Tenet finally opens. What did you see this week?
Monday, September 7, 2020 at 9:32AM As expected Tenet was a major draw at the US box office for the holiday weekend, posting the best numbers of any film since the pandemic began. Still, it's obviously a far cry from what it would have made in a normal year when theaters didn't have to limit seating and there were far more of them open globally.
US Estimates Holiday Weekend (Sept 4th-7th)
01 Tenet $20.2 (Global cumulative gross $146.2)
02 The New Mutants $3.6 (Global cum. $19.9)
03 Unhinged $2.2 (Global cum. $23.6)
04 Bill & Ted Face the Music $809k (Global cum. $2.4)
05 Spongebob: Sponge on the Move $470k (US only cum. $3.4)
06 Personal History of David Copperfield $430k (Global cum. $11.0)
NYC still isn't playing movies (the nearest theater playing Tenet, for example, is an hour and a half away by train) so the big new movie for us this week was I'm Thinking of Ending Things on Netflix (more on which later if we can figure out what to say about it!). What did you see this week?
Tenet, box office, moviegoing
Reader Comments (28)
Still think Tenet is in your Top 5 for Best Picture now that you've seen it? (Merely curious... I haven't seen it.)
Oscar Geek - i haven't yet seen it. our movie theaters are still closed.
i wasted two hours and fourteen minutes of my life on 'i'm thinking of ending things'
[and several more days fuming about it]
I saw Eurovision, which was pretty terrible.
I've been on a Cronenberg dive (partly inspired by the New Classics series here), and watched Dead Ringers, which is so fantastic, and different than I remember. Man, those Cronenberg classics are flawless.
And my 40s movie club watched Gaslight, which I'd never seen, and is a must-see. Ingrid is something else in it.
Saw I'm Thinking of Ending Things.
Tenet is a tame example of straightforward narrative in comparison.
Still shocked that WB has been so gun-ho with the release of Tenet. Even if it does “well” for this time period, there’s no way it performs at the same level it would have with things at regular capacity. Will it’s lifetime gross now even match what could’ve potentially been it’s opening weekend? Some friends and I will be watching Mulan later today. The safer, and oddly cheaper option.
I saw “I’m thinking of ending things”. Unbearable and boring. The only good thing is when they arrive at his parents’ house. The movie is very pretentious and does not make sense. After watching it, I read an explanation from someone who read the book the movie is based on. And according to that article the director chose to eliminate several things from the book which were important to understand what was happening in the movie. SPOILER ALERT: specifically the boyfriend never utters the title of the movie, which is important to understand the action he tales at the end. END SPOILER.
I'm staying away from theaters for now even if I love to see " Tenet' on the big screen. I did see Hitchcok's "Topaz" (1969) on blu ray a flawed but interesting movie Karin Dor and John Vernon steal the movie- Dor's final scene in classic Hitchcock. I wonder why Vernon did not become a bigger star?
Yesterday I watched one of the best films I've seen this year, Flowing by Mikio Naruse. It is about life in a geisha house as that culture is dying and features an extraordinary cast. I watched it for Naruse and Hideko Takamine, who has become one of my favorite actresses, but the rest of the cast was exceptional as well. It is dismaying to see how many Asian films would have become classics and how many Asian actresses would have become icons if they were American or French or Italian.....
I also watched I'm Thinking of Ending Things. I have been hot and cold on Kaufman, but I loved it.
Those were the two most notable new films I watched, but I'm finding a lot of comfort in revising films. This week I rewatched Inside Man, Before Sunrise, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, and The Departed. Thank goodness for HBO Max's wonderful library.
I watched I'm Thinking of Ending Things last night, and yes, this is going to be an interesting one to talk about. It has several fascinanting ideas, though it reinforces for me that I think Charlie Kaufman should not be the one directing his films (he's always better when he has Spike Jonze or Michel Gondry), though since this one was based on a novel which I hear is similarly if not more bonkers, then maybe this was something only Kaufman or someone like David Lynch would dare to do.
