Tenet | The Zone of Interest

Messing around with futuristic technology before heading back in time.

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Here's what I've been watching and playing over the last seven days...

MOVIES

Tenet

Movie summary: Armed with only the word "Tenet," and fighting for the survival of the entire world, CIA operative, The Protagonist, journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a global mission that unfolds beyond real time. (IMDb)

Considering the reaction Tenet received upon release during the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and has continued to receive since, I was expecting a mess of a movie, but I ended up really liking it instead.

I know that one of the complaints it had on release was the sound mix, which is a regular criticism of writer-director Christopher Nolan's movies, but I always have subtitles on and so the story may have been considerably easier for me to follow than those who watched it on the big screen.

Then there's the story, with characters experiencing time flowing in different directions, which I think will be too difficult for some to follow, but I really enjoyed Tenet basically forcing me to pay attention, which I was more than happy to do.

Tenet was a really enjoyable film and I'm actually kind of disappointed it took this long to get around to seeing it, with its timey-wimey story being fun to keep track of, although I admit it won't be for everyone. [8/10]

The Zone of Interest

Movie summary: Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden beside the camp. (IMDb)

After roughly 30 minutes of The Zone of Interest, I have to admit that my thoughts about what I was watching could effectively be boiled down to "is this it?", as you're doing little more than watching a family go about their lives and little more.

The thing is that I think that's essentially the movie's point: the horrors of the Holocaust weren't perpetrated by demons or other evil beings, but by human beings who had 'normal' lives away from that included partners, families, children and friends just like any person alive today.

Instead, the question becomes how can they possibly keep living like normal with what they know full well is going on the other side of the wall that separates their garden from the waking nightmare that is life imprisoned in Auschwitz?

The audience doesn't get to see those horrors, outside of the smoke pouring into the sky from what we now know were crematoriums - instead we hear the constant barking of guard dogs, regular sounds of gunfire and orders being given for prisoners to be killed, none of which seem to affect the Höss family.

It's fascinating to watch - often in disbelief - at what is so casually ignored, with phenomenal performances from the cast and especially Sandra Hüller as Rudolf Höss' wife, Hedwig, who may be even more lacking in morals than her husband, which is saying something.

The Zone of Interest started slowly and doesn't really pick up any speed, but I couldn't help being drawn into the bizarro-world being shown on-screen and wondering how anyone could be happy living on the doorstep of one of the biggest horrors in the history of the human race. [9/10]

GAMES

Baldur's Gate 3

The Hells have been invaded and Raphael slain, in what is the hardest fight of the game - even knowing that, like a lot of bosses, he's immune or resistant to lots of different types of damage, he's not resistant to being knocked prone and giving attackers advantage on their attacks.

It should be plain sailing from here to the end, where my Sith-like Dark Urge will claim the world as their prize...

Also playing: Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

TV

Frasier, Season Nine

Here's where the really starts to get rocky (at least, by Frasier's standards), with properly cartoon characters like Cam Winston, Kirby, and the return of Daphne's family all staking their claims to be among the worst ever created for the show.

Andor, Season Two

Season summary: The Rebellion is gaining momentum, and the Empire is cracking down.

Episode One, "One Year Later"

A bit all over the place and surprisingly comedic, so not the strongest opener but I'm hoping it's just part of setting things up for this first three-episode arc.

Episode Two, "Sagrona Teema"

Well, this is a little dull, isn't it? Two episodes down and it feels like less has happened than in one episode from the first season - and all the wedding stuff feels right out of the more boring episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, except even less interesting somehow.

Episode Three, "Harvest"

Stuff happened, and it was good too! Unfortunately, my disappointment with the first two episodes meant that this one didn't quite hit as well as it could've otherwise - here's hoping the next arc is better.

Episode Four, "Ever Been to Ghorman?"

Another year closer to the events of Rogue One and this arc is starting a little better than the first, with just that little bit more urgency to every scene making all the difference.

Episode Five, "I Have Friends Everywhere"

Now this feels more like the Andor I know, with the title character getting to do some genuine spy shit, Luthen starting to really feel the pressure and Forest Whitaker showing just why Saw Guerrera gets so many people to follow him - best episode of the season so far.

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