T E N E T
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 Time runs out.
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Tenet (or stylized as T E N E T) is an 2020 British-American science fiction spy action thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan for his 11st film, who produced it with Emma Thomas. A co-production between the United Kingdom and United States, it stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. The plot follows a secret agent (Washington) as he manipulates the flow of time to prevent World War III. Tenet was released in the United Kingdom on August 26, 2020, and United States on September 3, 2020, in IMAX, 35 mm, and 70 mm.
Plot
Armed with only just one word -- Tenet -- and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time, before the whole world started the third World War.
Why Time Won't Run Out
- It still retains the charm of films directed by Christopher Nolan, which does a great of it.
- Incredibly original and ingenious plot. The concept of the ability to reverse time by inverting entrophy is great.
- Outstanding acting. John David Washington and Robert Pattinson's performances as the Protagonist, and Neil, the Protagonist's handler were amazing especially.
- The characters are likable, strong, and unforgettable, such as the Protagonist, and Neil.
- Great cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema, much like other Christopher Nolan movies,
- The soundtrack that was composed by Ludwig Göransson is awesome, especially the song "The Plan" by Travis Scott.
- Amazing visual effects for a Sci-fi action thriller film.
- The action scenes are pretty cool to look at, just like Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy.
- Andrei Sator, the film's villain, often feels like a legitimate threat.
- Somewhat decent amounts of humor, but not to the point it feels forced.
- Smooth and brisk pacing. The movie is two and a half hours yet it feels right at or only a bit over two hours because the movie has tons of entertainment value.
- Memorable and great quotes, like "Don't try to understand it. Feel it."
- The Protagonist and Neil need a distraction to break into the vaults of the freeport in Oslo. Enter Mahir, who hijacks a Boeing 747 on the nearby tarmac and crashes it into Freeport's hangar, unloading the plane's gold bullion shipment on the tarmac as he goes.
- And it was done for real: the production really did buy an old 747 for the scene, because it was apparently cheaper than using scale models.
Bad Qualities
- The story can be confusing as like Inception you need to watch it twice or three times to fully understand it.
- On 35mm prints only, the sound effects can sometimes cover the dialogue, making it near impossible to make out correctly. The DCP prints and all home releases (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital) have the correct mixing.
- Sator, though threatening at times, feels like a generic Russian villain.
Reception
Tenet was well-received by critics and audiences with some favorably comparing it to Nolan's film Inception and praising the cast performances (particuarly Branagh's, Debicki's, Pattinson's and Washington's), action sequences, musical score, directions, themes, production design, visual effects and the film's ending though many have lamented the confusing plot. The film holds a 70% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 358 reviews, with an average rating of 7.22/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A visually dazzling puzzle for film lovers to unlock, Tenet serves up all the cerebral spectacle audiences expect from a Christopher Nolan production.". Metacritic scores a film a 69/100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The film received an 7.4/10 on IMDB. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, tied with The Prestige for being the lowest-rated Nolan film on CinemaScore. PostTrak assigned it an 80% positive score with a 65% definite recommend.
Box office
Despite being well-received, Tenet under-performed at the box office, grossed $363 million worldwide, with Warner Bros. being projected losses as high as $100 million, compared to the other Christopher Nolan films.
Videos
Trivia
- The original release date was originally on the tenth-anniversary screening of Inception, before it was delayed.
- This was the first film to use the new Warner Bros. Pictures logo, albeit tinted red; the Syncopy Flims logo was tinted in blue.
- It is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2020.
- This is the first major blockbuster film to be released in Hollywood a few months after the closure of many theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- With a production budget of $200 million, Tenet is Nolan's most expensive original project.
- Due to Christopher Nolan conflicts regarding the studio's simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max release schedule, Tenet is the last film to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
- Hans Zimmer was planned to compose the score but Zimmer had to decline due to his commitments to Dune, which was also distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Ludwig Göransson was instead chosen as the composer, making it first film to compose by him.
- A trailer for the Christopher Nolan's Tenet was first shown in the "Party Royale" game mode for Fortnite before releasing to other digital services on May 21, 2020.
External Links
Tenet at the Internet Movie Database
Tenet on Rotten Tomatoes
Comments
- Good media
- Good films
- Warner Bros. films
- 2020s films
- Live-action films
- Films directed by Christopher Nolan
- British films
- American films
- Thriller films
- Action films
- Science fiction films
- Based on real events
- Positively received box-office bombs
- Academy Award-winning films
- Featured on CinemaWins
- Cult films
- Films featured in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die