Christopher Nolan is one of those select few directors who can make films that are both intellectually challenging and crowd-pleasing. That can be both a blessing and a curse. While Nolan has no problems delivering incredible big-budget spectacles, he’s not really considered an actor’s director. Despite that, Nolan has directed some wonderful performances in his films. Let’s look at some of the best ones he’s ever directed.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Robert Pattinson - Tenet

     Distributed by Warner Bros.

In Tenet, Robert Pattinson plays Neil, a time-traveling handler to The Protagonist (yes, John David Washington’s character doesn’t have a name in this movie). Pattinson in many ways has a very complicated part. Due to the time travel, he’s known as the Protagonist for a long time, but has to pretend like they’re meeting for the first time. Pattinson injects some much-needed humor and liveliness into the film. It’s clear Pattinson is having a blast, even though he didn’t quite understand what the film was about. It’s tough to hold that against him when many people who saw the film felt the same way. Still, it doesn’t stop Pattinson from giving a very entertaining and enjoyable performance that makes us almost wish he was the lead of the film.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 Matthew McConaughey - Interstellar

     Distributed by Paramount Pictures

In Interstellar, Matthew McConaughey plays Joseph Cooper, an astronaut tasked with finding a new planet for humanity to live on. The problem? He has to leave his own kids behind to do so, and time works differently when traveling through wormholes, so five minutes in space to McConaughey is years for his kids on Earth. That leads to McConaughey’s best acting scene, when he sees a video of his daughter, now the same age as him and played by Jessica Chastain. We see McConaughey run the gauntlet from joy at his kids’ achievements to sadness at missing out on seeing them grow up, all in such a short time. He’s great in the rest of the film, too.

6 Al Pacino - Insomnia

Nolan’s Insomnia is a remake of a Norwegian film of the same name from 1997, with Nolan’s version opting to set the story in Alaska instead of Norway. Both the original and remake see a detective who cannot sleep, a result of the massive guilt he feels, trying to capture a murderer. Al Pacino plays the detective in the remake, the only Nolan film he is not a credited writer on. Pacino gives a very good performance, with the lack of sleep visibly weighing on him throughout the film. He gets a very good scene when interrogating a high schooler, perfectly cutting through the high schooler’s nonsense without ever having to raise his voice or get angry. It’s great work from an actor whose career has been filled with some incredible performances.

5 Leonardo DiCaprio - Inception

     Warner Bros.

The lead of Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a specialist in corporate espionage, via sneaking into his targets’ dreams to steal their secrets. All Cobb wants to do is go back to the US to see kids, something he can’t do since he’s wanted for the murder of his wife. Therefore, he takes on the one job that might help him get back into America and clear his criminal status. DiCaprio gives a very good performance, grounding the film and making us really feel that desperation of wanting to get back to his kids. The film portrays the act of Inception as this highly dangerous thing and almost impossible to do, but Cobb knows it can be done. He’s done it before. When Cobb reveals what he did to his wife, it’s a heartbreaking moment, made more painful and tragic by DiCaprio’s performance.

4 Christian Bale - The Prestige

     Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures

Massive spoiler alert warnings are due when talking about this film and especially, Bale’s performance in it. So if you haven’t seen The Prestige, turn back now, and go watch it immediately. It’s one of Nolan’s best films. Technician vs Performer is a trope that is on full display in this film. Here, Christian Bale plays the Technician role. It’s honestly a very tricky role, especially with the big reveal at the end that Bale was playing twin brothers the whole time. It’s the key element that makes Bale’s Alfred Borden/Bernard Fallon’s magic trick, “The Transported Man,” work at all. The challenge for Bale is to show the subtle differences between the twins, as they basically live the same life, including with the same woman and giving one an injury in the exact same spot the other received in an accident. It’s a challenge Bale is more than capable of meeting. The Prestige is a movie that demands repeat viewings, but those repeat viewings will show you all the small subtleties Bale employs in his wonderful performance.

3 Hugh Jackman - The Prestige

     Touchstone Pictures

The Performer in the Technician vs Performer duel in The Prestige, Hugh Jackman plays stage magician Robert Angier, using the stage name of “The Great Danton.” He also plays the role of Lord Caldlow, who is hiding one heck of a secret. It’s not an exaggeration to say this is one of the best performances Hugh Jackman has ever given. His natural charisma is on full display when he’s performing his magic acts in front of an audience. He also brings Angier’s obsessive side wonderfully to life as he goes to any lengths to steal Borden’s signature “The Transported Man” trick. This includes cloning himself (via a machine built by Nikola Tesla, no less) and then killing off the clone after each performance. The problem? Angier can’t tell if he’s the clone or the original. Either way, Angier loses a little more of himself after each performance, another aspect Jackman brings out perfectly.

2 Guy Pearce - Memento

     Newmarket

In Memento, Guy Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia, which leaves him unable to form short-term memories. As a result, he has to take Polaroid pictures with notes or get tattoos on his body to remember things. Pearce perfectly captures the discomfort of not being able to form those memories. The film’s story sees Leonard on the hunt for the mysterious John G, who Leonard believes killed his wife. It’s this desire for vengeance that drives Leonard, with Pearce wonderfully realizing that aspect of him. However, the big reveal of what has really happened to Leonard recently puts a new, more twisted look on the character, as he’s willing to kill again and again and lie to himself to make himself happy and filled with purpose. It’s a tricky transition, but Guy Pearce pulls it off with flying colors.

1 Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

     Warner Bros. Pictures

No surprise here. Heath Ledger delivers one of the most iconic, scary, and downright impressive villain performances ever put to film, a performance which rightfully won Ledger a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Given that he’s playing one of the most well-known villains in comic book history, Ledger makes his version of the Joker really stand out. He’s contradictory, as seen when he says he’s an agent of chaos, yet plans some of the most elaborate crimes Gotham has ever seen. He’s hilarious as the scene where he convinces Gotham’s mob underworld to hire him to kill Batman shows. Most of all, he’s terrifying, with too many examples to count. Acting-wise, Ledger’s best scene is probably the interrogation scene with Batman. Of course, Ledger’s also got other incredible scenes such as… every last one he has in the movie. It’s a performance that’s going to stand the test of time as one of the greatest ever given.