Following (1998)

A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing.

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writer:

Christopher Nolan

Stars:

Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell

5 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Theobald	...	The Young Man
Alex Haw	...	Cobb
Lucy Russell	...	The Blonde
John Nolan	...	The Policeman
Dick Bradsell	...	The Bald Guy
Gillian El-Kadi	...	Home Owner
Jennifer Angel	...	Waitress
Nicolas Carlotti	...	Barman
Darren Ormandy	...	Accountant
Guy Greenway	...	Heavy #1
Tassos Stevens	...	Heavy #2
Tristan Martin	...	Man at Bar
Rebecca James	...	Woman at Bar
Paul Mason	...	Home Owner's Friend
David Bovill	...	Home Owner's Husband

Storyline

An older man listens to Bill's story about being a callow writer who likes to follow strangers around London, observing them. One day, a glib and self-confident man whom Bill has been following confronts him. He's Cobb, a burglar who takes Bill under his wing and shows him how to break and enter. They burgle a woman's flat; Bill gets intrigued with her (photographs are everywhere in her flat). He follows her and chats her up at a bar owned by her ex-boyfriend, a nasty piece of work who killed someone in her living room with a hammer. Soon Bill is volunteering to do her a favor, which involves a break-in. What does the older man know that Bill doesn't?

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Plot Keywords:

writer | burglar | thief | robbery | burglary | 

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Taglines:

You're Never Alone.

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1999 (UK)

Also Known As:

Praćenje

Filming Locations:

UK

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,636, 4 April 1999, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$48,482, 14 October 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Next Wave Films, Syncopy

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Nolan never studied film-making at university. He studied English Literature at University College London, and used the film society there to shoot the opening dialogue scene between Bill and the policeman.

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Goofs

In one shot, when Cobb puts the gloves in the young man's mouth it is half sticking out but in the next scene it is almost completely in the young man's mouth.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill: The following is my explanation. Well, more of an account of what happened. I'd been on my own for a while and getting kind of lonely... and bored... nothing to do all day. And that's when I started shadowing.
The Policeman: Shadowing?
Bill: Shadowing - Following. I started to follow people
The Policeman: Who?
Bill: Anyone at first. Um,
[sniffs]
Bill: you know, that was the whole point - somebody at random, someone who didn't know who I was.
The Policeman: And then?
Bill: And then nothing.

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Crazy Credits

The movie was filmed from 1996 to 1997 and first released in 1998. However, the copyright date in the credits is listed as being 1999.

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Alternate Versions

The Criterion Collection DVD features an additional "Chronological Edit" of the film, which places the scenes in linear order.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Christopher Nolan Movie Moments (2017)

User Reviews

Christopher Nolan is The One to...follow

Just watched this on DVD three times - Once the 'normal' way, once with the scenes in consecutive order (in this doozy of a film noir, the beginning, middle and end of the story intertwine), and once with the director's commentary running. Quite amazing. A bare-bones tale, told with more flair, energy and substance than most big-budget overblown features being released today.

I think this is an even more accomplished film than the subsequent Memento, which turned me on to Nolan in the first place. Can't wait to see what he does with a bigger budget (and bigger box-office stars) in his next film, Insomnia.