Director Christopher Nolan blasts back onto the big screen with Oppenheimer, a film bursting with so much talent that audiences will be pondering “who was that?” as actors come and go as they leave lasting impressions. In true Nolan fashion, he opts not to tell this story from beginning to end, but rather through two perspectives – one in color, and the other in black and white, a call back to his early film Memento – that bounce around in time. The effect it has on the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the film’s three-hour runtime is keeping the audience pulled in by maintaining the tension and intrigue at high gear. Nolan’s detractors often cite his expositional dialogue as a flaw, but this story lends itself to the smart people in the room, explaining things to those not yet there.
The core perspective of the film is Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), who starts with his hearing to renew his security clearance. The second is Admiral Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), seen at his confirmation hearing as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. At first, these two events are not clearly connected – but as the story goes back and forth between the two men and their relationship with one another, it becomes very clear why these are the chosen starting points. Nolan rarely tells a story from beginning to end, and it really works to great effect this time.
Murphy is tremendous in the often quiet and introspective Oppenheimer. His ability to convey his internal conflict with a gesture or slight scowl pays off many times in this film. The subtlety he can convey makes him perfect for the moments when Oppenheimer is clearly battling within himself. There are too many great performances – some of which were a pleasant surprise – to mention them all in this review. Downey gives his best performance since his last appearance as Iron Man. Then, you get Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Josh Hartnett, Alden Ehrenreich, and many more, giving just outstanding performances. There are several actors who pop in for a scene, give an incredible monologue, and then they’re gone. For fans of games like Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon, you’ve got a new film to use as connective tissue.
As one would expect, the technical elements of this movie are also insane. The score from composer Ludwig Göransson seems to use some of the Zimmer style from earlier Nolan films. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema is incredible, and even more so when you hear that Nolan says there are no CG shots in this film. It then becomes clear that the make-up department went old school, aging and de-aging the cast. The love of film is all over this movie, and it is an undeniable success.
Oppenheimer is one of those biopics that will be used as an example of how to break the mold of the genre. While it seems to push for empathy for the troubled figure, it also doesn’t shy away from the darker sides of his life. It allows the character – and the film’s audience – to decide his role in history. The film is a masterclass in so many ways and one of historical significance.
Oppenheimer is in theaters everywhere on July 21.
Rating: Must See
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