The very moment John David Washington appeared onscreen in the opening minutes of Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated new film, “Tenet,” his face was awash in fog, almost unrecognizable behind the layer of vapor.
To my knowledge, there are no fog machines used in Nolan’s film — it was actually just my glasses clouding up (I still haven’t quite figured out the best way to totally avoid nearly blinding myself every time I exhale into my mask). But I was willing to push through that to see “Tenet,” one of the buzziest films in recent memory, in a real movie theater.
I saw “Tenet,” a thrilling sci-fi adventure, the first day it opened at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, but theaters throughout the state have been open since Aug. 20, when AMC chains across the country began to open.
ArtsQuest reopened its theaters over this past weekend, showing a bevy of Alfred Hitchcock films and other classics like “Back to the Future.” But Monday, which was when “Tenet” opened at the Alehouse Cinemas, was the first time I returned to a theater since early March. Boy, that theater seat cushion felt good.
Masks and social distancing are required in theaters as they are anywhere else. And yes, you even have to leave your mask on during the film — which, if you’re seeing “Tenet” is a lengthy 2 hours and 30 minutes. So, with my experience in mind, wear your contacts if you need them.
If you feel comfortable going to a theater to see “Tenet,” “The New Mutants,” “Unhinged” or any of the other extremely limited number of new films that are actually out in theaters right now, just follow the rules. It’s quite simple, and, I promise, doesn’t take away from your theater experience.
The most notable addition at ArtsQuest was that an attendant was there to direct me to which seat I should take (it was H9, if you’re curious) to be best separated from other audience members. That was not difficult on Monday — of the 200 seats in the Red Cinema (the Blue Cinema has 100 seats), seven of them were filled by showtime. I had all of row H to myself. Honestly, as a frequent moviegoer, and often as a solo viewer, the guarantee to not have to sit near anyone is a huge “hell yeah” from me.
I mostly joke, but having so much space, I really did feel at ease. And, if anyone so much as coughed during the film, it was drowned out by the sheer unencumbered power of “Tenet’s” sound design. The movie is LOUD, very much akin to the sonic blasts of Nolan’s 2010 memory-themed caper film “Inception.”
I will admit, seven people showing up to a Monday evening screening felt a little too good to be true. A Friday night in a 250-plus seat IMAX theater at the local movie complex might start to push the 25-person-per-screen limit in Pa. theaters, which might make me sweat. I’m always staunchly in favor of supporting independent and arthouse theaters whenever you can, but if you can find one near you that’s showing something you want to see, given how hard the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt their business, I’d encourage you to take that route instead — there’s much more likely to be a smaller number of people in attendance, plus they could always use the cash.
And don’t force yourself either — with Nolan’s newest film labeled as the film to reopen theaters by the din of film industry and media voices, it was pushed back not once, not twice, but three times as a result. Opening the film now, while the country is still deep in the throes of coronavirus hell, feels like less of an announcement of safe viewing strategies and more of bending to pressure to stop kicking the can down the road.
Or, in the case of “Tenet,” which stars Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh, kicking the can through the endless space-time continuum.
If you feel up to donning a mask and keeping your distance to check out the film, you’ll see what I mean.
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Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
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