Perfect picture to resurrect cinemas
Slick sci-fi made for the big screen
A bit of a cheat this week as I actually ventured out of the home entertainment world and – for the first time in more than four months – back into the cinema!
With a much quieter screen and face mask in place, the experience was slightly unusual – but it was just great to watch a flick on the big screen again.
And if ever a movie deserved to be seen on the biggest screen possible it’s Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
The Londoner has again hit the cinematic jackpot with an exhilarating head-scratcher reminiscent of his earlier sci-fi-leaning film Inception.
As ever with Nolan’s work, the less you know beforehand the better; to keep plot description basic, Tenet stars John David Washington as the vaguely named The Protagonist who has to travel through a world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in “something beyond real time”.
Nolan is well established as a director who delivers innovative visuals and storytelling and he lives up to his reputation with this tantalising thrill ride.
Everything looks real – probably because it is as Nolan again opts for practical effects and stunt work over overblown CGI; rarely have fantasy and reality merged so well.
Washington (BlacKkKlansman) is immense in the lead role and Kenneth Branagh’s Sator is so psychotically sinister you’ll never look at the British thespian the same way again.
Robert Pattinson (Neil) warms up for his titular turn in next year’s The Batman with a performance that emphasises how good a Bruce Wayne he could be.
I’d love to go into great detail about the set-pieces but you really should just witness them for yourself; let’s just say they deserve to be uttered in the same breath as Nolan’s awesome action in his Batman trilogy and Inception.
Like that latter film, it can be hard to keep up with Tenet but stick with it as the rewards come the final act are well worth the brain power.
It’s not quite perfect – Elizabeth Debicki’s Kat doesn’t do much outside of get rescued and put through hell – and falls slightly shy of Nolan’s absolute best.
But nitpicks are miniscule; overall, Tenet is the perfect event movie to welcome film fans back into cinemas.
Pop me an email at ian.bunting@ reachplc.com with your movie or TV show recommendations and I will pass them on to your fellow readers.