Christopher Nolan

Trivia:

Christopher Nolan did his part to take non-linear storytelling to a whole new level when he made 'Memento' back in 2000, and it has been a part of all of his films since, from 'The Prestige' to 'The Dark Knight Rises'. It’s a tradition that the filmmaker has done his part to try and rejuvenate, as he believes that this style stopped being used when movies started being screened on television, requiring a more linear approach.

Going into each of his projects, he wants to create something that is as all-consuming as possible, and a big part of that process is staying completely focused on the task at hand. He goes into every movie as if it were the last one is ever going to make.

Michael Caine and Christopher Nolan first came to work together when the latter hired the former to play Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth in 2005’s 'Batman Begins', and they have been rather inseparable since. In addition to the actor reprising his role as Alfred in both 'The Dark Knight' and 'The Dark Knight Rises', Caine also played a key parts in both 'The Prestige' and 'Inception', and is also a part of the ensemble in 'Interstellar'. Asked about what it is about the British star that he appreciates working with, Nolan said that he is regularly impressed by his ability to be so prepared and so good "with no apparent effort," and that he can be used as an example for everyone else on the set of the film. The director added that Caine has gotten the idea in his head that he has become Nolan’s "lucky charm," which, of course, means that Nolan now needs to use him in every single project he makes.

Christopher Nolan’s adventures with the Caped Crusader eventually came together to create one of the best superhero trilogies of all time, but none of it would have been possible if the filmmaker hadn’t been allowed to take multiple years between the sequels and been able to work on other projects in the interim.

'Star Wars' and '2001: A Space Odyssey' had an important impact on him as a kid. The director said that he first saw the latter film when he was only seven years old and really had no idea what it meant from a philosophical standpoint, but was left in awe by its simple magnitude and the creation of an amazing cinematic experience.

Being a perfectionist, he prefers constructing movies with nothing but realism. So for his movie 'Inception', massive rotating sets were built inside of a London airport hangar for the zero-gravity fight scenes.