TCTTS said:

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Since a couple people have asked, a quick update...

As of last night, I've finally made it halfway through Tenet... twice. It's not that the audio's bad, it's that Nolan seemingly ALWAYS chooses either masked individuals or foreign actors with thick accents to deliver important exposition, and it drives me insane. I'm all for diversity. I'm all for hiring foreign actors in prominent roles. But good gosh, if they have a thick accent they SHOULDN'T be delivering important information in a complex sci-fi movie.

All of this to say, I made I through the first hour until I knew I had missed so much important dialogue that I started completely over with subtitles. Then, last night, I made it literally one scene past where I had made it previously (we just left the yacht), before my power went out in a crazy rain storm and I finally just went to bed. The power is back today, but I just got an email saying that a couch I ordered in August will likely FINALLY be delivered this week, and I may save the rest of my watch for that glorious moment. I moved into a new place in August, ordered a new, custom-made couch when I did, but it's taken so long due to Covid that I've been sitting in a single, not-very-comfortable chair in my living room ever since. All I want is to be able to sit and lounge on a couch again, and I can think of no better inaugural watch for doing so than finally finishing Tenet. So I might wait for that.

Overall, though, the movie itself is good so far. It almost feels like a CliffsNotes version of some of Nolan's past movies - it moves so fast and hardly wastes any time with character-building moments - but that's also kind of what I like about it, in a weird way? It's like Christopher Nolan: The Video Game, with 0% fat, which is a little disorienting, but also strangely refreshing. At the very least, having seen the first half twice now, I'm 100% up to speed and feel completely ready for the second half.

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I did not understand a thing Kenneth Branagh said in the theater, except for that one part when he yells at Elizabeth Debicki loudly.

Dimple Kapadia was easy for me but I can imagine people unfamiliar with South Asian accents struggling with that, too

Movie, overall, was way better with subtitles.

Yeah, Branagh was hit or miss for me, but it was Kapadia that I could not understand the most. And yeah, it's definitely way better with subtitles.

Xenophobe!!!!

DallasTeleAg said:

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Xenophobe!!!!

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Those darn Northern Irishmen

I mirror the sentiment that this is like a deconstructed version of Nolan's filmmaking. He's doing his thing to the fullest and cut out everything that doesn't serve the needs. Like he's designed a movie that you won't understand the first, second, or whatever times you watch it and decided the internet, subtitles, etc are all part of the movie experience.

Not often you get a chance to use the perfect gif. Bravo

Finally finished it.

Gut reaction... part of me thinks Christopher Nolan is a legit, bonafide genius, as that was one of the most audacious and mind-mending things I've ever seen. That said, another part of me thinks he's finally reached the point of diminished returns in terms of complexity at the cost of any kind of real-time emotional connection, even if only to the wow-factor of the plot. Because there's absolutely no way I would have been able to comprehended that movie in a single, uninterrupted viewing, especially without subtitles. I of course don't need to understand *everything* on first viewing, but when understanding something this complex is crucial to essential emotional beats landing with the viewer, I feel like the purpose and the point is somewhat lost. I had to watch the first hour twice, back-to-back, then watch the next 45 minutes twice, back-to-back, and then finally the last 45 minutes, just to understand what was happening on a *basic* level. And this is coming from the guy who's usually the one explaining time travel mechanics and complex sci-fi concepts to friends, this board at times, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate what Nolan managed to pull off here. Again, this movie is brilliant. Like, one of the most astounding sci-fi feats I can remember. That, and there are certain critiques I've seen mentioned over the past few months that I completely disagree with. But overall, additional viewings should merely serve to enhance your appreciation of a movie, not be absolutely essential for the basic understanding of and emotional connection to a movie. Granted, I didn't like Interstellar's ending on my first viewing, and now I absolutely love it. So this isn't unfamiliar territory for me with Nolan. But still, this feels different (and for the record, I *liked* Tenant's ending on first impression).

Anyway, I need to sit with this one for a while, dive into the spoiler thread, read a few articles, and then maybe rewatch the whole thing again in a couple weeks. Not to better-understand it, necessarily - I totally get what went down - but more to wrap my head around how I feel about Nolan having finally gone full-Nolan, in potentially counterproductive fashion, to the point of fully indulging what some might consider to be his worst tendencies.

