1998 saw the release of a first feature by one of the more exciting young filmmakers working today. Of course, it was viewed in hindsight, after the director’s following feature brought him much acclaim and folks wanted to view his cinematic origin. If you happened to have forced yourself to watch Wide Awake, M. Night Shyamalan’s first feature, I am very sorry. Sixth Sense put M. Night on the map, Unbreakable, although panned by many, was a bold re-imagining of a superhero consciousness, but hasn’t it really been downhill since then? Signs? A B-movie about (cue bad 50’s Theremin music) invaders from another planet. The Village? Hype. M. Night has a great visual sense as a director, but if you look back at Wide Awake starring Rosie O’Donnell as a fastball throwing nun, you might get a glimpse into the workings of M. Night and have foresaw that although he isn’t strictly a one-trick pony, he shouldn’t enter the Best Overall competition anytime soon. Following was Christopher Nolan’s first feature also released in 1998. Shot in black and white (mind subconsciously cueing Michael Jackson… ARGH!!!!) to keep it tied to it’s noirish roots, Following is a story of voyeurs, con-men and thieves. It shows some sequences out of order (ala Memento) but doesn’t rely as heavily on this narrative tool, and although it doesn’t have the “star-power” of a Rosie O’Donnell, and isn’t much longer than a regular episode of Touched By An Angel it leaves much more of an impression. Nolan obviously followed this up with Memento, a film that has personally changed the way I look at all films, and Insomnia after this. Was Insomnia as bold as Memento? No. But it not only restrained Robin Williams and made both him and Al Pacino watchable (which is quite a feat given both of their recent on-screen performances and tendencies to over-act). Next up for Nolan is Batman Begins, so while M. Night is trying so very hard to remain on a cutting edge of surprise-ending films, Nolan has taken his directorial lens and vision and turned them towards more seemingly mainstream fare. But in making his “mainstream” films, Nolan has continued to embrace his artistic integrity and committed himself to challenging his mainstream viewers.

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