TENET’S HERE JUST IN TIME
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S LATEST MINDBENDING MASTERPIECE IS JUST WHAT A MOVIE-STARVED WORLD NEEDS RIGHT NOW
irector Christopher Nolan is the da Vinci of mind-bending movies and Tenet is his Mona Lisa. Quietly brewing in the back of his complicated mind for almost a decade, this hugely anticipated big-budget action film is landing in cinemas at precisely the right moment.
It’s not just because it’s a shiny new piece of art from a man many consider the greatest filmmaker of our time.
Off the back of such blockbusters as Inception, Interstellar and Dunkirk, Nolan could direct a wedding video and the buzz would be off the charts.
More significant is the fact Tenet is finally hitting the big screen after being pushed back time and time again, and that will act as a beacon of hope that the world is on the mend after months of unprecedented global upheaval.
Cinema doors, which have been chained shut because of the COVID-19 pandemic, are being thrown open again and this film will be the litmus test for a beleaguered industry.
In saying all that, expect this sci-fi-action-spy extravaganza to mess with your mind as only Nolan knows how.
But those walking from the cinema asking “wtf just happened in there?” need not fret. Even the movie’s protagonist, rising star John
David Washington, was left scratching his head when he first read the script.
“When I walked out of reading it (for the first time) I felt the same way you did except I didn’t even question it, I just knew I was in serious trouble,” Washington laughs while discussing the complexity of Tenet with Insider.
“I was pretty sure I would never figure this out but I read the script, it took about four hours to read, and as I got to keep working on it, as we got into it and with the discussions and the questions and the process of it all, I slowly became more comfortable with my way into the character and his purpose in the story and how to serve that purpose.”
At its core, Tenet is an old-fashioned spy thriller. The good guys are racing against the clock to topple the villain and save the world. The influence of Bond – one of Nolan’s favourite characters – is evident.
But as is often the case with his films, nothing is ever as it seems and it might take a few cracks at watching for all the pieces to fall into place.
If one was to be sci-fi-cynical, it’s almost as if Nolan has jumped forward in time, noticed the world was in the grips of a global pandemic and returned with the ultimate strategy for an industry on its knees: ensure everyone must watch the movie four times before knowing exactly what the hell is going on.
The feverish anticipation surrounding Tenet is the result of a perfectly planned and executed marketing plan: scant plot details, compelling but vague trailers and a virtual cone of silence activated around those involved.
This has given rise to an army of fans who have spent countless hours online theorising and writing fan fiction about possible directions the movie could take.
Washington laughs when he recalls first realising the level of fandom that surrounds Nolan and his films.
“I didn’t realise how massive it is,” he says. “You know how Beyonce has the Beyhive, Chris has his hive as well.
“There are some people out there that are just fanatics and they will come up with theories.
“Some of them were very interesting with what they got off a teaser. Not even a trailer — a teaser.”
Of course, Washington himself is a cardcarrying member of the Nolan fan club and was long before getting the chance to work with him.
“He is one of the greatest directors of all time, our generation and beyond, I truly believe that,” he says.
“(Co-star) Rob Pattinson said something interesting: when you’re such a fan of someone like that, you don’t ever see a world where you get to work with them, that’s just a whole different universe to consider him to be a colleague, a teammate if you will.
“I guess I was in such delusion or denial that I’ve actually got the job.”
He says he was surprised Nolan was so warm and open when they first met.
“I didn’t know that going in, I thought he’s going to be like a machine, he’s not even going to be a real person,” he laughs.
“To be the film god that he is, he’s down to earth, he’s witty, believe it or not he might even curse from time to time.”
After such a long wait in such trying circumstances, Washington believes audiences are going to connect with Tenet more than they usually would.
He’s not so bold as to suggest everyone will love the movie, but he is confident it will provoke a reaction.
“People will be affected,” he says.
“I can’t say how they will be but they will be affected by this film.
“It’s a combination of the current state that we’re in as a world and as moviegoers and where Chris is in his career right now and where he’s taking his art.”