Action-Adventure TENET

[shauner111]

Gosling’s Driver in Drive has no name, backstory, barely speaks and yet he’s one of my favourite characters. You don’t need to tell people who somebody is. You don’t need to show people where he or she came from. You don’t even need to spell out what they’re after or where they’re going...in order for them to be a good character. ACTION reveals CHARACTER.

Now, Gosling in Only God Forgives. That’s a paper thin character that acts as a vessel for the audience. The Protagonist in Tenet is more than that. That dude reveals so much character from scene to scene. It’s about choices a character makes and what choices they DON’T make that tell you who they are. I bet you guys think Tom Hardy’s Max is paper thin as well?

 

[BatLobster]

Gosling’s Driver in Drive has no name, backstory, barely speaks and yet he’s one of my favourite characters. You don’t need to tell people who somebody is. You don’t need to show people where he or she came from. You don’t even need to spell out what they’re after or where they’re going...in order for them to be a good character. ACTION reveals CHARACTER.

Now, Gosling in Only God Forgives. That’s a paper thin character that acts as a vessel for the audience. The Protagonist in Tenet is more than that. That dude reveals so much character from scene to scene. It’s about choices a character makes and what choices they DON’T make that tell you who they are. I bet you guys think Tom Hardy’s Max is paper thin as well?

It's interesting cause when you think about it, the same principal applies to people in real life too.

It's what we Dooooo, that defines us.

 

[Blade Hoarder]

Watched the film a second time since pristine copies of the movie are already out in the internet Wild West.

The first 50 minutes are really tough to get through. It’s just mind numbing exposition. Just like Inception. But lacking any of the charm or entertainment factor.

Nolan really needs to learn how to execute exposition better than empty characters talking about trite jargon that’s also designed to be very hard to hear and also shot in the most basic way. It feels like Nolan is launching a three pronged attack intentionally testing my patient. Almost turned off the thing off many times during this period. It’s cinematic anathema. Nolan should’ve released the first 50 minute of the film in podcast format before the movie. Probably would’ve been more digestible purely as a auditory exercise.

I made myself go and watch Kurosawa’s “High and Low” immediately after this film just to be reminded that you can do laborious exposition that is entertaining and cinematic and interesting. God damn.

 

[BatLobster]

It's weird to me to see people complain about exposition, cause like heist films....all spy movies have a crap-ton of it. Here's this gadget, here's out this works, he's what your mission is, here's the villain's backstory and what he's trying to do. Almost all films in the genre are full of those tropes, certainly the Bond films. At least in the case of Tenet, it's a really unique/interesting concept that you're getting nuggets of, and trying to wrap your head around.

I dunno. I still need to see it a second time so I'm curious how I'll feel, but I was never bored watching this film. Maybe it was just the thrill of seeing a movie in theaters last year, but I doubt it.

 

[Stringer]

He's a good man. We don't need a backstory about some tragedy in his life or his upbringing to show us why he's that way. He has the tools and skills to help people and the movie makes it clear he will do that above the mission if necessary. He somewhat falters on that principle at one point but almost immediately makes amends for it because it isn't who he is.

 

[Dave McFly]

have not seen this looking forward to blind buying it next week

 

[shauner111]

For me it’s funnier than Inception and doesn’t have Leo screaming his head off so that’s another win.

 

[metaphysician]

Imagine if he goes to Disney and gives us a Marvel movie

I have a hard time seeing it. He is a hardcore auteur with a big ego, I'm not sure he would even accept Batman-level restraints on his creative freedom, not these days.

 

[Eddie Dean]

Gosling’s Driver in Drive has no name, backstory, barely speaks and yet he’s one of my favourite characters. You don’t need to tell people who somebody is. You don’t need to show people where he or she came from. You don’t even need to spell out what they’re after or where they’re going...in order for them to be a good character. ACTION reveals CHARACTER.

Now, Gosling in Only God Forgives. That’s a paper thin character that acts as a vessel for the audience. The Protagonist in Tenet is more than that. That dude reveals so much character from scene to scene. It’s about choices a character makes and what choices they DON’T make that tell you who they are. I bet you guys think Tom Hardy’s Max is paper thin as well?

