Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer
Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.
Directed by Christopher Nolan
J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) is an expert at quantum physics and eventually teaches at the University of California. When World War II starts, he's approached by Lieutenant General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to spearhead the Manhattan Project, bringing together all the brilliant scientific minds that America and its allies have in order to create the atomic bomb and put an end to the war and bring American soldiers home. As Oppenheimer works with his fellow scientists, his tumultuous personal love life invades his thoughts as he remembers his affair with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) and his marriage to Kitty (Emily Blunt). He helps in creating the atomic bomb that's used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which does bring an end to the war, but also haunts his conscious as he thinks about what devastation he created. Years later he's put under investigation by politician Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.) who harbors personal animosity toward Oppenheimer due to his stance against nuclear development, hoping to tarnish his name and bring his egotistical personality down a few pegs to get his revenge.
The Good:
Despite it being essentially a biopic, Christopher Nolan infuses his own style that makes "Oppenheimer" anything but a typical biopic bore. His story is often interrupted by flash cuts of the aftermath and creation of the atomic bomb, and those moments are what really makes the film unique, and what makes you want to watch it on the specialized screen. We saw it on IMAX, and every time it happened the seat rumbled and you felt the intensity of it. Much like how Oppenheimer might've felt during those moments, you feel them as well.
Nolan's style also incorporates up close shots of his characters, and this is no different. Oppenheimer specifically gets that treatment often, and you see the inner turmoil and struggle he goes through. Cillian Murphy has been a seasoned actor for awhile, and this is his magnum opus, his Oscar-worthy performance that elevates him to higher status. He plays Oppenheimer as a clearly flawed man, a womanizer who has a superiority complex, yet also a man who carries the weight of what he's done on his shoulders. He doesn't want to create a weapon per-se, but knows what his creation will ultimately do. While he sees it as a necessary evil, after it happens, he feels remorse for what he did. Ultimately he did save American lives, but in the long run he could've spelled humanity's destruction as well. Murphy method acts the heck out of it, leaving himself in the role and making you feel like you're seeing the real Oppenheimer on screen.
The humongous list of supporting actors all have their moments to shine as well, most notably Emily Blunt as the longsuffering wife Kitty who proves she has claws; Matt Damon's Leslie Groves who serves as the military liaison and essentially is one of Oppenheimer's closest friends; Florence Pugh's performance as Jean Tatlock is something that stretched the actress in ways unseen in her other stellar work; then there's Robert Downey Jr.s awards-worthy performance as Oppenheimer's antagonist Lewis Strauss, a politician who wants to bring him down after embarrassing him years earlier.
Then there's the other A-list performers who do impeccable work that proves what Stanislavski once said: there is no small parts, only small actors. No small actors were seen here, even if their parts were defined as small. These actors include (deep breath) Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Tom Conti, Michael Anarano, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, Dane DeHaan, Alden Eherenreich, Jason Clarke, James D'Arcy, Alex Wolff, and Gary Oldman (who cameos as Harry Truman and, in true Oldman fashion, is completely unrecognizable and I didn't even know it was him until I saw the credits).
This film - like most of Nolan's films - is heavily laden with dialogue that comes at you fast and furious, with some dark humor mixed into the proceedings. Most of the dialogue went over my head, especially when they're discussing the scientific aspects of what they're doing, but it never took me away from the story. If anything it kept me more engrossed, more involved, and more passionate about the obvious outcome. It's not boring by any stretch of the imagination.
The test of the Atomic Bomb is something both a visionary and auditory wonder, as it fills the screen with brilliant destruction before shocking you with its shock blast afterward. It's something you've never experienced in the theater before, and one that won't be equaled.
The Bad:
At a little over three hours long, and focusing mostly on dialogue, there's not a lot of action in "Oppenheimer." You never see the bombs going off in Japan, and you have to be in a mood to really fully appreciate the visionary wonder that is "Oppenheimer." Otherwise you might fall asleep, which is by no means the fault of the film but the nature of the storytelling aspect.
The Verdict:
More than just a traditional biopic, "Oppenheimer" continues Christopher Nolan's perfect streak of films, with a career-best performance by Cillian Murphy as the titular American hero who systematically created the salvation of America and the possible destruction of the world.
The Score: A+
Comments
Post a Comment