Tenet [IMAX]

 

Expectations were high for this film given the immense success that was Dunkirk and how it was the first major blockbuster to hit the cinema since COVID struck. But Christopher Nolan's time-travelling, heist-flick, action-thriller failed to lived up to those expectations. 

Granted, the timey-wimey concept was interesting. However, the execution was tedious and predictable, and for fans familiar with the sci-fi genre or time-travel trope, it felt unexciting and rote. Nolan never delivered upon the promise of the first act and the film never got more exciting than the prologue. The clunky dialogue and heavy-handed monologuing did not help. 

And to add salt to the wound, this was perhaps Nolan's most emotionally hollow and contrived film. There was absolutely no emotional weight or purpose in this whole 150 minutes. Perhaps he should have leaned more into the bromance and banter between John David Washington and Robert Pattinson who had good chemistry together, and ditch the saviour-complex, with a hint of romance, between Washington and Elizabeth Debicki. 

Washington was a standout in his breakout film BlacKkKlansman, but here, although he managed to hold his own, he seemed overwhelmed by the story and never really shone through as an individual. He was charismatic at times but dull more often. He really did not appear like he was having fun.

Pattinson, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying his role. Pattinson is a much better actor than most people give him credit for and his performance here proved that his Batman could be something worth anticipating. 

As for Debicki she deserved so much more. She tried her best but the script and the directing failed her. Her character was so shallowly written and her motivations so contrived that she was essentially nothing more than a pretty face face masquerading as a plot device. At least she and Kenneth Branagh played well opposite each other. More than what we can say for her chemistry withWashington. Ever since she broke out in The Night Manager and The Kettering Incident, she seemed to have been typecast, i.e. the tall, fragile-looking blonde that had inner strength that was yet to be discovered. Hopefully, as the next Princess Diana she can once again shin. 

Nolan really has no idea how to write for women. Which could explain why his films always have so little women in them. And if they are there, they are either tropes or used to subvert expectations, e.g. Dimple Kapadia in this film. There really was no reason why Washington's or Pattinson's characters could not have been female.

Tenet absolutely failed the Bechdel Test. Also, other than Washington, there was also no other BIPOC character of note throughout the film.

Nolan might have to learn a few things from his brother and sister-in-law, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the duo behind the HBO series Westworld, or even James Cameron, and consider allowing his ideas to be turned into a mini-series or a multi-part film franchise. With more time and breathing space, and better writing, Tenet could have been so much better. The concept could have been more richly explored and the characters deepened and their complexities fleshed out. Look at the Netflix series Dark. Similar concept, so much more better executed over three seasons.

And Nolan should also consider having a co-writer to help write better dialogue rather than the clunky and clanky pesudo-science, pop-philosophy and oblique references that peppered throughout the film.

Having said all that, there were things to like about the film. The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema was excellent. The IMAX-shot sequences were great and the final climax - for all its messiness - was amazingly shot. The editing by Jennifer Lame who did Hereditary was top notch. And of course the score by Ludwig Goransson really helped to drive the film forward and through the dull patches. There is a chance that they could get some awards recognition in these three categories and also for Special Effects and Sound Design. 

Watching this film in IMAX was great, especially for the prologue and some of the action sequences like the final climax. And the sound system in an IMAX theatre really helped with the bass-heavy score. However, given the 2.5 hours film length and mediocrity of the film, that extra cost may not have been so worth it. But at least it was fun to be back in a cinema, only wished it had been better.

The Old Guard [Netflix]

A fairly engaging film by Gina Prince-Bythewood that mildly subverted the superhero film genre. It had great action, hand-on-hand sequences and a good performance by lead actress Charlize Theron. But at just over 2-hours long, the screenplay by Greg Rucka, who also wrote the original comic book this was based on, did tend to dawdle and the plotting and writing was inconsistent and occasionally clunky with many logic lapses and contrivances in the service of plot momentum and twists. The rest of the cast was also a mixed bag, with Luca Marinelli and Marwan Kenzari as standouts (even their characters tend to the steal the show), together with the brooding Matthias Schoenearts. Unfortunately, the two Black characters played by KiKi Layne and Chiwetel Ejiofor were uninteresting and underused respectively. 

