Before you read this review, Watch this short film which is only 3 minutes long.
Before Nolan made Memento, The Prestige, The batman films, Inception or any other mind blowing film, he made Doodlebug. Now calling Doodlebug as Nolan’s baby steps to film making may be a disrespect because this was in all senses a brilliant short film which shows no sign of the director being a first timer.
Long before he made us indulge in dreams within dreams within dreams or in the magic tricks by a couple of rival magicians, he started with Doodlebug. Doodlebug reflects the illusion with which Nolan makes his films. His mentality to make the audience use their brains at all times while watching his film is pretty much evident in this short film as well.
Christopher Nolan doesn't allow you to sit back and have fun with his films, you will have fun but you will have to figure out, this is how it is done while we are into a Nolan made film.
A man with his shoe in his hand is trying to hunt down a bug or something only to find later that he wasn't after the bug but a smaller version of himself, what comes later is even more disturbing. A greater version of the same man is hunting the man with a bigger shoe in his hand. So, there were 3 versions of him, one he is after and another who is after him.
What is brilliant is that he fascinates his audience in a short film of hardly 3 minutes. There might be no bug at all but the man’s phobia about bugs and his constant uneasiness that a bug might hurt him, so he is trying to hunt that disturbing thought and not the bug actually. This is why he kills it even after finding that it isn't a bug but his diminished version. He is so obsessed with it that he didn't even care to listen to the person on the phone.
This was brilliantly shot in black and white and was incredibly creative which only a genius can think of. Nolan did prove his genius act again and again after every couple of years. Either it’s the non-linear story line of Memento, the ultimate revelation of the prestige, the brilliant batman films or his tampering with dreams in Inception. Nolan never failed to impress. He is a true genius.
Movie Geek Rating: ★★★★
Cast: Jeremy Theobald
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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Author: Amritt Rukhaiyaar
[This post is a part of the A to Z Challenge in April 2014. Let's celebrate blogging.]