Christopher Nolan isn’t in the movie business, he’s in the masterpiece business. He is the greatest artist to have ever directed in film and I just had to make this list. I’ll change it if necessary, but this is my opinion on the matter at hand. I’ve made one for all of my other favorite directors so how can I not give some recognition to my absolute favorite director. All of the films he’s made have been magnificent and this list is a celebration of those films.

6. Following

Nolan’s first film is basically just a tease for exactly what’s to come from this great man’s career.  It’s filled with interesting and defined characters circumnavigating a strange plot amplified by its structure and execution. The best moment in the film comes from a subtle bat symbol placed on one of the character’s doors. Nolan’s been asked and maybe it is just coincidence, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome.

5. Insomnia

I saw Insomnia awhile ago and wasn’t blown away, but upon watching it a handful of times more recently I just fell in love with this movie. Sure it doesn’t have the innovation and scope of other Nolan masterpieces, but it still has that same flawless direction. As with all of his films, no shot is out of place and the acting is incredible. Both Al Pacino and Robin Williams play brilliantly off of each other, giving some of the best performances of their long careers.

4. The Prestige

Through a marvelous tale of two rival magicians, Nolan establishes a story of obsession, dedication and art. The Prestige is such glorious film that entertains throughout. The performances are fantastic especially when it comes to Christian as the enigmatic Alfred Borden. This a film that explores the wondrous world of magic and he does so brilliantly with a dark, brooding story of how far a person will go  when someone is working against them.

3. Memento

Memento is just a classic at this point and it’s the film that got Christopher Nolan’s name out there. In Memento we’re shown the ending of film, while the rest of the story is told backwards in order to put you in the shoes of protagonist, Leonard Shelby who, despite his condition of short-term memory loss, is desperately attempting to avenge the death of his wife. With a very original detective story, Nolan creates tense and ominous where nothing is as it seems and by the end everything makes a bit more sense.

2. Inception

Inception is masterpiece in every sense of the word. Its tells story that is both innovative and fascinating. Its never enough to be just original with Christopher Nolan. Sure, you can have the great new idea for a movie plot, but if its not backed by human characters, emotions and high stakes than you won’t get the beautiful outcome that original “parasite” of an idea may have deserved. Inception gets the execution it deserves from the greatest director in film. What Nolan has crafted with Inception is a vastly entertaining spectacle that never ceases to amaze.

1. The Dark Knight Legend

Christopher Nolan is and will always be my favorite director because he told a single story. Not only is The Dark Knight Legend (or The Dark Knight Trilogy if that tastes better going down) Christopher Nolan’s greatest feat, it’s the greatest movie ever made. Film is the greatest art form in existence and with this perfect tale of  heroism, villainy, good, evil, hope, despair (I could go on) Nolan has crafted the greatest piece of art these eyes will ever know.

The word epic was never fully exemplified until Batman’s journey was unveiled in The Dark Knight Legend. In Batman Begins we watch the perfect hero’s journey as Bruce Wayne becomes the legend known as Batman. In The Dark Knight, Batman we watch Gotham face trails and tribulations as Batman has to become the good to The Joker’s pure evil. Though the idea of balance is established in the continuous battle between good and evil in the previous film, the stakes are even higher in The Dark Knight Rises as Batman has to become the hope to the despair that Bane represents. These stories and characters are the greatest  in film and they combine and collide to tell the greatest story of all time.