The new historical epic from Christopher Nolan tells a beautifully horrifying story of personal grief & the dangerous potential of humanity.

Fun Fact: I was lucky enough to see Oppenheimer a day prior to its theatrical release thanks to an invitation by my friend with the Canadian Society of Cinematographers. Being able to see one of my most anticipated movies of the year in a packed house no less was an amazing experience, but be advised that I didn’t let this cloud my judgement of the movie in any way.

So with that out of the way, let me tell you about why Oppenheimer is one of the best films of the year, and how it blows my expectations of what a biopic should be out of the radiated water.

Hollywood (and myself to an extent) has always been a bit of a history nerd, rather it be visualizing these epic events from our pasts, or learning about the mistakes and triumphs of our ancestors. This isn’t the first time seeing Hollywood tell the story of Los Alamos and the Trinity Project, with 1989’s Fat Man & Little Boy telling the story in a more streamlined and simple format, as opposed to the typical Nolan treatment. However, call me surprised when after working on his experimental action flick in Tenet, the mad genius decided to headline a biopic of all projects and cast the brilliant Cillian Murphy as Julius Robert Oppenheimer. While not a fan of Tenet, I was optimistic with Nolan’s pet project with Universal, especially since he was working with a smaller budget and was trying to tell a story that stretched over three hours. Did it work? Did it ever!

Theory in Action

Easily the most defining aspect of Oppenheimer is the casting. Even before we had a trailer, Universal released a small sample cast list that gave us strong names ranging from Christopher Nolan regulars like Gary Oldman & Kenneth Branagh to surprising names like Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, & freaking Robert Downey Jr. We know that a lot of these names are creditable for giving us lasting performances, yet Oppenheimer went a step forward, giving us performances that not only deserve that ill fated “oscar-buzz” but also (in my opinion) should be studied for any actor wishing to improve their abilities.

First we have Cillian Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenhiemier. If there was ever a more perfect casting, I have yet to see it. Not only does Murphy (a Nolan regular) look & sound almost identical to Oppenheimer, his mannerisms & general sense of how he handles himself mirrors someone teetering on the brink of his own humanity. He’s calm, but you can see him snap at any second. He’s a flawed figure but you understand his reasoning, even if the results are more destructive than anticipated, and Murphy portrays that without flaw. Alongside keeping his performance balanced as a scientist first & actor second, & hearing that he learned to speak dutch for the role, it shows you his dedication to his craft, and I see an Academy Award nomination & potential win.

Supporting role wise, the film provides plenty. First we have Matt Damon, who plays Lt. Leslie Groves. I found it ironic that Damon’s portrayal of a strict army man ended up being the heart of this film. Damon’s performance is stern when needed, but acts almost like a friend to Oppenheimer when needed, considering how taxing the work at Los Alamos was. Damon’s performance also helped add slight comedic relief to balance the tone when needed. I also believe that Emily Blunt’s performance deserves credit where it’s due, even if she isn’t that present throughout the film. I’m not familiar with her previous works, but after Oppenheimer, consider me a fan. Blunt’s role is powerful enough where it catches your attention but it doesn’t overpower the bigger stars like Murphy. She also has a really great scene at the end of the movie that showcases her best aspects. Serious but comedic when needed, she easily owns the scene for a good three uninterrupted minutes that I believe could’ve only been done by Emily Blunt, and her alone.

However, although Murphy & Blunt’s performance is impeccable, showing us how internal guilt & dread can tear up a person, I want to touch on the highlight that was Robert Downey Jr.’s performance. For more than a decade, we knew Downey Jr. as Mr. Marvel, believing that his legacy would be tied to the golden age of Superhero movies, but Downey shows us that he’s easily more than a one trick pony. Calm, collected, even a bit paranoid. His role as Admiral Lewis Strauss was something that upon first viewing, I didn’t think was necessary but as the film concluded & Downey Jr. was given more screen time, you start to witness the brilliance. I won’t say much because of spoilers but his character easily makes the movie rewatchable just to witness this man grow more and more paranoid. Honestly I don’t like saying this in my reviews but if he doesn’t win an Academy Award for this performance, then the Academy Awards are rigged.

