Reviewing a Chris Nolan movie is always an interesting prospect. I’m a big fan of his work with Memento, the Dark Night Rises, Inception and Dunkirk, all amongst my best films ever. Interstellar, not so much. So how will the spinning top fall for his latest movie, Tenet.
Nolan’s latest spy-action movie, Tenet, thumps out of the starting gate with an extended action sequence set in a Kyiv opera house. The sight of the elegantly dressed audience seated in a lavish theatre is enough to satiate our deprived Covid eyes. An audience, remember them? This scene alone was mesmerising considering I was sitting in a huge Vmax cinema with 20 other reviewers dispersed throughout the cinema.
What felt like fifteen minutes later, my heart was still racing, my eyes still darting about the screen and the apocalyptic music drummed my ears. I was a tad concerned that I wouldn’t stand the pace. Would I have to leave if the tempo kept up throughout the film? My initial reaction … what a rush!
Thankfully Nolan gave us a reprieve, slowing the pace to introduce the main players, the protagonist, simply known as ‘the protagonist’ (John David Washington, Denzel’s son) lived life as a highly successful CIA agent until he was recruited for his current task. Armed with only the word ‘Tenet’ he must you know … prevent World War III.
Like the protagonist we aren’t given much more information to begin with and just as you’re starting to wonder about you own level of intelligence (I must have been missing they day they taught quantum physics), our hero meets scientist Laura (Clemence Poesy) who shows him a bullet moving backwards, and tells him “don’t try to understand it.” A neat trick that instantly gives the audience permission to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
The protagonist soon enlists the help of the super cool Neil (Robert Pattinson). It’s always good to have someone to bounce of as you work through various building scaling, art heisting, plane crashing, boat driving, car chasing sequences. Just when you think you’ve seen all the car chase configurations possible, here’s another one.
Ultimately we meet Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh), the arms-race baddie behind it all, and his towering, elegant estranged wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki).
Like Inception and Dunkirk, Tenet is another time bending (not time travelling) thrill that you can’t say much about. While not strictly a sequel to Inception, there are a couple of small pieces that potential nod to Inceptions spinning top. Also like Inception you have to keep watching, you cannot take your eyes off the action for fear of missing some crucial piece of information.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure what’s happening in the beginning. Things will become clearer … ish. At least clearer than Inception.
The first half was already more than enough for me to be excited, but then the action and twists stepped up to another level. Of course it did, it’s a Nolan movie.
Washington and Pattinson were both excellent, and it was nice to see Michael Caine for a moment. Washington’s performance would easily see his name added to the potential Bond list. Debicki’s cool was charming and her long limbs came in particularly handy during a driver-less car (i.e. a car that’s lost it’s driver not a driverless, oh you get it) scene.
There were however two elements I found tough. First hearing the dialogue in some spaces. What is it with Nolan putting masks on his actors? This time there were full face helmets and oxygen masks (used well to designate which way the time was flowing). Sadly our own experiences with masks have not attuned our ears to a Nolan-mask dialogue. Next time I’ll watch it with subtitles. Yes there will be a next time.
Secondly I must admit it was hard to get past the fact that our baddie was Branagh doing an accent. While it was a fine performance this character may have been more believable with a lesser known actor.
Overall, I was surprised to read the movie was two hours thirty, it certainly didn’t feel like that. Some scenes will leave you wondering about how they were made. Was the film run back or the actors running backwards, or both? I hope that bit of movie magic stays a secret. Oh to peak inside Nolan’s brain for a moment, though on second thoughts maybe not.
If you liked Inception and or Dunkirk you’ll enjoy Tenet. See it on a big screen. Dare I say it, the movie even works without one key Nolan movie ingredient, cough Tom Hardy, just saying.
Rating 9 out of 10.
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