PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW OF THE MOVIE. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE.
Christopher Nolan movies are now considered “event” movies when they come out. He has achieved a feat that only a handful of truly great directors manage and that is get audiences excited for your new movie without even knowing what it’s about. Couple that with the fact he is an “old school” filmmaker who believes in doing everything in camera practically where at all possible, and it is little wonder why his films always feel so visceral and real, even if the story is fantastical.
This movie was to be a big tentpole release for Warner Bros this summer, but we all know why that didn’t happen. However, when cinemas reopened, Nolan requested it be amongst the first to be shown on screens. How many other directors could make such a request and actually have the studios listen and acquiesce?
THE STORYAn unnamed CIA agent get embroiled in an operation with numerous duplicitous and shady characters with the fate of the world at stake, somehow linked to a single word…..Tenet.
OVERALL OPINIONIn this day and age of filmmaking where CGI is king, it is great when a director like Nolan comes along to remind audiences (and studios) of the kind of story telling and filmmaking that can be achieved by doing as much in camera and practically as possible. While good CGI is essentially invisible, it is only when watching a movie such as this where you can tell everything you are watching was actually done on set that you realise how generic and same certain aspects of filmmaking (using CGI) has gotten. Without obviously computer generated images on screen, the audience is left to focus purely on the story, dialogue and acting. And when the action set-pieces do come, they feel so much more real and engaging because they are real.
For anyone that struggles with stories of a timey-wimey non-linear persuasion with a physics edge, then this may not be the movie for you. There are some concepts in this movie that I can see some people finding difficult to grasp and therefore lessening their enjoyment. However, for those who follow the concepts, understand and get it, they will be in for a treat.
At times the story seems to leave some threads that will lead nowhere or be left dangling, but Nolan does an amazing job of rewarding the more astute viewers with a film that addresses and wraps up everything, not necessarily neatly, but in a really satisfying way. Simultaneously, he manages to come up with amazing and visually creative sequences where time is going forwards and backwards at the same time, depending on the person in the scene (trust me, it will make sense when you watch the movie).
John David Washington is rapidly becoming a firm favourite of mine. He has great screen presence and is engaging throughout the movie. So too is Robert Pattinson.
Given the nature of the plot, it’s kind of difficult to say more about this movie without ruining anything. However, this is the second movie I have watched at the cinema in the past two weeks. My enjoyment may be elevated due to lack of films being released so far this year. However, I can definitely see me enjoying this movie in multiple viewings and will probably end up buying it on bluray, if not for anything else than the behind-the-scenes stuff of how the shot certain sequences.
THE PERFORMANCES John David Washington as The ProtagonistHe may not look like his dad, but he sounds a hell of a lot like him. Between BlacKkKlansman and this movie though, he is fast becoming one of my favourite actors in Hollywood. And on his own merits and not because of who his dad is. He is great in this role, doing a fantastic job with the action scenes as well as the dialogue, bringing lots of effortless charm and likability to the character. I really look forward to seeing what he will appear in next.
Robert Pattinson as NeilThe newest Batman gets to show that there is a lot more to him than just the Twilight movies (which, anyone who has followed his career and seen the movies he has done in the past 10 years can attest to). His character reminds me a lot of Tom Hardy’s character in Inception. Not quite as charming, but definitely cut from the same cloth. Anyone who thinks his casting as Batman was a mistake will hopefully have their minds changed after seeing him in this.
Elizabeth Debicki as KatI got the feeling that the role didn’t really stretch her as an actress. Which is a good thing. You really care for her and really couldn’t get a proper read on her. Likeable, vulnerable and yet with the strength to do what she needs to for her son, this is a quite complex role that Debicki knocks out of the park.
Kenneth Branagh as Andrei SatorGiven his propensity for directing these days, it’s always nice when he pops out from behind the camera and shows us his acting chops. Most actors agree that villains are the best roles as you can do so much them. I wouldn’t say Ken is in scenery chewing mode here, but he does provide a lot of menace of presence on-screen without having to raise his voice. Which makes him all the more effective, cold and calculating.
Himesh Patel as MahirI almost mistook him for the actor in Inception at first. But then realised it was the same guy from the Beatles music inspired film “Yesterday: that came out last year. He’s only got a small part here, but does well with what little he is given.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as IvesA small role, and a great and likeable character who does feel like something out of a video game at times. I only realised it was ATJ towards the end of the film just before one of the missions.
OTHER STUFFThe ScoreI’m not usually one to notice movie scores unless they are truly exceptional or stand out. And, nothing really stood out in this movie for me.
The ActionConsidering Nolan’s love for practical/distaste for CGI and the nature of this story, they really managed to accomplish a hell of a lot of great action. More than once I found myself being blown away with what I was seeing, because you could tell they actually did those things on set.
The PacingFaultless. Enough action to keep things fun, enough dialogue and great acting to keep the story moving along nicely. I was never bored.
The CinematographerMany parts of this movie look absolutely breathtaking. Although, more than once I did find myself thinking about certain locations in the Hitman game!
Other stuffI had read a lot of reviews of people saying the sound mix was a bit off throughout the film; that the music was way too loud to the point some people couldn’t hear the dialogue properly. While it’s true that in some scenes the sound if turned way up, I didn’t find it above normal during action scenes of dialogue scenes.
FINAL VERDICTIf you like Christopher Nolan movies, then chances are you will like this. Some aspects of the plot may lose/confuse people, but if you get it you will love it.
Run time - 2h 30m
Rotten Tomatoes critics score (at time of writing) - 75%
My Score: 8.5/10 MY MOVIE RATING SYSTEM
10- Citizen F*%king Kane (A+)
9- Bloody Great (A)
8- Really rather good (A-)
7- Pretty decent (B+)
6- Definitely above average (B)
5- Middle of the road average (C)
4- Mediocre (D)
3- Meh (E)
2- Crap (F)
1- Why the hell did I waste my time and money on this abomination (Unrated)
