Reviewing "Tenet": A mind-bending rollercoaster of temporal thrills

Tenet is an action science-fiction thriller, the latest film directed by acclaimed director Christopher Nolan. It stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, and Kenneth Branagh. Nolan staple actor Michael Caine also shows up briefly in a small but delightfully witty role.

The film centers on an unnamed CIA agent (played to cold perfection by Washington) who is recruited into a secret organization to help stop an upcoming apocalyptic event. This seems like typical action-thriller fare, but leave it up to Christopher Nolan to add in a mind-numbing caveat: time inversion. It turns out that a villainous businessman (played by Branagh) has obtained bullets and items that travel backwards through time, and is attempting to assemble a weapon that could destroy the past, and the protagonist must stop him, with the help of fellow agent Neil (played by a very suave Pattinson). Over the course of the film, we see various events from different perspectives, both in normal time and inverted, backwards time, and it is not until later in the film, or even towards the very end, that those events will have their true significance revealed. Basically, the film throws a lot at you in the opening hour, but all of the questions you may have will be largely answered by the film's end, giving plenty of "Aha!" moments.

One of the highlights of the film are the performances of Washington, Pattinson, Debicki, Branagh. Washington plays an ice-cold professional, laser-focused on his mission, equally a capable field agent and keeping a cool head during negotiations and unexpected situations. Pattinson's character Neil is no less a professional, but is a bit more witty than the comparatively serious CIA agent. Their characters' constant back-and-forth and general delightful chemistry provides a great deal of entertainment throughout the film. Branagh's villain Sator is gloriously over-the-top in his lines, yet delivers every line with a chilling effectiveness. However, all of those performances can feel a little one-note, existing as vehicles to propel the story forward, without much character development and coming off as cold and detached in spite of the engaging dialogue. Debicki's character Kat, on the other hand, has a simple yet relatable motivation: escaping from Sator's control. She gets a timely and understated character arc of finding the strength to escape from her abuser on her own initiative. This gradual development of Kat's character makes her feel that much more three-dimensional than many of the other characters in the film, who largely exist specifically to fill a certain role in the plot.

The film is amazingly shot, with a lot of attention to detail, with the sequences of time inversion invoking a sense of wonder and subtle uneasiness even though it does not make use of excessive computer-generated effects. The same goes for the action sequences. Yes, many of the action sequences and stunts were done with completely practical effects, and the effects of inversion is accomplished by playing footage backwards. It is all done so cleverly that you can easily find yourself on the edge of your seat during the intense action, both when they are seen in normal time, and when they are inverted. The editing is smooth, so the complex action and time inversion sequences can be followed with minimal difficulty.

The soundtrack is also superb, with Ludwig Göransson filling in for longtime Nolan collaborator Hans  Zimmer. The score gives a lot of gravitas to every scene, no matter if it is an action scene, a quiet dramatic scene, or a tense negotiation scene. The sounds throughout the film provide a real sense of immersion into the world of the film. However, one complaint I have regarding the sound is that many loud sounds can be a little too loud, and can occasionally drown out important dialogue.

Tenet is an exciting thrill ride from start to finish, with a suitably twist-filled time-bending plot, exciting action sequences, and a fantastic score, bolstered by engaging performances, an emotional arc for Debicki's character, and awe-inspiring visuals. Even though the sound can be a bit too loud at times and many characters may be somewhat one-note, Tenet is undeniably an extremely entertaining film well worth your time.