As larger “non-essential” businesses begin to reopen, people in many places around the world are making their way back to their favorite locales. Art has been missing from the lives of many Americans in lockdown. Arguably the most popular form of art in the US — movies- – are becoming available in a theater setting as many nationwide begin to open their doors, and in other art news, many museums nationwide are bringing eager attendees back into their halls. Most notably, America’s largest art museum, the Met, has reopened under certain new safety parameters, and “Tenet”, the highly anticipated, Nolan-directed spy-fi film has now come to select theaters in the US. As the two most popular ways Americans consume art are beginning to become available once more, let’s take a look at what might be a bit different.
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, timed tickets are scanned in halls to control crowds, face coverings are required, temperature is checked at the door, the hourly crowd is limited to 25% capacity, and valet-style bike parking is offered due to many New Yorkers shying away from traditional public transit. While the Met lost around $150 million during the pandemic, the greater loss at hand was that of a legendary American cultural center. During times of strife, many find solace in art, and during times of injustice, uprising, and protest, artists can play an important role. The presence of museums, especially art museums, in American culture is something that has been sorely missed during this pandemic. The reopening of the Met does not just signify a business opening its doors, but a victory for American art and culture, as art sparks critical thought on the world we live in, its history, and its future.
In addition to art museums, movie theaters are also beginning to open their doors after months of lockdown. AMC, America’s largest movie theater franchise with over 8,000 screens nationwide, is beginning to reopen theaters in certain parts of the country. Many other theater chains such as Century 12 and Cinemark are opening their doors as well, including Century 12 in downtown San Mateo. AMC’s new safety parameters include 40% max capacity, mandated mask wearing and room for social distancing, yet strangely, food and drink are still permitted to be consumed in theaters. The chain of theaters also claims to have increased the frequency of theater cleansing and sanitizing.
Arguably the most high profile movie to have been released in theaters since the beginning of the pandemic is “Tenet”, the latest Nolan film starring Robert Pattinson and John David Washington. A spy-thriller-sci-fi mix, the movie has primarily positive reviews, but many question if the film itself is worth going to a movie theater during the pandemic. The resounding answer from critics: no. “Even for the vaunted director of ‘Inception’ and ‘Memento,’ ‘Tenet’ is heady stuff. Trying to understand the story can make you feel like you’re sitting on a stool in a dunce cap,” says Alex Oleksinski of Rolling Stone. With a 72% overall score on Rotten Tomatoes, “Tenet” marks Nolan’s worst score on the platform since “Interstellar”, another time-bending, mind-bending suspense-based film.
“Tenet” has still received a large amount of critical acclaim. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it a “groundbreaker” that would “put movie junkies back in their multiplex seats,” while Guy Lodge of Variety deemed “Tenet” “brashly beautiful” and “grandiosely enjoyable.” Those who seem to enjoy “Tenet” are sci-fi, suspense and Nolan fans who are also eager to get back in the theater. “What [Nolan] really does is ennoble the teenage boy fixations many of us adults still cherish, creating vast, sizzling conceptual landscapes in which all anyone really does is crack safes and blow stuff up. But gosh, does he blow stuff up good,” says Jessica Kiang of the New York Times. As movie theaters in the Bay Area begin to reopen, sci-fi fans eager to have their minds boggled should head to a local theater, masked up and socially distanced, to see “Tenet”.