You don't need to and action does reveal character, but nothing The Protagonist does reveals an interesting character. He's a great spy, he knows how to do pushups, he's good with a gun, he's very heroic and will always make the moral choice. He knows he is the only one who can save the world.

Contrast this with Gosling's Driver. Through his actions it's revealed that he is meticulous in how he handles a heist, if someone deviates from a plan, he'll leave them behind... until he doesn't. We see him in his apartment, obsessively working with an engine, we understand that this is all he has, we understand his isolation and loneliness. His interactions with Carey Mulligan and the child reveal some of the same characteristics as The Protagonist, he's heroic, he wants to help a struggling wife and her child, but since the film has established his loneliness, we know he also does this because he longs for a human connection. However, once the people he has chosen to help are threatened, he loses control. We understand the violence that he keeps at bay and how easily it can be trigged. It feeds into the almost child like way he acts with others. We understand why he acts the way he does.

Why does The Protagonist help Debicki? Because she is in a bad situation and he is a hero. Does he love her? No. Is it because he wants a better life for her child? He never even meets him. Why is he following the trails of Tenet in the beginning of the film? Does he have a stake in it? Does he even understand the implications of it? He's doing it because when he woke up from a medically induced coma Martin Donovan told him it was important.

Look at how Mad Max in Fury Road establishes his character. In the beginning of the film he is reluctant to help Furiosa, he's in direct opposition to her. We understand through his actions that he only cares about himself, however as the film continues we can see how he develops a bond with Furiosa and eventually sees the need to help others. As the film goes on, we see Max grow to respect Furiosa, providing help for her and letting her take lead. Max is a very thin character in Fury Road, but Miller and Hardy provide just another development and growth for the audience to grab onto. Nolan gives us nothing.

 

[Schlosser85]

I feel like Nolan’s supposed megalomaniacal ego is a thing people have just said on the internet until it becomes true, as opposed to anything he’s ever really actually shown.

 

[killface]

I feel like Eames and Neil would be buddies.

These should be Nolan’s next 3 films:

First one is an Eames standalone film

Second one is a Neil standalone film

Third film starts with Eames and Neil trying to kill each other but in the end, they team up to bully Arthur

 

[Schlosser85]

These should be Nolan’s next 3 films:

First one is an Eames standalone film

Second one is a Neil standalone film

Third film starts with Eames and Neil trying to kill each other but in the end, they team up to bully Arthur

Neil kind of felt like a combination of Eames and Arthur.

 

[BatLobster]

You don't need to and action does reveal character, but nothing The Protagonist does reveals an interesting character. He's a great spy, he knows how to do pushups, he's good with a gun, he's very heroic and will always make the moral choice. He knows he is the only one who can save the world.

Contrast this with Gosling's Driver. Through his actions it's revealed that he is meticulous in how he handles a heist, if someone deviates from a plan, he'll leave them behind... until he doesn't. We see him in his apartment, obsessively working with an engine, we understand that this is all he has, we understand his isolation and loneliness. His interactions with Carey Mulligan and the child reveal some of the same characteristics as The Protagonist, he's heroic, he wants to help a struggling wife and her child, but since the film has established his loneliness, we know he also does this because he longs for a human connection. However, once the people he has chosen to help are threatened, he loses control. We understand the violence that he keeps at bay and how easily it can be trigged. It feeds into the almost child like way he acts with others. We understand why he acts the way he does.

Why does The Protagonist help Debicki? Because she is in a bad situation and he is a hero. Does he love her? No. Is it because he wants a better life for her child? He never even meets him. Why is he following the trails of Tenet in the beginning of the film? Does he have a stake in it? Does he even understand the implications of it? He's doing it because when he woke up from a medically induced coma Martin Donovan told him it was important.

Look at how Mad Max in Fury Road establishes his character. In the beginning of the film he is reluctant to help Furiosa, he's in direct opposition to her. We understand through his actions that he only cares about himself, however as the film continues we can see how he develops a bond with Furiosa and eventually sees the need to help others. As the film goes on, we see Max grow to respect Furiosa, providing help for her and letting her take lead. Max is a very thin character in Fury Road, but Miller and Hardy provide just another development and growth for the audience to grab onto. Nolan gives us nothing.

