves rooting for Cobb. Despite the nature of work he is involved in, he simply wants to wrap it all up and go home!
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