WARNING: The Nolan Brothers' Style May Devolve Into Schlock

We ended last week with the dismal proclamation by Joe Queenan that 'The Kids Are All Right' is no 'Sideways' or 'March of the Penguins' and, as such, 2010 (may be) the worst year ever for movies. Continuing in the vein of 'The Sky (may) be Falling', we begin this week with the colossally dumb notion that the Nolan brothers' movies are at risk of devolving into schtick.

At the NPR blog Tell Me More, Jimi Izrael writes:

Working from their own screenplays, the Nolans’ style is meticulous and distinguishable. This is a neat trick that can become a gimmick, and that scares me. But the danger here is that the Nolans start reading their own press and what had been their unique stamp devolves into schlock, ala M. Night Shyamalan...

Being meticulous is a neat trick? I thought being meticulous was being meticulous, not a trick. And, how is making good movies a gimmick? While a movie is in development do the studio guys say something like, 'Let's use the 'good movie' gimmick for this one. That'll yield some serious box office'.

Besides, anything can become gimmicky. Perhaps Sofia Coppola's atmospheric style is in danger of becoming gimmicky. Should we worry about that?

I hear Woody Allen's careful portraiture is turning into a collection of cheap gimmicks. Sound the alarm!

Danger! Sarah Polley's 'Away From Her' was a deeply considered award-winning effort, but her next movie, 'Take This Waltz' could be a gimmicky vaudevillian collection of superficial slapstick! Ta-Daaaa!

And, I'm sorry but, there is a danger the Nolans will read their own press and start making schlock? Where do you begin with such a statement? What can be said in response to such a ludicrous determination?

Lucky for us, (and the Nolans) this has scared Jimi into issuing an early warning. Izrael continues:

It’s great that they are in talks to re-imagine Superman , because someone has to. But I hope the Nolan Brothers’ style doesn’t become schtick. What do you think – more hype than talent?

He hopes the Nolan's style doesn't become schtick? You know what? I hope a giant asteroid doesn't crash into the Earth in the next ten minutes and incinerates you, me, and every other living thing on the planet. That's what I hope! That's what I'm afraid of! Anybody think of that?! Hmm? No! See what can sneak up on you if you're not on your toes? Do you see? You have to be afraid of every little possibility or you'll pay the price.

I wonder if anyone said that about, oh, say, Mozart? 'The kid is brilliant. It's a neat trick how he composes such beautiful music. Hope he doesn't believe his own press and start writing gimmicky schtick'.

And what does 'more hype than talent' mean? Did hype enable the Nolans to create such movies as 'Memento', 'The Dark Knight', and 'Inception'? I thought that was talent and hard work, not hype. But, according to Jimi, it may all be a ruse. They might not have any talent at all. It might be all hype. 100% pure hype.

Did someone plant these ideas in Izrael's mind while he was asleep? Izrael's write-up is only a few paragraphs but is shocking in its nuanced idiocy. How so much stupidity was crammed into so few sentences is an astounding thing.

I'm a little scared, too. Yes. I am. I think I'll issue a warning.

WARNING: I'm afraid that writing about movies may have devolved into idiotic schlock and bloggers (may) have become pompous asses whose minds (may) have turned to mush.

There is a plus side to this. We can all sleep better knowing in advance there is a chance the next movie from the Nolan brothers may be pure schtick.

Glad you're on it, Jimi.