10 Harsh Truths You Don't Want To Admit About Chris Nolan's Movies

7. A Lack Of Heart

One of the most-cited criticisms of Nolan's films (especially his more recent ones) is that they simply lack heart. Despite all of the high-drama that takes place, Nolan struggles to invest us emotionally in what's going on, because while the characters often speak in bombastic, dramatic terms, they're not necessarily always very human or relatable characters. Though Rachel's death in The Dark Knight was a shocking and unexpected moment, the lack of emotional service the movie pays to Bruce's anguish makes it difficult to becoming viscerally involved in his struggle: he simply has to pick up the pieces and move forward to take The Joker down. In Inception, Cobb's quest to get back to his children should have been a deep emotional hook for audiences, yet Nolan barely engages with the idea at all beyond being a narrative concept on which to hang the mind-bending plot and action sequences. Nolan's Interstellar, with its epic narrative encapsulating all of humanity as well as its protagonist's own children, will hopefully signal Nolan's growing maturity as a filmmaker, and he'll engage our heart as much as he tries to our mind.