Prince-Bythewood's directing was assured and for a first-time action and genre director, she competently executed the terrific open sequence that hooked the audience in and also the climatic big finale fight. Even the hand-on-hand fights, mainly showcasing Theron, were beautifully choreographed, kinetically energetic and believably deadly without the showy slow-mos that was all pretty but usually ridiculous.

On the dramatic front, Theron again shone with her authentic portrayal of an old immortal who has grown world weary and jaded. Similarly, the relationship between Marinelli and Kenzari was a highlight - it was highly refreshing to see queer superheroes in a relationship but not having that queerness highlighted. However, the origin story of Layne's newbie immortal lacked character depth and a sense of urgency. Layne was so good in If Beale Street Could Talk but her talents are kind of wasted here. 

As for the bad guys. they really were of the cupboard-variety, one-dimensional villainy with no ounce of redemption (at least Henry Melling seemed to be having fun, whereas Ejiofor appeared to struggle to give his character a believable purpose).

The music by Hauschka and Dustin O'Halloran was perhaps a bit too on the nose, with lots of #SadPiano and #PlaintiveCello, but otherwise it did help to move the story along. Although perhaps the soundtrack was more apt and memorable than the score. 

The powers-that-be clearly wants this to be a new franchise, and with Rucka already releasing a comic sequel to the first series and the mid-credits easter egg, it is highly likely and inevitable that we will get a franchise soon. Although hopefully the creative team will all be back and maybe hire a co-writer to help Rucka fine tune his screenplay.

Palm Springs [Hulu]

This was a genuinely funny (some great laugh out loud moments), light and frothy rom-com that would have been an excellent Summer escapist film. But now, as we are all more or less stuck in quarantine, this film has added a layer of ironic realism to its existentialism leanings. Thankfully, philosophy and quantum physics were not its priority, instead its focus was on the fantastic chemistry between its two lead - Andy Samberg (who was the right amount of cringiness here) and Cristin Milioti (she of the wide-eyed, not-so manic-pixie foil). 

Written by Andy Siara and Directed by Max Barbakow, this was a trim and unfussy 90 minutes film that held your attention from the beginning to the end. But to me, I wished it ended 2 minutes earlier, that would have been perfect. The epilogue and the mid-credits scene kinda lost a bit of the magic spelled by the preceding 88. Nonetheless, kudos to Barbakow for daftly balancing comedy, romance and existentialism without nary missing a beat. The tonal shifts from fun to dread to wonder to drama to contemplative to hopeful and back to fun again were done very well.

Samberg - reminiscence of Jesse Eisenberg from Zombieland - was a great casting choice. He has the earnesty and sincerity that made him relatable, and also a great timing for comedy (see Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Although, thankfully, Barbakow managed to rein him  an we barely had much slapstick schtick or cringey expressions of frat-humour.

Milioti was a great foil for Samberg, and her journey was a delight to follow. Her transformation through the stages of grief was extremely fun especially as she worked through her denial and anger before arriving at acceptance.

J.K. Simmons played a small but pivotal role and it is hard to see any other actor inhabit this role. Maybe Christopher Walken? Or Sir Ian McKellen? You get the type. 

My only real gripe was the ending. I wonder if the studios had anything to do with it or was it Siara's, or Barbakow's, plan all along. 

Another gripe will be the lack of representation in the film. We have the one token Black actor and the one token Asian guy. It was also a definite fail on the Bechdel Test. And the LGBTQ angle was played for laughs. Gotta work harder, Hollywood.

Nonetheless, this was a great 90 minutes escapism. It brought the laughs and the awwww-shucks, and could be a long shot for an Original Screenplay nomination.

An Affair to Remember [AppleTV]

This 1957 rom-com starred two great leads who had fantastic chemistry that helped to sell the slightly implausible, but utterly fairy-tale romantic, plot. The banter between Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr was excellent, especially in the first half when they were on the cruise. However, once they landed in NYC, the film felt a bit more maudlin and less interesting with the two stars apart. Individually, they were good actors but together, they were more electrifying and fun to watch. It was a pity that the film did not try to give them more individualism as we explored their private life. Nonetheless, this film remained a classic and the blueprint for many a modern rom-coms. It was funny and touching, a romantic fantasy escape for all generations. Simpler times with simpler stories.

Da 5 Bloods [Netflix]

This film is possibly the year's first clear major Oscar contender. I see it already vying for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Score and Best Original Screenplay. 

