Female Film Critics 24/375
the main reason I hold Oppenheimer in such high esteem and don’t hesitate to recommend it is Cillian Murphy’s enigmatic performance as the father of the atomic bomb. I have adored Murphy’s work for nearly 20 years. He is one of our finest character actors, and he has never been better, commanding nearly every frame of this three-hour drama.
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In a way, Christopher Nolan’s three-hour, shot-in-IMAX historical docudrama epic entitled Oppenheimer isn’t really about J. Robert Oppenheimer at all. Yes, even though it’s full of extreme closeups of the anguished scientist and much figurative rending of garments over his role in the creation of our modern world in which an atomic sword of Damocles hangs over us all.
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Admittedly complicated and confusing, its solemn concept melds science with drama, fusion with fission, and a multitude of characters with 20th century history, chronicled by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema in IMAX 70-millimeter. While the non-linear plot involves creating a top-secret coalition of scientists to build an atomic bomb, it also explores dense themes of coercion, Communism, and collective vision. At its center is soft-spoken theorist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, where he often conversed with eminent Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) about quantum physics.
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There are places where the two films intersect, making Barbenheimer less ridiculous than the memes suggest: Both Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Barbie (Margot Robbie) are midcentury icons, Oppenheimer as the father of the atomic bomb that forever changed the way humans live in the world, and Barbie as the doll that broke the mold, freeing little girls from the tyranny of baby dolls and forever changing the way children play with dolls.
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Nolan pieces the film together out of chronological order, sometimes whipping between pre- and post-bomb at a clip, switching from colour to black-and-white. It doesn’t make the narrative hard to follow, but the frequent cutting doesn’t give scenes enough time to breathe, lessening their impact on the audience. The climax of the film is undoubtedly the desert Trinity test of the bomb capabilities. Arriving at around the two-hour mark, what makes this whole sequence of events stand out is that Nolan gives it time to build tension and unfold in front of the audience instead of time-hopping to the next scene.
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“There’s a price to be paid to see beyond the world we live”, and J. Robert Oppenheimer certainly spent a lot. Based on the book, American Prometheus, writer/director Christopher Nolan’s three hour sweeping saga of science and self-importance is three movies in one. The first hour is Oppenheimer’s story. Where he came from and what kind of man he was. The second hour is all about building a deadly explosive device from conception to detonation. The third hour is the effects and affects of dropping the Atomic Bomb on an unprepared world. So you can call Oppenheimer a biography, an historical thriller and a psychological drama. Where Nolan misses the mark is letting the film jump around without fully identifying all the characters. It’s also not bombastic enough (pun intended) for the average movie goer. Oppenheimer is more theoretical than theatrical. In other words, there’s not a lot of action. Sparks don’t really fly till the last act.
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It’s just early summer and we already have a strong Oscar contender with Christopher Nolan’s new historical drama. I will say, I haven’t been a fan of Nolan’s last three films – Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet were just too convoluted, boring, and loud. However, I am pleased to say, Oppenheimer is one the director’s best films to date. Oppenheimer is a poignant and engaging character study revolving around a true story that all audiences must-see.
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