smanteufel

I'll start by saying I enjoyed the movie thoroughly, and even with only a semblance of understanding the plot as the credits hit the screen, I understood enough of the overarching story to enjoy the characters and their adventure without understanding the intricacies of how the plot really comes together. Robert Pattinsons Acting was a highlight as well as certain scenes with 'reversing elements' so to speak. There is however something to be said about a movie that 'challenges' it's audience to understand it, (often through multiple watches) and where some will think it's bold, others will think it's just rubbish. Normally I would be inclined to the latter as I've always thought a truly great film: well written, directed and edited can only ever be just as good the second time around... Films the likes of the Sixth Sense, Donnie Darko or even Nolan's own Inception have commonly been touted as films that get better the more you watch and understand, but I beg to differ, stating that the true brilliance of a film lies within its mystery and reveal. It's the tension and suspense on that first viewing that can never be replicated on further viewings. That is to say the removal of said suspense in lieu of noticing clever moments of foreshadowing in any other subsequent viewing belies the point of any foreshadowing in the first place. I'm not saying there isn't an art to building a narrative in such a way that prior knowledge and hindsight can make subsequent viewings fun, but in a way these moments can't exceed an initial perception as they serve only to remind the viewer of their first watch, in effect bringing them back to the first time they watched it reigniting those same emotions they felt with a form of nostalgia. The trouble with Tenet is that the first viewing experience is muddled and unclear. Only after sitting down with a pen and paper drawing out parallel and convergent timelines of multiple characters (it's just the one timeline actually) did I actually "get" the plot, and even then a quick read of reddit forums didn't hurt my understanding of the film. What I'm saying is, I enjoyed this film... It was rapidly paced and edited with some very impressive sequences, but it was also challenging from a narrative perspective to the degree that it was very nearly beyond my patience. So if this sort of film isn't your cup of tea I'd probably give this one a miss, but if Nolan's over-complication of story structure (that's become something of his oeuvre) doesn't bother you, then there is a compelling and interesting sci-fi story hidden underneath.