Tenet
As with “The New Mutants,” I watched “Tenet” at the theatre I work at, and cannot recommend that, for health reasons, people watch movies in indoor theatres right now. I will say, though, that- ironically enough- now would be arguably be the safest time to go in terms of social distancing. Seriously, no one is busy right now.
Christopher Nolan has been manipulating the language of cinema, and how time works in cinema, since “Memento.” “Tenet” is probably his messiest effort in this respect, but it’s still an entertaining thriller for the most part, even if it feels ridiculously overlong at 2 1/2 hours. The man still has a unique and immersive vision to his work, though, and that’s why we go along with his dense vision.
The film begins with an exciting set piece of agents trying to stop a terror attack at the Russian Opera House, and that is where we meet The Protagonist (John David Washington); yes, that is what he is known as throughout the film. They have to race against time to save the patrons and orchestra members from bombs laid throughout the auditorium, and as Washington’s character is going through, we catch a glimpse of a couple of things that will play a role later- one is an item, the other is how he escapes a bullet that seems to come from the cement wall he’s near. After the op, he finds himself captured and tortured, and almost dead. Then, he ends up on a boat, alive, and being watched over by a man who appears to be his handler. He gives him a gesture and a word to keep in mind- Tenet- before sending him for training on his next assignment, which involves the type of bullet tech he faced in the opening.
As much as I appreciate great sound design and music, and “Tenet” has both, the latter of which is provided by Ludwig Goransson, the sound mix for “Tenet,” as with “Dunkirk,” left much to be desired when it came to understanding the dialogue. Maybe a different auditorium would have different results, but while I respect Nolan as a cinematic storyteller who looks at the whole experience, for a movie with as much verbal exposition as “Tenet,” being able to hear and understand the dialogue is important for enjoying the experience. I still enjoyed the experience, but this didn’t help matters.
A key to understanding “Tenet’s” visual language can be found in Nolan’s 2006 film, “The Prestige.” The way Nolan keeps returning to images such as the hillside with hats in that film has an important connection to Nolan’s narrative language here. The film deals with time and the ability to manipulate it in ways similar to “Interstellar,” although not based quite as much in reality as Washington’s character finds himself trying to meet up with a Russian oligarch (Kenneth Branagh) who moonlights as an arms dealer. The way time operates in this film is complicated, but visually compelling as Nolan and his cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema, imagine it. Protagonist finds himself working with an agent who only goes by Neil (Robert Pattinson), as well as having to get close to the oligarch’s wife (Elizabeth Debicki) to get to the bottom of it. As things start to fall into place in the last hour, you’ll find yourself looking back at earlier scenes with a new perspective, as well as how the characters behaved in those scenes. It’s kind of wild, and a lot of fun.
This is about the most generic movie that Nolan has ever made- while it has the director’s signature style and ideas, the characters are so familiar in how they embody tropes, and serve the plot, that this movie will likely remind you of any number of direct-to-video thrillers from the 1990s. It’s only because of the ambition of Nolan and his collaborators, and the personalities of the actors, that you’ll find anything remotely interesting in “Tenet.” And while I’d love to say it’s worth the risk to see it in theatres (even though no film is), it also might feel more at home for audiences to watch it in the comfort of their own homes, looking for something to turn their brains off during on a Friday night.
**I rewatched the film at home after its Blu-Ray release, and I’ll admit, the sound mix was easier to comprehend when it comes to the dialogue. The film did not feel as overlong as it did in theatres, and I found it more entertaining in general, even if it doesn’t make a lick of sense. Still, it did feel right at home at home, so if you waited to see it, you’re in luck.