So after all this waiting.....you watched it and don't know what you think.

I kid, because that's pretty much everyone's reaction to this

DallasTeleAg said:

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I just believe if a movie takes that much to even enjoy it, then it failed at its purpose.

Inception and Interstellar just got better with multiple viewings, for me. But the first viewing was still easy to follow and impactful.

Memento is the same. You start the movie going, "what is going on?" By the end, it all comes together and makes sense. Subsequent watches just allows you to enjoy it in a different way, because you are in the "know" and can now appreciate how the story is developing.

Again... wanted to really like this movie, and there are things about it that I like. I just think Nolan didn't quite accomplish what he should have.

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That is valid, but I disagree. I have been so engaged in this movie, from trailers and speculation, reading threads about it, seeing it in IMAX which I never do, to reading more about it afterward, to debating it and unpacking it.

The time spent in my seat watching it was fun.
The time talking about it before and after was and is fun.

I think I love what Nolan made because it really does ask a lot of viewers. I feel like he's trusted us to make a lot of the movie work without him. It'd piss me off if every movie did this, but I for this one movie event, I admire Nolan having put something like this together.

Going forward though... Same page 100%. We're hitting the limit of what's going to work as a film and 2020 as a year feels like it was a rare chance to really have extra movie pondering time. I don't want another movie that needs so much unpacking. Although maybe that's just how it's going to be with Nolan as he continues pushing. Always entertaining but less and less coherent.

Disagree. It isn't brilliant. If this were any other director no one would like it. He swung and missed.

DallasTeleAg said:

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I just believe if a movie takes that much to even enjoy it, then it failed at its purpose.

Inception and Interstellar just got better with multiple viewings, for me. But the first viewing was still easy to follow and impactful.

Memento is the same. You start the movie going, "what is going on?" By the end, it all comes together and makes sense. Subsequent watches just allows you to enjoy it in a different way, because you are in the "know" and can now appreciate how the story is developing.

Again... wanted to really like this movie, and there are things about it that I like. I just think Nolan didn't quite accomplish what he should have.

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You hit the nail on the head IMO. It's why Inception was so great. The use of Ariadne (sp?) as a character, was perfect for introducing to the concepts of dream heists alongside the viewer, and in layman's terms too. Nobody really felt lost during Inception.

My fiance hated Tenet (she loved Interstellar and Inception) and I know half of it was the audio mix but the other half was just the barebones storytelling as well.

The emotional parts also fell entirely flat for me, especially with Debicki and Branagh. The only character that felt like an actual person and not a cardboard cutout was Robert Pattinson's, and JDW when he got to play off Robert Pattinson to put some depth into the Protagonist's character.

Marion Cotillard and DiCaprio though? Dom trying to get to his kids? Cillian Murphy's daddy issues? All well fleshed out. That moment in Interstellar when McConaughey gets the messages from his kids? Perfect.

The only reasons Tenet is a 6/10 in my book are Robert Pattinson and the brilliant climax sequence. Otherwise, would have been a 2 or 3.

Agree. The visuals and Pattinson's performance where the positives of the movie.

I actually could not even tell you who the protagonist was or where he came from. He felt so one dimensional with zero range.

Silky Johnston said:

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Watched it last night and did not like it. I'm borderline moron, but I'm not a fan of having to watch YouTube videos of people explaining a movie in order to understand it.

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Sometimes I feel like Tenet was made just for the YouTube video essay "deep lore" people to dissect lol

I'm half expecting a "10 SHOCKING ways Tenet is in the same UNIVERSE as THE LAST JEDI. Number 9 will STUN YOU!" video somewhere in my recommended feed

I really liked Tenet but I 100% agree that he maybe outsmarted himself here by not including an Araidne like character to serve as a standin for the audience. Too much of the explanations of the mechanics were rushed through or kind of handwaived away when they really needed to be explained like we were 5 in order for the movie to make sense.

I think it's just a personal preference thing. Take away Ariadne and I think inception is still a good movie, it's just shorter and harder to follow. But you do get a little more streamlined movie. Don't have to stop and explain why it's ok to shoot dream bad guys, you just keep rolling.

