Tenet

Writer/director Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) once again turns his thought-provoking script into a twisted, visual and mental feast with Tenet. As in his earlier outing, Inception, some of the plot twists may be hard to keep up with, but that's only half the fun of this excellent, time-bound thriller. Waking up from what he thought was a mission that ended in suicide , The main character (John David Washington) is informed that he has “passed the test” and joined the small elite of the CIA. His next mission is to make contact with a group known as Tenet. Ultimately, his goal is to prevent Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh), a current madman dealing with future terrorists, from starting World War 3. But instead of nuclear Armageddon, the Protagonist faces a more difficult task: stopping the destruction of time. With the help of Sator's wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki) and Tenet members Neil (Robert Pattinson) and Ives (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), The Protagonist weaves through plots going both ways in a mind-bending attempt to win. The script is solid, reflecting the years of work put into him. Even with a carefully crafted plot, the story moves coherently and rarely becomes difficult to follow, even if the details are sometimes dizzying. The main character comes across as an ordinary hero, despite his advanced training - someone just doing his job, finding himself in a difficult situation that he must see through to the end. Regardless of the contributions of theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, the science seems dubious at times. Thankfully, Nolan doesn't get too bogged down in the story trying to explain it. Together, he and Thorne provide enough information to keep the viewer within the bounds of plausibility and engaged in an even narrative. One distraction while writing is the lack of character development. They are all as they are, from beginning to end. The difference is that the audience may not be aware of who they are, which makes the lack of dimension forgivable. Because the characters are simple, they are easy to play by the talented actors cast in the roles. Branagh is delightfully, unapologetically self-centered and evil. Washington is the ultimate hero that everyone roots for from start to finish. Pattinson's girlfriend, who has more to offer, is portrayed to perfection, as is Debecki's slandered wife, who seeks not only to escape, but to avenge herself. There is excellent use of reverse music and sound effects that suit the film very well, thought out and executed to give the audience has an inverted feeling. It is subtle enough that the audience may or may not notice it. As with the music and sound effects, some surprisingly clear battle scenes move through time in both directions, often simultaneously. Despite their complexity, they are not difficult to follow. This also applies to chase scenes. This clarity is a testament to the exceptional work of the cinematographers and special effects specialists. Tenet is not exactly the film that is previewed. That can be part of the point - showing the audience something and then making them realize it's not quite what they thought it was. For Christopher Nolan, changing the norms of filmmaking philosophy is the goal - and so far it's working.