Christopher Nolan’s
Tenet was an experiment in more ways than one had anticipated. Firstly, it had
a unique structure, and the way the narrative moved visually was not only
stunning but also new-age. And secondly, the way this movie went straight into
the theatres in the middle of a pandemic – at a time when theatres were all
shut when the world half-expected a
Tenet VOD release.
But hey, here’s why people don’t want to watch Tenet!
It is being reported
that the movie lost more than $100 million as it literally bombed at the box
office. People had called Nolan with different names when he had made such a
risky decision. When Warner Bros and other known production houses had
rescheduled the release of several high budgeted movies, Nolan continued his
pursuit and fell flat on his face.
But is it all because
Tenet is a terrible movie or because it was released at a terrible time? We’ve
got your answers – and it’s the latter!
Due to the pandemic, majority
of us will be watching the movie on our small screens while sitting comfortably
at home. And since the movie is all set to release online, it’s important that
we manage expectations. Well, first of all, this movie was made for the cinema
so it’s an unfortunate reality that our experience will be impacted.
For instance, you might
feel that it’s too complicated and confounding to begin with. You may also not
be able to enjoy the sound system and backdrop to the fullest because you just
never get that popcorn experience at from your TV at home – it’s always a
replica and never the original.
In fact, why don’t you tell us: Do you like microwave
popcorn or the sweet and hot flavor of caramel popcorn that you eat at a
darkened cinema hall with sounds blazing? Yeah, we figured.
Look, we have to give
it to Nolan here. Him and the studios he collaborated with had the gumption to
spend $400 million on something that is so spectacularly refreshing and bold at
the same time.
You
know it’s a Nolan movie when there’s no synopsis as such, just a tagline saying
“TIME HAS NO MEANING”. But again, we get an advice from the man himself
somewhere in the movie via a dialogue that says “Don’t try to understand it.
Feel it.” So we suggest you all do exactly that.
Also, for a change, here’s the 87+ most anticipated movies and books of 2021!
But
here’s the thing, you can’t help but think about the plot and everything that
happened in the movie once it’s over. It’s another ballgame when you’re in the
process and watching the movie because, at that point of time, you’re simply
engrossed and consumed by the happenings on the screen.
Anyway,
we’re going to try and explain the story in a fairly uncomplicated manner with
no guarantee of spoilers:
So, we
have our protagonist (John David Washington) with a James Bond vibe, except
he’s got no interest in girls. You will see him punching and shooting a lot of
times in the movie and for a noble cause. But here’s the thing – he gets
captured. While he’s unconscious and confused, a lot happens. After some time
he meets a scientist who explains to him that he can be sent back in time to
now, and that too from the future. And then a hunch of action sequences occur
that need no explanation – but hey, like we said earlier, feel them.
Oh
hey, unlike other action movies where everything’s happening just for the sake
of it and there’s no actual purpose or motive behind, Tenet is different.
Hence, you’ve got to be patient and watch the film to find out what actually
happens!
We
will say one thing to you: Tenet will remind you of Inception but it’s even
more complex than that. So you can imagine the level of complexity you’re
dealing with when you finally get your hands on the VOD release.
It’s
interesting to see that Nolan continues to explore grand ideas about time and
pushes the envelope further with his exploratory and distorted lens. You’ll
find several themes of his past ventures in Tenet. You’ll get a minor glimpse
of Dunkirk, Interstellar, The Prestige, and Memento, but also a much grounded
and philosophical touch of movies like Boyhood and Dazed and Confused.
I’m
sure that not everyone has a palate for Tenet. Sure, some people might have a
cynical take on this movie. They could claim that it’s a 2.5 hour of
overcomplicated execution and tangled concepts. What do you see on the surface
level? Bullets, cars, and humans flying through with time reeling backwards and
forward like the wheels of a vehicle. But look, all of it is done with complete
conviction, which compels us to buy all of it.
Tenet
is, without a shadow of doubt, an entertaining watch. You won’t be able to
control yourself from admiring the occasional pauses and high-impact action
sequences.
The characters may seem less engaging at first but the magic lies in
the direction and the fusion of all things spectacular. In the past, Nolan has
found ways to connect with the audience and speak to the average viewer on his
level.
Like, in Interstellar, we had Anne Hathaway’s teary speech. Dunkirk, in
fact, was considerably balanced and driven emotionally. But with Tenet, Nolan
has come out all guns blazing. It feels as though he made this movie just for
himself.
He’s
got a method to his madness and that has struck a chord with the audiences, and
honestly, that’s all that a director really wants.
Final
question: Where can you watch it? It’s available on Amazon for $19.99! We urge
you to stream it now.
If you
were waiting for Tenet’s VOD release or just watch Tenet online and don’t know
how to stream the film – you now know what to do. Watch Tenet on Amazon as we’ve
told you everything about Tenet’s VOD release.
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