I also watched the live-action remake of Mulan: I didn't like it, but at least this one I can accept as something separate from the animated film (save for character names, a few musical cues and that the plot beats are similar, but the tone and protagonist's character arc are different). This case is clearly one of "I like what the animated fulm did better" rather than "it's doing pretty much the same thing as the animated film, only worsened by being live action and by being too aware of what every nitpicker on the internet has complained about".
Are we getting close to a time when Oscar predictions are feasible? I kind of got it in April, May, June but the film year is moving ahead and the ceremony isn't delayed by all that much. It's an upside down year so I can't fault any pundits for guessing wrong, but I appreciate predictions and have missed them in 2020. :)
Anon -- i am currently working on them. Things kept changing every time i worked on them so i got fed up. But i think you're right and the future is less cloudy than it was. They should be up within a week.
Now that I'm done with the '38 smackdown I got a headstart on '65 and watched The Sound of Music w/ my spouse. He grew up on it and knows it well, I only saw it the one time. It's never ever going to be my kind of movie, but it's well-done for what it is. Funny how many of the kids I recognize from the 70's sitcom episodes and B movies that I *did* grow up with.
Also watched Da 5 Bloods and have to say it was Spike Lee at his most didactic and messy. When he fails he really goes all out, even though I think even his failures are worth seeing/discussing.
The Kaufman thing.
My top ten films last week were:
1. Best in Show
2. The 400 Blows
3. Moonstruck
4. Three Comrades
5. Four Daughters
6. A Woman's Face
7. Angels with Dirty Wings
8. The Beachcomber
9. Port of Shadows
10. Inside Daisy Clover
Not making the weekly top ten were:
Othello --the heaviest lift for the '65 smackdown out of the way
All the Rage: Saved by Sarno (had to agree to the husband's choice for once)
Birthright
Terminator: Genysis
Hotel Du Nord
La Bete Humaine
Theaters here have been open for a week now. So I dragged the hubby to Tenet. We were both fairly indifferent to it. Exciting at times, but far too convoluted with it's own set of "rules for this movie" (which seemed arbitrary, even forced) for it to rise any higher than just fun summer flick. But a fun movie in the theater was exactly what we needed on this long holiday weekend. It was the longest time between theater visits for me since I was a child.
The relationship between the characters played by Debicki and Branagh was the takeaway for Tenet. They both turn in commanding performances, but I'm most in awe of Branagh. I had not watched or read anything of depth relating to Tenet going in, which included a lack of awareness of the full cast. Several scenes in, I was still unsure who the actor was playing Sator, and had nearly convinced myself it was someone I had never seen onscreen before. Branagh's Sator evinces rage, petty jealousy, and in one memorable scene, a cold inhumanity that thoroughly chilled me. The best performance I've seen so far this year. It feels weird to be excited about a supporting actor performance (typically my least favorite Oscar lineup year after year).
Been in a funk so I needed a pick me up. Had a romantic comedy weekend and saw Sabrina and Moonstruck for the first time and enjoyed them both.
I've seen Tenet and I want my money back <3
@Tom G: Which Sabrina?
For Me
TV: first episodes of Now Apocalypse (basically Kaboom on TV), The Terror (creepy and I look forward to finishing it) and Insecure (solid opener)
Movies: Synonymes (lots to admire and think about. I think I loved it.
I saw She Dies Tomorrow & Captain Marvel. I loved the former, great cast. Captain Marvel I’m sad to say was dull... I hope the next ‘phase’ of superhero movies is more exciting. Fingers crossed for Black Widow & WW 1984.
Black Panther.
A few days ago, I saw Suede's 1993 concert video Love and Poison which is a must see if you're a fan of the band as I'm still baffled into why they're not a big deal in America as I do think they're a way better band than Oasis and better albums and singles.
Just now, White Dog by Samuel Fuller. Fucking intense and scary as it seems like a film that people need to see right now in these dark times. Fuck these racist fucks. Black Lives Fucking Matter!
