If you've ever had the urge to shadow someone you'll appreciate Following.

And stay away from us!

Sorry. Following is the story of Bill (Jeremy Theobald) a young man who starts following people for no apparent reason. He isn't sure why he does it, but he does it anyway, ostensibly to see where they're going, what they're doing, etc.

Just a nosey bugger, we presume.

Then one day, Cobb (Alex Haw), on whose tail Bill has been, throws back in Bill's face the fact that he knows he's been following him. Strangely, however, rather than being angry he invites Bill to follow him some more.

Well, as it turns out, Cobb's a burglar who follows people as well, but for what he considers to be a good reason: he's casing these people's lives so he can pick the best time to burgle them.

This draws Bill into the burgling, which is where the movie really starts to twist.

Following is quite similar to Memento, which isn't surprising considering Christopher Nolan, the mind behind Memento, wrote, directed, and photographed Following. This low budget black and white flick features a small cast of unknowns (which isn't meant as a criticism - sometimes this is the best tactic - especially when you can't afford the big names).

Nolan does an excellent job helming this flim, which when all is said and done is really just a low budget version of what became Memento.

If you liked Memento, you'll probably like Following as well, though it may seem like deja vu to a certain extent. Following isn't quite as clever or entertaining as the later film, but it's definitely worth seeing.

The DVD is shown in 1.33:1 "full screen" (TV aspect ratio, not 16x9 TV compatible), with 2.0 Dolby Digital audio. The video isn't particularly good, though this look may be deliberate on the part of the director and may have nothing to do with the DVD medium. Likewise, the sound ins't great, but it works.

Extras include a director's commentary, a "second angle" section featuring the film's shooting script; you can also restructure the story chronologically (second guessing the director's intent). You also get trailers for Following and Memento.

Following, from Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
71 minutes, 1.33:1 Full screen, Dolby Digital 2.0
Starring Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell and John Nolan
Produced by Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Jeremy Theobald
Written, Directed and Photographed by Christopher Nolan

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