You're not wrong in the sense that, no, JDW's Protagonist isn't necessarily a 'complex' character. But at the same time, to me it's on par with someone like an Ethan Hunt. I think in both cases, there's an underlying humanity "every man" goodness to the character thrown into these impossible situations that just makes you root for them and makes the action that much more engaging. Or even Bale's Bruce Wayne.

I would never call Nolan's films character-driven. They tend to be more thematically driven. But that doesn't mean that there's a complete absence of character. Everyone's motivations are very clear in the film. And in the case of JDW's Protagonist, I think that all coalesces by the end of the film and who he is in the context of this story comes into focus in a neat way.

 

[antsman41]

I still demand Nolan to make a small horror film.

 

[Doctor Jones]

At this point I'd want to see him do a Bond film. It would probably be best for him. I think working with producers and another franchise would balance him out. If Sam Mendes can work with Wilson and Broccoli then Nolan can. Now that the Craig era is almost over, a filmmaker like Nolan is someone I want to see set up the new Bond with a fresh vision.

 

[Schlosser85]

Nolan's really never really been "sexy", IMO, and I slightly worry his Bond movie might be too....sterile?

 

[weezerspider]

Nolan made another appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast. He was a good rapport with Josh, always a solid listen. Talks a little about the state of the industry at the end:

Happy Sad Confused - Podcast | Global Player

He comes off like such an ego maniac in this.

 

[shauner111]

Nolan really wants to make a horror movie. Hopefully that’s his next project.

 

[antsman41]

At this point I'd want to see him do a Bond film. It would probably be best for him. I think working with producers and another franchise would balance him out. If Sam Mendes can work with Wilson and Broccoli then Nolan can. Now that the Craig era is almost over, a filmmaker like Nolan is someone I want to see set up the new Bond with a fresh vision.

He already has sort of, with both Inception and Tenet... let alone moments in Batman Begins and TDK.

 

[antsman41]

He already has sort of, with both Inception and Tenet... let alone moments in Batman Begins and TDK.

Heck, he purposely brought in Corbould and Hemming.

 

[Brother Jack]

Nolan has aped Bond so many times at this point it would be redundant for him to make an actual Bond film. Tenet was his answer to the spy genre and it was spilling over with his style and sensibilities (arguably too much). It would be limiting in a way for him as an artist to be tied down to a franchise at this stage in his career.

 

[metaphysician]

You're not wrong in the sense that, no, JDW's Protagonist isn't necessarily a 'complex' character. But at the same time, to me it's on par with someone like an Ethan Hunt. I think in both cases, there's an underlying humanity "every man" goodness to the character thrown into these impossible situations that just makes you root for them and makes the action that much more engaging. Or even Bale's Bruce Wayne.

I would never call Nolan's films character-driven. They tend to be more thematically driven. But that doesn't mean that there's a complete absence of character. Everyone's motivations are very clear in the film. And in the case of JDW's Protagonist, I think that all coalesces by the end of the film and who he is in the context of this story comes into focus in a neat way.

Honestly, I feel like all this reduction of JDW's Protagonist to "he's just a decent person who does the right thing because its right" makes me want to watch Tenet more. ;-)

 

[SwordOfMorning]

Nolan's really never really been "sexy", IMO, and I slightly worry his Bond movie might be too....sterile?

Nolan doing Bond feels weirdly wrong to me. My dream choice for the inevitable Bond reboot is Karyn Kusama.

 

[BatLobster]

Nolan doing Bond feels weirdly wrong to me. My dream choice for the inevitable Bond reboot is Karyn Kusama.

It does seem a bit redundant at this point.

I mean, I'd watch the heck out of it if it ever happened, but it's not something I feel like I need to see.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Nolan has aped Bond so many times at this point it would be redundant for him to make an actual Bond film. Tenet was his answer to the spy genre and it was spilling over with his style and sensibilities (arguably too much). It would be limiting in a way for him as an artist to be tied down to a franchise at this stage in his career.

Agreed.

-He's used up his "Q" references with Lucius Fox
-He's used up the gadget angle.
-The femme fatale many times(cotillard twice and now Debicki).
-Exotic locations
-Big set pieces

What else is left to motivate him to make a Bond movie?