Tenet

Tenet – When a CIA agent is almost killed by mercenaries, he awakens to discover he is to work for a secret organisation called ‘Tenet’. A new technology can ‘invert’ time and he is given the job of stopping dangerous Russian Oligarch, Andrei Sator, from buying ‘inverted’ weapons. Sator knows far more about these weapons than he should, so can those in Tenet stop him before he commits a terrible crime?    

Tenet (2020) – Director: Christopher Nolan

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61453495

Rating: 12

Running Length: 150 mins

Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

REVIEW: ‘TENET’

Christopher Nolan is known for his stylish and thought provoking movies with mind bending special effects – who can forget the city folding in half in ‘Inception’? The hook in ‘Tenet’ is ‘inverted’ technology, i.e items reversed in time, so an inverted bullet would not fired from the gun, but pulled out of a person’s body. Confused? You’re not alone! This is a movie that struggles to make sense but is so confident in itself that it’s easy to just go with the flow; your analysis can come later.

John David Washington plays the main character who isn’t given a name, only ‘The Protagonist’. His early bravery, intelligence and loyalty to his team show us that he is a good man although beyond that we know little else. We then follow him on his confusing journey as he is told about his new job, the weapons he will face and the baddie he needs to stop. This villain is a violent Russian oligarch, Sato (Kenneth Brannagh), a character that’s crying out for a satisfying death at every turn. Yet a spanner is thrown into the works when our man meets Sato’s abused girlfriend (Elizabeth Debicki) so his job becomes all the more harder for wanting to keep her alive while remaining undercover.

The bare bones premise of ‘Tenet’ is relatively simple (in fact it is a near copy of the excellent mini series ‘The Night Manager’ which also stars Debicki in an identical role), however what keeps the story refreshing is the incredible effects as well as the twists and turns of the plot – some you may see coming and others … not so much. There’s no denying that ‘Tenet’ is complicated in a typically Nolan way but, let’s face it, it’s the jaw dropping effects that we’re here to see and in them you won’t be disappointed.

CONTENT: IS ‘TENET’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

The movie opens with people arriving to a concert, however it is clear early on that something sinister is about to happen. As the orchestra is about to start playing, they are attacked by men in balaclavas with guns. A man is shot (the camera has just moved past him but a blood spurt is seen) and another man is hit in the face with the butt of a gun. People scream in terror.

A character is captured by mercenaries and is tied to a chair beside train tracks. This man groans in pain as one of his teeth is pulled out with pliers (this isn’t graphic but it is clear what is happening), the attacker throws the pliers on a table and a small amount of blood is smeared on it. The attacker then goes to take another tooth but as he leans over the man, a train obscures the camera’s view.

During a fight, a man’s hand is almost hit hard with a meat tenderiser, another man is cut on the face with a cheese grater.

The Protagonist is told in a violently descriptive way of how he is to be murdered by having his throat slit and testicles cut off. This is so hilariously over the top that we’re unsure whether it is supposed to be funny, however the graphic nature of this dialogue is likely to be distressing for kids.

A man is found to have stolen from Sato and is forced to confess. He is then savagely beaten.

A character pulls a gun on Sato but they are quickly subdued by Sato hitting them. Sato then spits on them.

A character is shot in cold blood and screams in pain.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘TENET’ FOR KIDS?

‘Tenet’ has plenty of special effects and an exciting (if confusing) plot. However it is definitely one for adults. Kids are unlikely to find the plot engaging enough to stick with and much of the dialogue is uncompromisingly violent and graphic. Therefore we recommend this movie for not suitable for kids aged under 12.

• Violence: 4/5 (lots of exciting fight scenes with some brutality. People are shot. A woman is beaten and spat on. A character falls and hits a railing before landing in some deep water. It is made clear that he is dead. While there is plenty of violence, there is very little blood)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (a character realises something upsetting will happen in the future but he is unable to prevent it)
• Fear Factor: 4/5 (Sato is a very threatening character and any scene he is in is very tense)
• Sexual Content: 1/5 (a character is asked whether he has slept with a female character yet)
• Bad Language: 2/5 (infrequent cursing and blasphemy)
• Dialogue: 5/5 (lots of violent dialogue)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of espionage, loyalty, friendship, protecting the innocent, courage and fighting against advanced weaponry.

Words by Laura Record