Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Tenet 

This film is a visually striking and mind bending masterpiece! Christopher Nolan has crafted a film that left my mind blown and speechless as it’s a film that will have your jaw firmly dropped on the floor. Nolan takes the concept of Time which he has used in previous films before like Inception and Interstellar being great examples and he doubles it with Tenet. He not only writes a compelling narrative about Time and time travel but is written in such a rich and detailed way that you get immersed into the world from the very first frame. It brings the perfect elements of pulse pounding action the right amount of Sci-Fi and hints of romance that is intertwined greatly in this tale of Espionage. 

Firstly, We got to talk about the performances as John David Washington delivers a truly outstanding leading performance that has you hooked into his character until the very end. He brings this emotionally reserved aspect to the character that really speaks volumes without him saying much and its greatly shown by John David throughout the whole film. Then you have Kenneth Branagh who  delivers a devilish and engaging performance of this black hearted human being with such intimidation in a show stopping performance that is truly one of his best performances he has ever given. Then next is Elizabeth Debicki who really is the heartbeat of the story and she blew me away with her emotionally raw performance. She brings this real emotionally shattered vulnerability that makes you feel for her while also chewing up the scenery with her incredibly captivating supporting turn you can’t but get wrapped up into. Then you also have Robert Pattinson who brings a great supporting role to the film with such charisma and depth and you can never pin point what his characters intentions truly are. Everyone all Brings their A game elevating an already brilliant narrative with truly powerful performances you can’t look away from every single performance no matter how big or small is incredible. 

Secondly, The screenplay is truly something special! Nolan has crafted a story that will melt your brain in the greatest way possible. Christopher Nolan was able to bring this old fashioned Bond like tone to the film that was so thrilling to see unfold. As it is not a straight forward Spy Thriller it deals with so many layers of Time and mind bending time travel that is so well structured. Their were small tweaks I would of made such as finding more backstory about the main character as we don’t even get to find out his real name either I don’t know if that was intentional or accidental but knowing Christopher it wasn’t on accident. So that would just have  been my only nitpick would be having a bit more backstory with the John David Washington character as we find out very little about him but we know everything from everyone else except him. That is the only nitpick I would give the film as besides that the film is truly breathtaking in its telling of this thrill ride as Christopher Nolan finds such genius ways to go in such twists and turns you will not expect the story to go. I knew going into this he was going to test me in the way Nolan loves testing peoples brains in the way to see how complex and how gripping his stories can go and that is what I love about Nolan’s style and certainly how he brings this story to the screen. Christopher Nolan has once again pulled off the unprecedented and given another epic for the ages that blew me away and tested my limits his writing on this film with the rich detail to every layer is a true work of art. 

Lastly, Tenet is a visual and narrative masterpiece that needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Christopher Nolan has once again raised the bar and given a film full of pulse pounding action that is epic on every scale. As well he brings amazing rich detail and depth to the world we are engaged into the moment it starts bringing the audience through this mental maze that will impress you and blow your mind. It also has incredibly strong performances from the entire cast all giving top notch performances. Tenet is not only one of the best films of the year its one of the best films I have ever seen. Christopher Nolan has created this Spy Sci-fi thriller that will havre everyone breaking down each shot and theorizing for years as Tenet is visually beautiful and narratively genius everyone should see this film on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system. 

This film centres around a Protagonist who is on a mission to prevent a a nuclear war that could trigger World War III 

Rated PG - 13 : for violence and intense action

John David Washington : John David is extraordinary in this film! John David Washington brings an emotionally subtle and reserved performance that is powerfully presented by Washington throughout the film. His performance in this is not flashy or big and loud in terms of his performance what I like about what John brought to the character was this quiet aspect that he keeps everything emotionally buried inside him and never lets his emotions get the best of him or at least he tries. As the character in the beginning we see very much is a straight shooter that does not let anything get in his way. That being said as the film progresses we see things get more and more complicated for him as he gets emotionally invested into a person he probably shouldn’t have as it comprises his smart and sharp thinking that will get him to act more emotionally rather then rationally. The way John David Washington brings that to the surface onscreen is nothing short of brilliant as you can see the bubbling rage build up inside him but he never acts on his anger their are very few times he does but he for the most part is  emotionally contained. You can tell so much of what he is thinking just by the sheer look in his eyes and even in the way he brings the dialogue to life you can feel the sheer passion and emotion through his emotionally subtlety. John David’s character has such a terrific arc that peels so many layers of himself back when we see him crack emotionally it pours out in such a raw way that you can’t look away from. Their its a moment in the film where is is desperate to save someone he cares deeply for and even when everyone tells him its impossible he refuses to take that answer and will do anything to save her and you can see the total desperation in his eyes and heart. Then one other moment where he is very emotionally vulnerable is a scene towards the end where he is finding out some very shocking news and he can’t help but be on the brink of tears and its so powerfully shown as you can see John David Washington fight the tears back and see the total redness in his eyes as you hear the voice of his crack trying not to break down in a puddle of tears. It makes your heart break for him and cry yourself as you cry for him as he won’t do it himself and I find that so emotionally powerful the way he went about presenting his vulnerability in scenes like that. It is a performance that is so well layered and emotionally guarded at first but opens up over the course of the film John David Washington delivers once again another truly astonishing performance you cannot look away from. 

