Review of Tenet (2020) by Tarekali — 01 Dec 2020
Nolan continues to challenge our established notions of cinema, especially of linear storytelling and cause effect. Watching Tenet is like peeling an onion from the outside inwards, and from the inside outwards.
Towards the end of the film you have some notion of meeting in the middle, but you know many viewings are needed to connect the roots and branches of this complex tree. As a visual storyteller Nolan continues to deliver, his set pieces and action sequences are adequate, though some moments seemed repeated from previous outings especially Dark Knight.
Some vistas seemed like fillers lifted from random Bond films. The underlying technology of inversion was not adequately explained to a science buff like me, and seemed somewhat glossed over for convenience.
The communication between present protagonists and future masters could also benefit from additional expansion. The abusive marriage in the center of the plot seemed a distraction and not conducive to the conclusion.
The movie is a challenge to watch in trying to keep diametrically opposite timelines unified in the mind. There are several aha moments when you get the satisfaction of realizing or predicting what just happened, but long stretches of head scratching in between.
Definitely cerebral cinema for formidable minds.
This review of Tenet (2020) was written by Tarekali on 01 Dec 2020.
Tenet has generally received positive reviews.
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