Dear Mr. Nolan:
I hope that this letter finds you doing well. I am a huge fan, and I am writing in appreciation of films you have made that I have enjoyed, as well as to encourage you in your future endeavors.
My first experience with your work came when I saw “Memento” on a whim while it was playing in theaters. I had no idea what to expect. The non-linear…even reverse-linear storytelling made for a delightful upside down thriller. I enjoyed Insomnia as well, but found that I sympathized too much with Al Pacino’s Will Dormer in that I felt stressed and sleep-deprived by the climax. This is a good thing! The experience was appropriately exhausting.
Then it happened. You made a Batman movie. You filmed it partially in my city. I saw it on opening day, because, you see, I’ve been a Batman nerd for most of my life. At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. Upon further reflection, however, it really grew on me. I came to love Batman Begins for its strong characterizations, tremendous cast, and its psychological and quasi-real take on the Batman world. I watch it often, usually followed by The Dark Knight. Again, I love this movie. The crime saga elements, Batman finding himself nearly powerless against an enemy, Heath Ledger’s untouchable performance, Aaron Eckhardt’s stalwart DA-turned-emotionally compromised murderer, the beautiful photography…all superb in my book. I had wanted to be an extra for this one, but I allowed someone to to talk me out of it.
Most recently, I thoroughly enjoyed Inception. The ensemble cast was a joy to watch, and the subtle complexities of the story are still rolling around in my head. I hope to catch one more viewing before the film exits theaters.
As you prepare your third Batman movie, I want to encourage you to tell the story that you want to tell. I know that you don’t need to hear this from me. Who am I to coach you in your career? I’m saying this simply to offer my support. It seems that there are two camps right now surrounding your work: those who admire it, and those who hate it. I feel strongly that a significant portion of the ‘hate’ folks are doing it because it’s ‘cool’ to hate things that are popular. Nonetheless, I think that this strong divide in opinion speaks volumes about the quality of what you have done thus far. It doesn’t help that we Batfans take our hero rather personally, and we each have specific ideas about how he should be portrayed. We’re VERY hard to please. The fact that a majority of us are behind you is a testament to the stories you have thus far given us.
I have my opinions about what would be best, but I want to see your story. You haven’t let me down so far. Show me how interesting the Riddler can be. Give my hero a fitting end. Make an epic cap to complete an epic trilogy. I’ll be there on opening day. At least once. More viewings will soon follow, I’m sure. I wish you the very best on this and other future projects.
Sincerely,
Steve Cannon
Geek of All Trades 