Byline: Isiah Leach, Staff Writer
Longtime great director Christopher Nolan’s newest movie, Tenet, was one of the movies that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year. It was delayed three times before finally being released in certain theaters on Sept. 3, 2020.
Before I go into reviewing this movie, I will give my personal opinion on how I thought the film was. This was a film I was very excited to see, as it was said to be a “distant cousin” from the film Inception, which was a fantastic film and also directed by Christopher Nolan, but it lived up to some of the expectations I had. The main thing that made me enjoy this was the plot, which follows a secret agent who learns how to manipulate the flow of time in his favor to prevent an attack from the future that could end the world. Along with a great plot, a cast that consisted of John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, and Kenneth Branagh, all fantastic actors. Their performance and deliverance of their lines added to the film.
While this film had many great aspects to it, the beginning had notable flaws. In the beginning, the acting could have been improved on, as there was no emotion put behind the dialogue, the actors seemed to be stolid. The pace seemed to be rushed in the beginning as well, not leaving enough time for the audience to understand what is going on before throwing another scene at you. It was as if they were trying to rush the beginning plot in order to get to the plot that appears later in the film. The camera shots were also a flaw, the shot would be in a widescreen shot, switch to a full screen, and then back to widescreen, which continued throughout the majority of the film.
As the film continued on, the acting was improved, with the actors showing emotion and delivering their lines with a convincing tone. The pace was also slowed down, allowing the audience to take in and understand what is going on in a scene.
One thing they executed almost perfectly from the very beginning, were the action scenes. With the plot focusing on the flow of time, the action scenes were shot in a way that looked almost realistic. Without spoiling, the scenes that show off the plot, are truly something to see.
With this film, the way they shot and delivered it, made it a near masterpiece. This is the type of film that will have you actually thinking from the very beginning. In order to understand the plot, you have to change your usual way of thinking because it challenges the way you think, which is one thing Christopher Nolan wrote perfectly.
The things that you watched in the beginning and were confused about, all came full circle and made sense at the end of the movie. While some of it can be predictable once you understand the idea of the movie, it was great to see everything come full circle.
Running roughly around two hours and 30 minutes, to understand the material it is presenting, you need to be focused and attentive to the film. Fun addition, without any spoilers, one of the stunts shown in the movie was actually real, and it was a big one. I recommend, if you have the time and patience for it, sitting down and watching the movie.
Tenet is available to buy DVD, Blu Ray, and online.