asda-man
Joined Mar 2011
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If there was one film that was going to put a halt to a pandemic then it was always going to be Tenet. A film so Earth-shattering in size and spectacle that people would pop on their masks, sanitise their little hands and sit one seat apart from everyone to experience the first blockbuster since corona came and ruined our lives.
Christopher Nolan tends to divide opinion with people thinking he's the next messiah of the film world or a pseudo-intellectual bore who places big set-pieces above multi-layered characters and a meaningful plot. I'm very much on the former side of the scale. I rarely give a film 10/10 but I have given every Nolan film this rating post The Prestige and therefore regard him as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 21st century.
Reviews for Tenet were decidedly mixed when previews were given to critics last Friday and so I did have some creeping doubts when I sat in front of the gigantic IMAX screen in Nottingham today. However, these doubts were put to rest within literally the first fifteen seconds of the film starting where I quickly realised that there was simply no experience quite like watching a thunderous Christopher Nolan film.
The plot is almost impossible for me to spoil because my teeny tiny brain could barely comprehend any of what was going on. It also didn't help that half of the dialogue was lost due to the booming score. Not sure if this was due to the cinema I saw it in or poor sound mixing which Nolan has been criticised for before, naughty man. Frankly, I didn't care. A clue is given early on by an exposition-friendly scientist character who tries to help us understand the whole time inversion basis of the film where she quips, 'Don't try to understand it. Just feel it.'
The concept does become slightly clearer as the film goes on, blowing our helpless minds in the process but it doesn't matter particularly. Part of the fun of watching a Christopher Nolan for the first time is getting as lost in the labyrinth of plot as the protagonist is. Inception and Interstellar felt almost as impenetrable upon first watch and have now been cracked thanks to multiple views and countless explanation videos on Youtube.
Even if you can't be bothered to think, you're bound to be in awe of the spectacle of it all. Nolan never does anything by halves and by Christ he's pulled out every stop for this film. There's a string of insane action sequences which had me scooping my jaw off the floor countless times. The behind the scenes extras are going to be fascinating because I still can't wrap my head around how half of these stunts were done.
Things only get more spectacular as the film goes on with sequences playing backward and forward sometimes at the same time. The intensity is also ramped up to 11 thanks to Ludwig Goransson's thumping, headache-inducing score. I was a little worried that things might feel a little odd with the absence of Hans Zimmer, but fear not, this is still the relentlessly thrilling Nolan blockbuster we all want be immersed in. It's a real cinematic experience which cannot be put into words.
Detractors are always going to find things to criticise. One review called it 'humourless' which I find a little bizarre. Do they really want Kenneth Branagh to perform a tap-dancing routine as he's plotting to destroy the world? In actual fact, I was surprised to find quite a few witty lines which allowed us to stop holding our breath and breathe for just a second or two. If I were to find any criticism with the film then it would be that Kenneth Branagh's character (although brilliantly played) is a bit of a two-dimensional villain. However, he's so memorably vile that I found myself actually being quite terrified of him.
During the explosive third act, my head was completely scrambled and I found myself wondering whether this whole film was the work of a genius or a madman. Who the heck could conjure up something this intricate and convoluted, yet remain so blissfully entertaining? What ever your opinion of Nolan you surely have to admire the sheer ambition and innovation he brings to the world of film. I can only imagine that the layers of Tenet's genius will be revealed upon multiple viewings and they're viewings that most of us are going to want to take. My head was completely spinning when I stepped outside into the real world. To sum Tenet up in a one-word palindrome, WOW!
Christopher Nolan tends to divide opinion with people thinking he's the next messiah of the film world or a pseudo-intellectual bore who places big set-pieces above multi-layered characters and a meaningful plot. I'm very much on the former side of the scale. I rarely give a film 10/10 but I have given every Nolan film this rating post The Prestige and therefore regard him as one of the greatest filmmakers of the 21st century.