Spike Lee's latest film was a lot of everything. It was topical as it was entertaining; educational and yet thrilling. It had dramatic beats with worthy emotional payoffs, and also comedic moments that did not seem cheap. It had twists and turns and gunfights and bombs and laughs and tears. It was about brotherhood, and familial bonds; it was about secrets and guilt; it was about Black Lives Matter and the horrors of war. Perhaps the only thing that did not work was the shoehorning of a quasi-romance.

It was a long film, at 154 minutes, and with so many things on its plate, there were a number of discourses and the film definitely could have been more streamlined if Lee only stuck to the A-plot. But, the film was much richer because he did not and was much more interesting. The acting was also great all across the board with Delroy Lindo and Clarke Peters both being standouts, with Lindo being a potential Best Actor nominee. 

Lee co-wrote the screenplay and his influences and activism showed especially in the first act of the film. Although, undoubtedly, some Republicans and "President Bone Spurs"-supporters will be turned off by the political undertones. 

Lee's directing was superb and although the film was long, the pacing was great. It only lagged at a few moments, namely at the aforementioned romance (between Jonathan Majors and Melanie Thierry), which also highlighted Lee's weakness in writing female characters and authentic romances. This film definitely did not pass the Bechdel Test. And to be honest, the film did not require it, of if it did it should have been more all encompassing and included the females in all the characters' life which would have then made the movie even longer.

Lindo was fantastic in the lead role. From his first appearance as a MAGA-wearing, ex-GI to the film's closing moments, Lindo gave a captivating performance that felt rooted in plausibility. His was a complex character, holding on to so much emotional weight and trauma that it had begun to manifest itself outwardly and bled out into his physical behaviour. 

Peters was the other standout actor. He was the moral and emotional core of the story. A steady presence amidst the chaos, and a sympathetic audience surrogate. 

Other great supporting cast included Jean Reno in a great Trump-skewering role, Chadwick Boseman as the 5th Blood, and the always reliable Paul Walter Hauser in a bit role.

Newton Thomas Sigel's cinematography was outstanding. The different aspect ratios used for different parts of the films was innovative and clear. The shots were beautiful especially of the gorgeous Vietnamese landscapes and also the odes to Apocalypse Now and Good Morning, Vietnam.

The score was by Terence Blanchard who also scored Lee's previous film, BlacKkKlansman. It was a fittingly beautiful and resounding score that helped to underpin the dramatic and adventure beats of the film, On the other spectrum, Blanchard's score, together with the soulful voice of Marvin Gaye, also helped to weave a lovely emotional tapestry that lifted and supported when the film got serious and honest.

This film would have been fantastic on a large screen, but Netflix would surely allow Lee's film to reach a wider audience. And in this climate, the film's message deserved to reach as big an audience as possible. Da 5 Bloods is a serious contender - more so than Lee's previous BlacKkKsman - and hopefully it can keep its momentum all the way to April 2021. #BLM

The Vast of Night [Amazon]

A fun, thrilling, little indie sci-fi film from first time film director and writer Andrew Patterson. It is always amazing what some talented film makers can do and come up with on a small budget, and that really gives you a sense of what kind of talent they are and what they can possibly achieve. In this case, Patterson direction and storytelling were his stronger suits than his actual writing.

This was a talky, 50s-era film set like an episode on Twilight Zone, and although there was a lot of bantering and rapid-fire cross-talking between the two leads - played by Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz - the quality of the banter lacked the energy, adrenaline, punchiness and zing of the likes of Joss Whedon or Amy Sherman-Palladino. 

However, Patterson really shone with the directing. The tension was ratcheted up appropriately and maintained, and the mystery unfolded slowly and with enough creepiness and dread to be engaging. The limited budget possibly forced him to limit the number of shoots and edits so there were lots of one takes and long, tracking shots which were used effectively rather than gimmicky. Although, somewhere between Act 1 and Act 2, there was an exhilarating, long, racing, tracking shot that was superbly done and sure to be Patterson's calling card for the big leagues. 

Similarly, his cinematographer, M. I. Littin-Menz will be a name to watch out for in the future. His lensing of the film was gorgeous and effectively fit the atmospheric mood of the film. 

It is quite exciting to spot talent early on in their career.

