e-zee wrote: ↑September 4th, 2020, 10:49 am
I've seen TENET last week in IMAX and I must admit that it blew me away. So, naturally, I went again this Wednesday.
The IMAX room was about one-third full on both occasions (every other seat was available), so if you have the opportunity, be sure to go to IMAX.
This time around, Nolan's narration is rather traditional, especially in first hour. Then after inversion is introduced to a higher level, the whole thing might get a little confusing. In the best possible way.
I have to admit that during the first screening a few times I started having problems with small things, but either I was quickly catching up with my understanding or I was taking a leap of faith (
yeah) and solved the confusing parts after the screening. But this is a question for another thread. Overall, even if particular scene confuses you, it won't affect your perception of the whole thing. Nolan does his best, doesn't try to overcomplicate things, and the movie flows seamlessly.
Naturally, in terms of direction and technology, we are dealing here with the highest-quality craftsmanship. Nolan takes one of the oldest tricks in cinematography (forward vs reverse), gives it a meaning and role in the plot and puts it into a mix of B-class movies, spy movies and sci-fi, creating an explosive mixture.
The film looks and sounds phenomenal (the sound mixing did not bother me at all - it was great, risky and demanding). Hoyte van Hoytema had the opportunity to have fun with the camera & lighting and he used it masterfully (blue&red, Stalker homage). There are several action scenes and I will definitely come back to them many times - the whole sequence in Oslo, great car chase, final battle.
John David Washington has so much coolness and swagger in him that I didn't need any details of his character - his charisma was enough for me. The Protagonist (it's not his name! It's just his role) is just a cool, sardonic agent with mission on his mind. Anyway, for me it's always a stupid argument - the so-called lack of depth characters in movies. If the actor and the director do their best, each character can be interesting.
Pattinson is probably the MVP of the film - he is great and ironic as a specialist helping the protagonist in the next stages of his mission. The chemistry between the main characters is really fantastic.
Debicki and Branagh make an interesting couple - Kat suppresses her emotions to finally vent them; Sator, in turn, is a figure on the verge of exaggeration, but Branagh never exceeds it and balances perfectly on this border.
Jen Lame perfectly coped with the extremely difficult editing - both of the entire movie and action scenes. I have only one objection to a few dialogue scenes (not all, obviously) - sometimes there's too many cuts. Sometimes it would be useful to keep the shot on an actor(s) a little longer longer. It is partially Nolan's fault, who is probably too often satisfied with shot/countershot dialogue scenes (especially the scene on the hill in Amalfi, where apart from establishing shot, we have two talking heads when there's amazing landscape around).
I completely disagree with the accusation that the film lacks emotion. Of course, as it happens in a concept films, the characters have to stand a bit in the shade, but the film definitely has a heart, or even two. The mother and baby story is such a basic movie archetype that it doesn't need extra scenes ("I love You mommy" and stuff), while Washington and Pattinson's bromance gives an emotional kick towards the end of the movie.
Nolan's Tenet certainly made the most divisive movie of his career, but he clearly did it deliberately. You can see it in the reviews: "to much exposition" vs "too little explained and you can't hear anything". He created an original work woven in a very precise way and had the opportunity to implement it on his own terms. We, as an audience, must support the directors who are trying to give us something new.
After the first viewing I would give it strong 8/10, but now I can safely give 9/10.