Reviews for Tenet were decidedly mixed when previews were given to critics last Friday and so I did have some creeping doubts when I sat in front of the gigantic IMAX screen in Nottingham today. However, these doubts were put to rest within literally the first fifteen seconds of the film starting where I quickly realised that there was simply no experience quite like watching a thunderous Christopher Nolan film.
The plot is almost impossible for me to spoil because my teeny tiny brain could barely comprehend any of what was going on. It also didn't help that half of the dialogue was lost due to the booming score. Not sure if this was due to the cinema I saw it in or poor sound mixing which Nolan has been criticised for before, naughty man. Frankly, I didn't care. A clue is given early on by an exposition-friendly scientist character who tries to help us understand the whole time inversion basis of the film where she quips, 'Don't try to understand it. Just feel it.'
The concept does become slightly clearer as the film goes on, blowing our helpless minds in the process but it doesn't matter particularly. Part of the fun of watching a Christopher Nolan for the first time is getting as lost in the labyrinth of plot as the protagonist is. Inception and Interstellar felt almost as impenetrable upon first watch and have now been cracked thanks to multiple views and countless explanation videos on Youtube.
Even if you can't be bothered to think, you're bound to be in awe of the spectacle of it all. Nolan never does anything by halves and by Christ he's pulled out every stop for this film. There's a string of insane action sequences which had me scooping my jaw off the floor countless times. The behind the scenes extras are going to be fascinating because I still can't wrap my head around how half of these stunts were done.
Things only get more spectacular as the film goes on with sequences playing backward and forward sometimes at the same time. The intensity is also ramped up to 11 thanks to Ludwig Goransson's thumping, headache-inducing score. I was a little worried that things might feel a little odd with the absence of Hans Zimmer, but fear not, this is still the relentlessly thrilling Nolan blockbuster we all want be immersed in. It's a real cinematic experience which cannot be put into words.
Detractors are always going to find things to criticise. One review called it 'humourless' which I find a little bizarre. Do they really want Kenneth Branagh to perform a tap-dancing routine as he's plotting to destroy the world? In actual fact, I was surprised to find quite a few witty lines which allowed us to stop holding our breath and breathe for just a second or two. If I were to find any criticism with the film then it would be that Kenneth Branagh's character (although brilliantly played) is a bit of a two-dimensional villain. However, he's so memorably vile that I found myself actually being quite terrified of him.
During the explosive third act, my head was completely scrambled and I found myself wondering whether this whole film was the work of a genius or a madman. Who the heck could conjure up something this intricate and convoluted, yet remain so blissfully entertaining? What ever your opinion of Nolan you surely have to admire the sheer ambition and innovation he brings to the world of film. I can only imagine that the layers of Tenet's genius will be revealed upon multiple viewings and they're viewings that most of us are going to want to take. My head was completely spinning when I stepped outside into the real world. To sum Tenet up in a one-word palindrome, WOW!
There's no shortage of British comedies featuring all of our Dames finding romance with some twee comedy thrown in for good measure. The Best Exotic Marigold hotel had the grannies queueing out of the cinema doors to catch a glimpse of Dame Maggie Smith blasting out Dowager-esque zingers on a holiday to India. It brings new meaning to the term 'silver screen' when everyone in the audience is way past sixty, but it's a very profitable market for cinema chains. Many of these films provide a few laughs but are rather forgettable, fortunately Finding Your Feet isn't just one of the best examples of twilight comedy, it's one of the best examples of British comedy full stop.
The film slithered out to a limited audience in 2017 failing to garner the attention of the likes of Calendar Girls and Best Exotic Marigold, however it pretty much blows every comedy of that ilk out of the water. Why it hasn't received the praise it deserves is beyond me. Everyone I've sat down to watch this with has sang its praises, even a grumbling millennial who instantly dismissed it because they didn't want to watch a film about 'old people falling in love' admitted that it was in fact, 'very good.'
