Tenet, Tenet, Tenet. There is so much to say about Nolan’s hotly-anticipated time-spy action thriller.
On a metacontextual note, it is perhaps useful to point out that Tenet is, globally, the first post-lockdown mega-blockbuster. How serendipitous it is that we are delivered from cinematic ruin by Christopher Nolan, a known old-school loyalist of theatrical exhibition, yet also an upper-echelon postmodernist auteur of the mainstream. Unfortunately, conceiving of Tenet as the second coming of cinema, risen from the dead, might’ve pushed my own expectations above the realm of reason.
Tenet is, at its core, a concept film. Much like a concept car. It is fire, flashy and sexy as hell. Question is; who the hell drives a concept car?
Did I enjoy/like Tenet? Of course. It’s Nolan. A sleek, stunning spy thriller perfectly bio-engineered around a trippy metaphysical concept. Gorgeous, globe-spanning locations shot in IMAX. Mind-blowing and succulently original action set pieces. A bumping, thumping electro-orchestral soundtrack composed by Ludwig Göransson (of Black Panther and The Mandalorian fame). Labyrinthine plotting of a typically Nolanesque nature. Keeps you thinking, sweating and rooting for the good guys even though you have no idea what they’re doing.
What’s not to like? Well, a fair bit if I’m being honest. I find it difficult to say that I love Tenet, or even that I enjoyed it as much as its closest sibling, Inception.
For much of the first half, I was legitimately confused. Not about the time-reverse plot device; the mechanics of that was made explicit by Nolan’s trademark science-explainer scene. But about what the hell was going on with the narrative. The pacing was choppy and quick, the exposition was unclear by way of overly-naturalistic dialogue, the plot development was confusingly erratic. Not to mention the utter void of character emotion and humanity (not aided by John David Washington’s notably restrained and robotic performance).
However, in the second half, things fell perfectly into place for me. The initially off-kilter narrative was spun on its head and made obvious by the new state of affairs. I understood why the first half had to be the way it was. It was then, that I found the right mental space to luxuriate in everything wonderful about the film. I found myself on the edge of my seat, visually gorging my eyes on the one-of-a-kind conceptual set pieces that I had never seen before. Tapping my feet to the beat of Göransson’s percussion-fueled soundscape. Wracking my brain to keep up with the mental havoc Nolan was viciously orchestrating. The complex fluidity of time turned from confusing plot device to philosophical splendor, literally in a single shot.
Tenet is a difficult film to review, for reasons that will become clear upon viewing. It is like the genius, eccentric uncle spouting quasi-scientific conspiracies during an outdoor barbecue. Much to like and enjoy, but very difficult to love. It is a concept film. Only when the concept finally became transparent, did I start to appreciate its aesthetic trappings and semantic complexity.
Other notes:
- Some have complained about the “poor audio mixing”. I did, in fact, find it difficult to parse out the dialogue from the background. Although, given the huge budget and Nolan’s diligence in craftsmanship, I choose to believe that the difficulty in hearing the dialogue properly was a conscious result of shooting primarily on-location instead of on a set.
- I thoroughly enjoyed Kenneth Branagh’s villainous turn as a megalomaniacal Russian oligarch. Absolutely spicy chemistry with Elizabeth Debicki’s, the beautiful but scorned wife.
- However difficult a film to comprehend, it didn’t stop us from exiting the theatre, jokingly running in reverse while humming Travis Scott’s ‘The Plan’. Humdumdumdum humdumdumdum humdumdumdum.
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