Acting wise, McCormick and Horowitz had chemistry together, but neither of them broke out. However, to give them credit, they did hold the film together in the opening minutes and before the film kicked into high-gear. And to be honest, the script itself was more narrative-based rather than character-based, therefore they had not much to work with. In addition, Patterson's direction to McCormick seemed to require her to be more reactive rather than being; and with Horowitz, it was more channel Dana Scully's sensibilities with Fox Mulder's dryness. It was the camera work that helped sell the story rather than the characters. 

At at breezy 89 minutes, this was an easy film to watch. It could even feel like, in this day and age, an extended episode of Black Mirror or Twilight Zone. But what Patterson and his team had achieved from their limited resources was incredible, and it will be very exciting to see what else he will come up with next.

Bad Education [HBO]

Fantastic performances by Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, who had superb onscreen chemistry, in this dramatisation of the largest public school embezzlement in American history. If this was a theatrical release, both Jackman and Janney will be definite shoo-ins for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress nominees. 

The film, on the other hand, was weaker than its stars. As with most true-story retelling (and even adaptations of popular novels), the cinematic tension and conflict will have to come from within the narrative or the characters, given that the audience would most likely already be aware of the final outcome. And in this case, director Cory Finley and screenwriter Mike Makowsky were not able to find a hook to fully engage the audience for them to care. Sure, Jackman's character was the lead but we never really got inside his head except for a few fleeting moments that were more due to Jackman's abilities rather than the story itself. It was the same for Janney's case, who had slightly more histrionic scenes and sold it much better than the materials that was handed her. 

The pacing was appropriate but it never felt like the story had any emotional or dramatic beats. It was more a retelling of an event rather than a fictional dramatisation of one; the premise was interesting, but the execution was flat. Other than the writing for the two stars, the rest of the of the writing was alternating between clunky, heavy exposition, and cringeworthy cliched.

Jackman was stellar. He held the screen and story together through all the faults. It was a perfectly fine-tuned, nuanced performance and a certainly a career best for him. He was a sociopath that was equally smarmy, charming, deceitful, manipulative, loving, caring and passionate. It was possible to believe all that in his portrayal of Dr Frank Tassone. Most people just think of Jackman as another Marvel superhero or that guy from Les Miserables, but many also forgot that his Logan was one of the memorable incarnation of a superhero and that Jean Valjean gave him his only Best Actor Oscar nomination. Not only that, he also gave great performances in The Prestige, Prisoners and even Eddie the Eagle. However, come the Emmys, his biggest challenger for the Best Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series will be fellow Marvel superhero, the green-man himself, Mark Ruffalo for a fellow HBO production, I Know This Much Is True (one of the most devastating, perpetually sad and inconceivably heavy series about life, lost, death, mistakes...and ultimately hope).

Janney was ostensibly the lead actress in this film, but really she was a supporting character to Jackman. The early scenes between these two actors were the highlights of the film and Janney's downward spiral was a sight to marvel. However, it is hard not to feel like we have seen all that from her already. From her multiple Emmy wins as CJ in The West Wing and her most recent Oscar-winning turn in I. Tonya, it is almost starting to feel like we want another breakthrough from this undeniably thespian, and for her not to get typecast into a particular sort of role. There is a good chance she will get nominated for an Emmy for this role, but winning it will be challenging as she will most likely be up against the phenomenal ladies of Mrs America (a superb series that was riveting and educational given its subject matter - the Equal Rights Amendment - and had a seriously stacked cast of actress who all brought their A-plus game; Cate Blanchett might just get the Best Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series for her turn as Phyllis Schlafly). 

The other main supporting cast included Geraldine Viswanathan who felt out of her league acting against Jackman and Janney, Ray Romano giving a very Romano-esque performance, and Annaleigh Ashford who did the best she could with what she was given.

The score was by Michael Abels and it was quite memorable although might not be entirely fitting for the film as a lot of time it stood out distinctively rather than assimilating with the look and texture of the screen. 

It is debatable whether it was the right decision for HBO to acquire this film. Given the current climate, it seemed likely that it will reach a bigger audience than a theatrical release. However, its cast did have a good chance of Oscar nominations which could have given the film legs to carry it through Oscar seasons.  Nonetheless, at a trim 108 minutes, this film was an easy and entertaining watch buoyed by great performances from its two leads.