Christopher Nolan (Warner Bros.)
Christopher Nolan: Nolan has risen from independent auteur with "Memento" to the Batman thrillogy that culminated in this year's blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises." Along the way, the three-time Oscar nominee also directed "Inception." That's quite a life achievement for a man who's only 42, and who has never allowed bigger budgets to drown his nimble storytelling skills.
