Cold? Nolan's films are full of emotions!

I think the complaint is more to do with how dark and psychological he takes the emotions of the characters. A lot of his main character's have suffered loss or will at some point in the film. However, I think that is more of a strength than a weakness. To show characters having suffered loss and have their psychology twist and form around it, yet always find resolve. It depends on what way you look at his films and characters. The optimist might think that Inception is a happy ending, while the pessimist will think it is dark and tragic. Also The Prestige, the only one of the main characters you can say for certain is a good person is Michael Caine's character. Who you side with depends on who you are. There are two defining emotions in the Human condition; Love and fear. And Nolan's films have covered them both very well, in many ways that most filmmakers these days fail to.

Off-topic, I agree that Fincher's films feel cold, to the point where it feels like a machine made them and performed them. It led to me not giving a **** for anyone in The Social Network.

If you look at Nolan and Fincher they were both very much influenced by Kubrick, and many critics have called Kubrick cold too. I have to disagree, all three of them showed emotions in their films, just that they showed it in a very different way. They want to play us like an instrument. They'll do scenes that seemed cold but later pull the rug on us with a lot emotions. A good Nolan example is in The Dark Knight how the relationship between Gordon and Dent is at first they kind of don't like each other, but they know the only chance they to fix the city is by working with each other. Then you see how that relationship develops into how Gordon feels responsible for what happen to Dent, and has to find away save him. That last scene between them the way Gordon is lying helpless on the ground while Dent who now a monster is threatening to kill his son. I found that extremely emotional.

Well does a film that deals with intense emotion have to be carried out in a personal fashion?
It could take a fly-on-the-wall approach and just show how these characters descend into chaos or madness and how they deal with it!

Well, I kinda can understand that! After watching all his films many times I noticed one thing. Nolan tends to use the actors simply as tools, as parts of big scheme. Not that I say it's bad... he casts great actors (well, except Holmes) and those give decent performances in his movies but I feel they are kinda restricted, not given enough freedom from him...Thought?

Since Nolan does not use cliches; the most loved emotion of the general audience..of course he will be called cold.

Ohh mista fweeze

I can understand why its said. I've never really experienced any emotions that really hit me in the heart when I'm watching Nolan movies and that's a funny thing to admit. Nolans movies never hit me like Million Dollar Baby did, Rocky, LOTR: Return of the King, the Wrestler, etc. Instead, I find myself captivated by the stories he tells and the worlds he creates.

There's something dreamy about Nolan's style (not just Inception) and I don't think he intends to hit you in the gut with his movies. He just fascinates me with stories and style in his movies.

Chris435 wrote:I can understand why its said. I've never really experienced any emotions that really hit me in the heart when I'm watching Nolan movies and that's a funny thing to admit. Nolans movies never hit me like Million Dollar Baby did, Rocky, LOTR: Return of the King, the Wrestler, etc. Instead, I find myself captivated by the stories he tells and the worlds he creates.

There's something dreamy about Nolan's style (not just Inception) and I don't think he intends to hit you in the gut with his movies. He just fascinates me with stories and style in his movies.

For me, his films can be very emotional. Maybe it's because I can kind of relate to the character of Dom in Inception.