A retrospective of 'Inception' director Christopher Nolan's work

Christopher Nolan had us at hello ... or should that be goodbye, given his rewinding 2001 thriller "Memento"?

The writer-director is back in theaters with a brain teaser called "Inception" starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Nolan is the filmmaker equivalent of Pixar; he has yet to break a winning streak that started with the very modest "Following."

If you're a latecomer to his cinematic charms, here's a look at movies he directed, all of which are available for rental or purchase:

"Following" (1999): Nolan wrote and directed this black-and-white film about an unemployed aspiring writer in London who is obsessed with following strangers. He made this movie, just 70 minutes long, for a reported $6,000 by shooting on weekends.

"Memento" (2001): The psychological thriller starts at the shocking and bloody conclusion and then spins back to the beginning. Guy Pearce is terrific as a former insurance investigator who suffered a head trauma that left him unable to form new memories. While he hunts for the man who raped and murdered his wife, he takes Polaroids and tattoos clues on his body in this mesmerizing movie.

"Insomnia"(2002): Nolan directed this remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name starring Stellan Skarsgard. Al Pacino plays a Los Angeles police detective who is sent to Alaska to help the locals find a teenage girl's killer. Put "Insomnia,"also starring Robin Williams and Hilary Swank, on your Netflix list and feel Pacino's pain as sun and sin hauntingly keep him awake.

"Batman Begins" (2005): He reinvigorated the franchise, tapping into its action roots, its disturbing origins and its rich roles for actors such as Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson and Cillian Murphy. He set the stage for a stunning sequel.

"The Prestige" (2006): London at the turn of the 20th century provides the backdrop for this movie about a pair of rival magicians, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, and an experienced elder, Michael Caine, who designs illusions. Bale portrays a creative genius whose stage skills leave something to be desired, while Jackman is a magician who makes up for his shortcomings with razzle-dazzle. When a trick involving the two goes awry, the men turn into enemies and spend years trying to outwit the other, even as Nolan unfolds his movie as if it were a magic act ... a very nifty trick, indeed.

"The Dark Knight" (2008): You could argue that this movie is (partly) why we now have 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees rather than five. It scored eight nominations but none for picture or director, although it earned a well-deserved posthumous Academy Award for Heath Ledger as The Joker.

Ratings are from Seattle Times' reviews out of a 4-star system. Find them on www.seattletimes.com/movies.