Tenet
Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branaugh
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Rated: PG-13
Tenet. It’s a word, a palindrome, and a top-secret organization in director Christopher Nolan’s latest mind-bending spy action flick. The film follows an unnamed CIA operative called The Protagonist (John David Washington), who sets out on a journey through time to stop Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branaugh in a menacing performance), a mad Russian oligarch trying to start World War III.
This movie has been the talk of the film industry for months as everyone wondered if it would even open this year. When COVID hit, and theaters shut down, the future of the film’s release was uncertain as it moved several times. Director Christopher Nolan was adamant that it be seen in theaters first as opposed to an at-home release. So, after several delays, Tenet opened for labor day weekend.
Tenet is what happens when James Bond meets Inception in Christopher Nolan’s mind. The man is obsessed with time. I’m pretty sure every movie he’s ever made involves the passage of time in some capacity, from Inception and Interstellar to Dunkirk and Memento. Give that man a clock, and he’s ready to write a screenplay about it! Tenet includes your typical Nolan fare with various complex plot points, big action sequences, and some intriguing twists. I admit that there were points of this movie I found difficult to follow because there are so many concepts introduced. Time is moving forwards and backward. The Protagonist must stop the end of the world by going to both the future and the past. It’s a lot to grasp on first viewing, and I think Nolan could have simplified the concept in some instances. However, for a two and a half-hour film, it certainly kept me interested the whole time.
The action sequences alone make the film worth seeing. They are grand in spectacle and uniquely designed. The inversion scenes are unlike anything I’ve seen before in an action movie. Some characters fight as if they’re moving in reverse while others hurdle forwards, making for some crazy visuals. There’s a scene involving a high-speed chase with a lead up that‘s masterfully crafted. I could feel the tension building as each moment passed. Whoever did the stunt driving certainly had their work cut out for them.
The film follows The Protagonist’s mission to save the world. John David Washington carries the story in the lead role with a calm, cool, and collected demeanor. Just like he did in BlackKklansman, Washington proves he can lead a film. It’s Robert Pattinson’s work as The Protagonist’s sidekick Neil that is a scene-stealer. He’s charming and mysterious, making the most of all of his screen time. This is a major departure from Pattinson’s more recent unhinged roles in The Lighthouse and Good Time, showcasing his ability to act in big-budget blockbusters just as easily as independent films.
Christopher Nolan has always had problems with female characters in his movies. (Maybe you’ve noticed the recurring theme of “dead wives” in Inception, Interstellar, Memento, and The Prestige.) Well, there are no dead wives in Tenet! What a welcome change! But Kat, played by Elizabeth Debicki, is a victim of domestic abuse. Although I think Debicki plays the character quite well as the wife of the evil Andrei, it’d be nice if Nolan could make a movie where a woman wasn’t dead or abused. That’d be nice.
It has to be mentioned; the sound mixing in Tenet is a mess. I wondered if the six months away from the theater made my ears forget what it’s like to sit in front of a large screen and actually listen to a movie? No. It wasn’t me. There are multiple reports of other people having the same problem. There are times that Ludwig Göranssen’s score (which I think is excellent) is blaring over the character’s dialogue. There are other times when the noise from the action sequences overpower what the characters are trying to say.
Example:
The Protagonist: ”So we’ll get the painting to
Soundtrack: BUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Neil: And then we’ll go to
Car Horn: HOOONNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKK
Kat: Andrei’s mission is to
Boat in the distance: ZOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM
This happens in pivotal moments, and this is a film with A LOT of important plot details being dropped to the audience. We needed to know what the characters were talking about, and sometimes I just had no idea. At some point, I guess I’ll watch this at home with subtitles because there is some dialogue I missed over a boat horn going off.
Much like Inception, Tenet is a film that takes time to process. I need to see it again at home (maybe with subtitles) to pick up on everything that happened. Christopher Nolan’s latest film can get confusing in parts no thanks to the muffled sound mixing. Nevertheless, Tenet is an action-packed mind-bender film that will keep you invested in its compelling ideas.
My Rating: 7/10