DallasTeleAg said:

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I just believe if a movie takes that much to even enjoy it, then it failed at its purpose.

Inception and Interstellar just got better with multiple viewings, for me. But the first viewing was still easy to follow and impactful.

Memento is the same. You start the movie going, "what is going on?" By the end, it all comes together and makes sense. Subsequent watches just allows you to enjoy it in a different way, because you are in the "know" and can now appreciate how the story is developing.

Again... wanted to really like this movie, and there are things about it that I like. I just think Nolan didn't quite accomplish what he should have.

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Your first point is basically my gut reaction/post, summarized succinctly. Overall, I agree for the most part, with one caveat... I think Nolan accomplished exactly what he wanted to accomplish, and that's what "worries" me. It's that he's become so obsessed with the concept of a movie-as-a-puzzle that it's finally come at the cost of the movie as an emotional experience first and foremost. He's been able to balance those two things damn near perfectly in the past, but here, I'm afraid he let the allure of the puzzle overwhelm the emotion. That doesn't mean it still can't be an enjoyable experience in its own right, for people who want to go down the rabbit hole of its complexities. I'm partly in that camp as well, and am more than wowed at what Nolan pulled off in that regard. But, IMO, it failed for me on a purely emotional level. That doesn't mean the emotional beats don't work for me - they actually do - my issue is that it took waaaay to long to truly understand and appreciate them.

These are all great points. I haven't watched it a second time but will this week. I came out not feeling that it was emotionless but that may have been just being wowed by the execution and also watching in a theater when it had been so long because of 2020.

I really like Tenet, I thought it was pretty enjoyable.

It has some really brilliant elements, and some really lacking elements. Your perspective on the movie is going to depend on if you overlook the shortcomings.

Third viewing, and it's brilliant. Lots to find.

MW03 said:

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Third viewing (same), and it's brilliant (agreed).

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I watched Tenet on the plane yesterday. For what it's worth, I enjoyed the movie, but also understand the super complexity of the movie that I missed, and a part of me was ok with that since I was sitting on an airplane just wanting to watch a movie and be entertained while passing the time.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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I recommend watching these. Good stuff.

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Great videos. Made me appreciate the movie even more

Finally got around to watching this. My initial thought it that it's pretty easily my least favorite Nolan movie.

I was worried about the sound going in, but found no issues with it. In fact yesterday I watched Mank and found that much harder to understand the dialogue.

I didn't read this entire thread but as others have mentioned, it just lacked any kind of emotional core. Part of that is of course on the writer. There just wasn't anything to latch onto. Inception and Interstellar I find very emotional, but this one had nothing. The other part of that falls on the lead though. This and Blackkklansman make two movies I've watched with John David Washington as lead and I can honestly say that he's the worst actor in every scene I've watched him in. I find him to have ZERO charisma. His voice is monotone, which is not to say it doesn't change volume, but it never has ANY life to it. On top of that his eyes are always blank/dead. I just don't ever believe him or connect with him. Towards the end when Aaron Taylor-Johnson comes into play I just kept thinking how much better the entire thing would have been if HE was the lead..

As for understanding it, I think if I took a test right now I'd get a nice B on it. The thing is that with about 45 minutes to go I paused it, and when I realized how much longer there was I kind of groaned. I honestly did not desire 45 minutes of what I was watching. The few parts I maybe didn't grasp, I didn't spend to much time thinking about because I just didn't care.

The end came together ok, but when they left the obvious opening for a sequel/prequel I found myself hoping they don't do it. I want Nolan's time to be spent elsewhere.

Maybe it's a movie that will grow on me, but as of right now I don't plan a rewatch anytime soon.

Finally available on HBO Max as today, just FYI. Though, only in HD, no 4K yet.

Watched it on Saturday night. I think the idea of the movie is smart and original. But the execution creates so much "work" for the viewer that so much gets lost on the way there. I was more worried about what was actually happening and trying to understand it and never really got connected to any character or storyline. I'd have to watch it at least 2 more times with full attention to fully grasp what is happening and I don't have that kind of time or attention span.