Cinematic Fusion

Oppenheimer is a historical epic above all, so how well does it tell the story of the Father of the Atomic Bomb? Within its three hours (yes, THREE HOURS) of turmoil, strife, and success, it tells it impeccably. Nolan is an auteur that’s well known for his camerawork and his work shines like a diamond here. Clean, clear, and composed well enough to where no one person steals the frame, there’s a reason that Nolan’s work is best viewed through IMAX.

From studying in Germany to nuking the New Mexico desert, we see Christopher Nolan tell a story of grief, strife, and the wonders/dangers of humanity’s potential. And believe it or not, the first two hours of the film are completely sublime. Pacing, character work, the cinematic, all of it stood out individually, allowing each scene to curate an individual feeling from the actors and/or audience. I wouldn’t call it “fast paced”, but I’d compare it more to Nolan examining the core essentials of Oppenheimer’s life. I’d even complain that if it weren’t for these bite sized segments of context, we’d end up with an almost 4 hour product. It doesn’t matter if you love or hate Nolan, but any proper, non-director’s cut project is going to drag on, regardless of who you are. Speaking of dragging on…

My biggest criticism of the film would honestly be that the movie falters a bit within its third act. It felt less like a historical retelling & more like you put a black & white filter over a full episode of Suits. And I get it, yes if you’re going to tell a story about J. Robert Oppenheimer, you need to tell everything or else you’re omitting information, but you didn’t need to dedicate 45 minutes towards the film. With everything feeling so tight, this third act was so brazen with back & forth conversations that never changed, I had a hard time remembering anything important from these scenes. With it being the crescendo for everything we’ve seen prior to & during Los Alamos, I’d imagine that it’d take itself more streamlined & let the audience absorb everything, however you’ve got to remember that this is a Christopher Nolan film, so the consistency of the film’s timeline is all over the place. While Nolan regulars expect this within his more experimental films like Memento & Tenet, normal moviegoers who aren’t familiar with his works can & will get confused by the complex nature of how the film presents itself. I didn’t have a problem understanding it now, but that’s because I’ve seen the film twice & was able to pick up on what was happening & why. Especially considering that the film starts near the end of Oppenheimer’s time in the political spotlight, where you know nothing about him yet.

I Am Become Deaf

I don’t usually rave about the visual effects of a film, but I was taken away by something that Christopher Nolan said prior to the film’s release:

“One of the first people I showed the script to was my visual effects supervisor, Andrew Jackson. He’s very well-versed in CG, but he’s also very well-versed in practical effects and understands the value of that. I showed it to him very early on, and I said, ‘Okay, what we need in this film is a thread between the interior process of Oppenheimer, his imagining, his visualizing of atoms, molecules, those interactions, those energy waves. We need a thread that runs from that right through to the ultimate expression of the destructive power when that force is unleashed. It has to live in the same family.’” (via Collider)

So to recap, everything (including an atomic blast) was done practically & without the use of CGI. It became one of the big selling points of the film, that the big blast on your screen would be authentic, and after witnessing its destructive glory, I was in complete shock.

The tension, the hype, the countdown, everything was orchestrated and captured beautifully. The close shots of each scientists face, the paranoia of the bomb potentially destroying the atmosphere, and Oppenheimer’s reaction combined with pure silence as the bomb went off was breathtaking as you’re pondering what you’re seeing. This is the bomb, humanity’s biggest achievement but also its messiah/destroyer, as you look at its destructive nature in pure silence. Then the shockwave hit, and holy shit my poor ears. During this scene, my heart was beating faster than anything in anticipation, and I knew that the bomb wasn’t real. That’s how powerful this scene was.

Even after getting out of both screenings, it was scenes like this that stuck with me way more than anything from Barbie, scenes that inspired me to go out there & do more beyond the lens of a camera. That feeling is the pure essence of cinema, and I applaud Christopher Nolan immensely for it. Oppenheimer is destructive, a standard for our industry if you desire to tell biopics that go the extra mile in both narrative & impact. It’s a powerhouse film from an Auteur who’s always innovating behind his 70mm IMAX film. Beyond its heavy and powerful performances, tight plot, and philosophical undertones, Oppenheimer tells the story of one man, ingenious but inadequate. Even if this wasn’t a story about one of history’s greatest scientists, it still provides some amazing visual candy & a strong structure to inspire filmmakers of any genre.

9/10

(No joke, there were people in my theatre who thought there was an after credits scene. Like who were they expecting, Godzilla?)