I saw TENET (as my first drive-in movie ever!) and BILL & TED (streaming). Between the two, I actually preferred the latter because it has no pretensions to being anything more than well-made fan service.
TENET, on the other hand, is Nolan at his Nolaniest, and that is not a good thing. The movie looks great and challenges you like a Rubik's cube does, but that's all it amounts to in the end. Ultimately it doesn't have anything all that interesting to say.
@Arkaan- The Audrey Hepburn version. She is just a vision.
Saw "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" , it's pure Kaufman having said that, love it or leave it; Nothing is wasted, nothing is there for no reason. It is all tightly packed and all comes together and as the book may require a few re-reads, this movie will require a few rewatches, Jessie Buckley is superb and Toni Collette , well, God bless her. Also watched Possession (1981) and boy Isabelle Adjani is a Goddess, truly unforgettable giving a hypnotic performance, the movie gradual descent from a Kramer Vs. Kramer-esquire marital drama to a bloody and supernatural allegory is as surprising as it is bizarre and mental. Finally on a lighter note saw "All I Wish" (2017) a deliciously refreshing and charming romantic comedy that works above average to the extent that it does thanks to Sharon Stone's incredibly appealing performance,given the relatively rare opportunity to showcase her comedic chops.
I watched "I'm thinking of ending things." I enjoyed the book and the film as well.
My fav part was when she/girl quoted Pauline Kael's review of a "woman under the influence" word for word. I screamed.
MMinDC
Watched the following so far this long weekend (I have 4 days *insert Nelson "ha ha" here*
I'm Thinking of Ending Things - Way too long first half, but rewarding 2nd half
Shirley - Just because you're Shirley Jackson doesn't mean your life is a Shirley Jackson story
The Goldfinch - parts with the kids were intriguing, otherwise a big yawn.
The Big Wedding - Overly complicated ideas with undercooked characters. Keaton, DeNiro and Sarandon rise above only on Movie Star charisma
Green Room - Deliverance meets From Dusk til Dawn, Punk Rock Style, and without the Supernatural. Super violent.
I Feel Pretty - the message is important, but this needed a few rewrites. Love yourself, no matter who you are.
Adrift - I was confused as to how the film was structured, but it made sense towards the end. Harrowing disaster scene. Based on a true story.
The Spy Who Dumped Me - Way too long, but silly and funny. I'll be visiting some of the locales, which added a + for me.
Morning Glory - It's fine, but it's not funny. The only LOL was what they do to the weather man. Again, Movie Star charisma helps, but it's very forgettable.
The Town - been meaning to see this for years, as I do love Ben Affleck, and it paid off. Terrific thriller about the relationships and prisons of friends in Boston. Unfortunately, Affleck and Hall don't have much chemistry, and the romance was uninteresting. Love the rest of it though.
From Australia. I’ve seen Tenet twice now. The big take away for me was the performances. The physicality of Washington, R. Pat’s charm, Debicki’s controlled strength/rage/determination and Branagh’s black hearted coldness. The story is convoluted but I’m the type who thinks it’s fun to try and figure it out; to watch explanation videos and discuss it with my family over the dinner table. My tip for anyone who hasn’t seen it - go in expecting a spy thriller with a twist rather than just a high-concept sci-fi movie. The scenic cinematography and action sequences are spectacular like the best Bond and MI films. It’s escapist fare that makes you think and really does need to be seen on the big screen.
I can understand why Nolan was so keen to get it out there. Here in Australia our Covid numbers are well under control and in my area virtually non-existent. Still, our cinema’s are practising social distancing and contract tracing through bar code venue registration is well established. We wear masks when socially distancing is not possible but in a giant VMax cinema there was only about well spaced 20 patron’s during the Sunday afternoon session and 4 at the Gold Class, smaller cinema Thursday lunch session. Staff is kept to a minimum. There are limited snacks on offer and the bars are closed except in the Gold Class cinema. I don’t know how it can be financially viable for Cinema’s but I hope they can keep it going.