The Odyssey received positive reviews and has been a box-office success. But is it Christopher Nolan’s best film? What is his best film? And, what constitutes a director’s ‘best’ film?
Nolan has become synonymous with intellectually ambitious, awe inspiring world building scale, and technical prowess. And while this has been commercially successful, the stories have also lost some intimacy and ‘human scale’ in the process.
Interstellar (2014) is an incredible visual spectacle. It features a big concept – the metaphor of the fourth dimension. But the characters become lost in the cosmic scale, which is kind of the point. Inception (2010) exists within a dreamscape alt-reality. Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) turn cartoon strips worlds into a gritty reality. In Dunkirk (2017) the individual is overshadowed by a grand moment in history.
So, what’s his ‘best’ film? The answer to that question is ‘it depends’.
It depends on what kind of film you want to see. Do you want to get into the head of the protagonist? Or do you want to witness a truly impressive spectacle? If you like big concepts and scale you might choose Inception or The Odyssey. But, if like me, you prefer something more intimate and human scale, then it’s Insomnia (2002) or Memento (2000). Insomnia is my choice. It has a moody atmosphere, an emotional core to the story, and amazing performances by Al Pacino and Robin Williams.