Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast Headliners: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh
Original Release Date (It's complicated but we're back!): August 26th Most Worldwide, August 31st Most USA, September 3-4th Even More USA
(NOTE: Hello, hello, HELLO! I’ve missed doing this and hope everyone’s ok…been a terrible year, eh? Stay safe…hasn’t really been well, theaters in existence for a large portion of the year at all much less new releases…much less new releases of substance. Want some good stuff? Go see Da 5 Bloods or Extraction on Netflix, Palm Springs on Hulu, or The King of Staten Island, Bill and Ted 3, or Train To Busan 2: Peninsula ..worth the waits. The New Mutants, not the wait. Anyways Well how about this tune in and find out)
Little did we know when Christopher Nolan’s next project was announced awhile back that it would have so much importance to the film industry as a whole. Tenet doesn’t tread incredibly new ground for the filmmaker as it covers tropes of espionage, action, and time. It represents a return to the major films of our lives when they were more normal. There’s some incredible stuff within that’s even better if one manages to see it on a big screen but yet one can also imagine what it is. Because it’s the Nolan touch in both the best and most typical of ways.
An exciting, gritty intro that feels right out of something like Nolan’s prior Batman / Dark Knight films introduces us to our world and hero. An unnamed CIA agent known only as “the Protagonist” (John David Washington) takes part in a battle with an apparent terrorist cell in Ukraine in the modern day. The aftermath of this conflict, that was filled with uncertain enemies and allies, is just a small spark beginning a much larger conflict across Earth as well as possibly time and space.
Therein lies the primary shtick of Tenet’s universe: “Inversion” technology. This mysterious substance or machinery which created it allows objects, people, and more to be on a different time scale than the rest of the world around them. It’s coming from somewhere in the future and means something far more than it appears to be if in fact it can be interpreted as anything at all in this at times confusing vague film. A conflict ensues as the source and plans of this technology is sought out. Some of the best action and visual spectacle occurs from this unique facet but a but more on that later.
Our Protagonist meets a wide ensemble (no surprise considering its Nolan) cast of characters in his journey. A primary ally is the suave and intriguing Neil (Robert Pattinson) who acts as a bit of a handler and strategist for the hero. The performances of both men are great especially when it comes to their comradery with each other. Washington’s Protagonist is a mainly badass tough guy extremely skilled in combat and negotiation but he also has a bit of occasional humorous charm in moments or emotional depth faced with torture or tough choices. This goes nicely with the slightly more subdued Pattinson than has been expected lately who is even more of a comedic “buddy / sidekick” role in the algorithm although he has his fair share of combat aptitude and drama as well. Smaller parts exist in allies of some regard whether CIA-based or otherwise like fellow field operative Mahir (Himesh Patel), arms dealer Priya (Dimple Kapadia), scientist Laura (Clemence Posey), or soldier commander Ives (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) although aside some solid scripting no one does much other than deliver exposition. Of course, being a Nolan film there’s the token small role Michael Caine-portrayed character of Sir Michael Crosby doing exactly what he does every time he shows up in one of these but it’s a welcome return as ever.
Aside from the CIA duo a key part of the plot is the complex relationship between arms dealing apparently potentially mastermind of a villain in Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh) and his often-separated wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki). In a classic James Bond-esque the Protagonist finds himself torn between loyalties as he attempts to infiltrate the criminal underworld of both figures. Branagh goes for a bit of a stereotypically hammy Russian performance as Sator but he is definitely often menacing with a slight bit of a melancholy purpose. Debicki gives a solid turn as Kat with her own complex dramas who ends up doing some key things to the path to victory. The plot is full of plenty of twists and surprises as a whole but especially with these characters.
While of course Nolan films are about characters and drama they’re best at marrying these with exciting sequences relevant the genre they’re attempting. It’s that “Nolan touch” for visuals, action, directing which gives every one of his past films a special feeling of fine craftsmanship unlike most other blockbusters in the medium. It can be happily said that that artistic touch is present here. There’s incredible directing close and afar, beautiful scenery and cinematography, practical effects, intense action etc. For music, while the presence of usual ally Hans Zimmer is missed, Ludwig Goransson does a fantastic score which veers more into the realms of a dark electronic / sci-fi influence not often seen in Nolan’s works which adds to the unique ominous tone.
As mentioned earlier there’s this technology which allows for things to go “backwards in time” instead of forward. Once again it can be said that this tech is never fully or appropriately explained which leads to some narrative or even within-scene confusion as to why things are happening. However, this excuse of a concept does lead to some absolutely incredible visuals and action. Soldiers and vehicles often flip “backwards” in surreally unnatural ways adding excitement and even a bit of terror to every spot it happens. Buildings explode and re-assemble themselves. Air, water, bullets “suck” themselves back to their origin point. It has an impressively realistic beauty to it amidst the excitement or bewilderment due to that mentioned Nolan skill. In some ways it’s visual techniques that have been done before but it’s nice to see WB give Nolan the budget to do it in bigger and crazier ways with some seriously crazy if at times non-sensical vague sequences. One can suppose it’s all supposed to be a bit non-sensical.
There’s really not much wrong with the film at all which is a welcome return to blockbusters in general not just from Nolan’s trademark bombastically shiny unique style. In moments it’s been done before, has some simple twists seen a mile away, can have some odd dialogue audio mixing, or has it’s time mechanics hurt the brain to think. In most other moments it’s a thrilling gorgeous ride as ever. 8.7 out of 10