It follows Imelda Staunton, a stiff snob who relishes her new title of 'Lady Sandra Abbott' who finds herself in crisis after discovering that her husband has been having a Doctor Foster style affair with a lady not much younger than herself. Rightfully so, she storms out of that life and decides to rekindle with her estranged sister, Celia Imrie who couldn't be more opposite in character. What follows is a genuinely heart-warming tale that will have you grinning from ear to ear one minute and gushing with tears the next.
What makes Finding Your Feet so involving is the beautifully fleshed-out characters. Lady Sandra Abbott may come across as unlikable and toffee-nosed initially, but the film takes time to peel back the layers so that your sympathies fully lie with her by the end of it. She's also brilliantly played by Imelda Staunton who never really disappoints in any role. In fact, the talent on display here is really top drawer stuff. Timothy Spall particularly impresses with his moving performance as does the always reliable Celia. It's also always a joy to see Joanna Lumley in a role, even if her screen time is limited.
Anyone expecting to find a forgettable comedy about oldies learning to dance are in for a massive surprise as there's so much more to Finding Your Feet than this. I wasn't prepared for how emotionally devastating some of it was going to be. I very rarely feel my tear ducts wobbling in a film, but there were several moments in this where I thought I was going to blub, but perhaps I'm getting more emotional in my old age and can relate to the characters a bit more!
Naysayers have slammed the film for being 'predictable' but I'd disagree. The narrative seems to unfold with the characters, making everything far more involving than your average romcom. There's an equal amount of comedy and tragedy to stop it from being overly sentimental and it ends on such a heart-warming note that you'd have to be made out of marble to not feel your cockles getting warm. This is a truly special little film which deserves to be watched time and time again in the calibre of other British comedies such as Bridget Jones and Love Actually.
The film slithered out to a limited audience in 2017 failing to garner the attention of the likes of Calendar Girls and Best Exotic Marigold, however it pretty much blows every comedy of that ilk out of the water. Why it hasn't received the praise it deserves is beyond me. Everyone I've sat down to watch this with has sang its praises, even a grumbling millennial who instantly dismissed it because they didn't want to watch a film about 'old people falling in love' admitted that it was in fact, 'very good.'
It follows Imelda Staunton, a stiff snob who relishes her new title of 'Lady Sandra Abbott' who finds herself in crisis after discovering that her husband has been having a Doctor Foster style affair with a lady not much younger than herself. Rightfully so, she storms out of that life and decides to rekindle with her estranged sister, Celia Imrie who couldn't be more opposite in character. What follows is a genuinely heart-warming tale that will have you grinning from ear to ear one minute and gushing with tears the next.
What makes Finding Your Feet so involving is the beautifully fleshed-out characters. Lady Sandra Abbott may come across as unlikable and toffee-nosed initially, but the film takes time to peel back the layers so that your sympathies fully lie with her by the end of it. She's also brilliantly played by Imelda Staunton who never really disappoints in any role. In fact, the talent on display here is really top drawer stuff. Timothy Spall particularly impresses with his moving performance as does the always reliable Celia. It's also always a joy to see Joanna Lumley in a role, even if her screen time is limited.
Anyone expecting to find a forgettable comedy about oldies learning to dance are in for a massive surprise as there's so much more to Finding Your Feet than this. I wasn't prepared for how emotionally devastating some of it was going to be. I very rarely feel my tear ducts wobbling in a film, but there were several moments in this where I thought I was going to blub, but perhaps I'm getting more emotional in my old age and can relate to the characters a bit more!
Naysayers have slammed the film for being 'predictable' but I'd disagree. The narrative seems to unfold with the characters, making everything far more involving than your average romcom. There's an equal amount of comedy and tragedy to stop it from being overly sentimental and it ends on such a heart-warming note that you'd have to be made out of marble to not feel your cockles getting warm. This is a truly special little film which deserves to be watched time and time again in the calibre of other British comedies such as Bridget Jones and Love Actually.