Kenneth Branagh : Kenneth delivers one of his finest performances of his career with his brilliant work in this film! Kenneth brings this bone chilling performance that is unlike anything I have ever seen him bring to the screen. He plays this arms dealer that is emotionally abusive to his wife and will stop at nothing from completing his mission. Kenneth plays the antagonist of this film and he has a supporting turn in the film that really terrified me and impressed the hell out of me. He brings this really sinister and unpredictability to the character that constant had me on edge. Kenneth dives into the darkest depths of  his heart and shows sides to him I have never seen in such a brutal way. Despite how horrible this character is you cannot look away from him as he has his loud moments of anger yes and when he shows them it will quiet a room and you will be terrified beyond belief. That being said a lot of times he brings the scary intimation to the surface through a quiet approach to the role and it works so well. He can threaten and chill peoples soul’s with a threat in the quietest way possible while staying so composed without loosing his cool but it will be the eyes and the total blackness of them that will make you uneasy in moments like that. Then when he does go big and loud with his anger it comes from such a emotionally dark and raw place as you can just see the anger just consuming him in those moments and its so well brought to the screen by Kenneth as he is an arms dealer but yet is so much more then just that as he is so emotionally controlling and abusive to his wife. There can be a scene with no dialogue from him and they are just sitting or standing in a room and you can feel the sense of uneasy tension and it is uncomfortable and scary because you do not know when he will set off in rage or calmly intimate you. Kenneth shows such darkness to him that has never been explored like this in any of his previous films and he is so electric bringing devilish raw emotion that will terrify you but grip you in every scene he is in. Kenneth Branagh is terrifyingly brilliant giving one of his best performances ever. 

Elizabeth Debicki : Debicki gives a heart shattering performance that will have you amazed! She is the centrepiece of what makes this film whole as she is so integral to what happens to everyone involved in the film. Elizabeth plays this mother who is married to Kenneth’s character and her intentions are quIet  simple really. She just wants to see her son and be a good mother she dose not want to be in the dangerous line of work her husband is in and she wants nothing to do with her husband due to his incredibly abusive behaviour towards her and people he works with. The sad part is she is trying to leave him but can’t because she knows she will get killed and so she stays quiet and try to find out a way to leave without him knowing its a dangerous plan but she tries. Elizabeth brings that character to the screen in such a vulnerable and emotionally powerful approach. You can see in her silence in scenes that she just wants what is best for her and for her kid that is it. She thinks emotionally through the film and in the beginning she was like John David she thought rationally but by the second and last act she is on the brink of death more than once. Elizabeth shows the determination of the character to get her and her son to safety but she is non stop always being battered down by her husband in scenes that are heartbreaking and at times very hard to watch. Debicki plays the role in such a raw emotionally honest way and you can’t help but want her to succeed in her mission. She is the character we learn the most about and who I found myself attached to the most emotionally as she pulled me in the moment i saw her. Elizabeth brings a truly brilliant emotionally heartbreaking performance to the screen that will amaze you. 

Christopher Nolan : Nolan has Crafted another epic for the ages! I spoke about earlier how he is a genius at crafting narrative and style with his screenwriting. Same can be said about his direction as well he brings this unpredictable nature to all of his films where you do not know where things will end up by the last frame. Here he does it once again as he lures the audience in with the cool style he has set up along with the compelling narrative that you are engaged with instantly. He has delved with Time before in past films but never this intensive. Sure Inception was one of the most mind boggling films to ever come out but here he doubles down and tops even what he did with Inception as he creates this mental maze you the audience are supposed to piece together as he refuses to tell you anything for you. It is up to the viewer to find out what he is trying to say with the complex narrative at hand and I love that. As he creates this old fashioned Spy Thriller tale that is so much more than it looks like on the surface. Once you think it is one thing he keeps layering it back further and further and digging deeper into the world he has created around this narrative. So your’e constantly in a state of trying to know what is going on around you as he has carefully detailed every key character and plot point down to the bone so that later on in the film he can flip it and surprise you for what he has in store for you. It is such genius direction because he loves leaving audiences guessing and making their own interpretations of what they think it means and here he brings the new element of Time Travel into the mix of his love for Time. It not only makes things so much more complex as he has teased the idea of that in films like Interstellar but that film mostly was just about Time where as here its also Time Travel based and it was so well structured not just in the writing and direction but in the way he set up the action sequences. It also has this perfect blend of action, Sci-fi and hints o romance which beautifully mixes together and Nolan also gets fantastic performances from his entire cast. He pushes the limits with his style he has made over the years and truly has outdone himself once again giving amazing direction and a film that is one of his best he has ever done. 

The Cinematography : The scope of this film is so beautiful and so greatly captured. Nolan has always been a fan of big scope scenery in his films but the way the camera was able to really express the emotion and or style of what was needed for the scene was perfectly done. As when the camera goes quick in the action set sequences it feels like you are  with them. Then in the smaller more intimate moments it can express so much by showing these breathtaking angles in such an intimate way. It is gorgeously shot and truly a work of art for Cinematography.