‘Oppenheimer’- Film Review: One of Christopher Nolan’s Best in Years

People have been asking why anyone would be excited about a film about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Father of the Atomic Bomb. Do you want to know why? Because it’s writer/director Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer was among one of my most anticipated films of the year. Nolan is one of the remaining filmmakers today who will get people out of their homes and experience something unforgettable in theaters. Some of the greatest films of this century are from him, from The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and even Interstellar, for tons of cinephiles out there. Not a single bad movie in his filmography.

Though considering how his previous effort, Tenet, wasn’t a massive hit due to it being released during the pandemic and he took his next project to Universal Pictures after a falling out with Warner Bros. Pictures, it seems this was going to be a more grounded story that also is a true story. I didn’t know what to expect from Oppenheimer when it could lead itself to a mind-blowing time or a tried-too-hard Oscar bait. But if his purpose was to make a fantastic film about who he describes as the most important person in the world, then he truly knows how to captivate with this three-hour-long epic.

What’s the Story: During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. (Matt Damon) appointed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb in the Los Alamos, New Mexico desert to defeat the Nazis and end the war. A chain reaction that could change the world. Their work came to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witnessed the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.

Based on Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” those who thought Nolan lost his touch for a decade will be impressed with everything he brought with Oppenheimer, the kind of historical drama tailored made for adults. This was all new to me, and I wasn’t at all familiar with the quantum physicist the creation of the bombs responsible for the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. All of that is through a journey that came before, during, and in the aftermath of The Manhattan Project, seen through his eyes.

Though the physics jargon will go over my head, it kept me interested in making this experiment a win for Oppenheimer. Only some things will be understood during the first viewing, but it creeps up on you with this sense of tension that rarely goes away. With a perfect weapon, how far is one willing to go to beat the enemy? And with that much power, at what point will everything come to peace?

If there was ever a film to show why Cillian Murphy is a true talent, here’s your answer. Murphy has been a frequent collaborator with the director for nearly 20 years, but we are finally seeing the underrated Irish actor in a lead role in a blockbuster. For years, I’ve heard about how great he was as Tommy Shelby on the crime series Peaky Blinders. But this was the performance we’ll now associate with him because Murphy is fantastic. As it chronicles his life, he’s ambitious and anxious and wants to help the world, yet his perspective of reality doesn’t allow it to happen. After this bomb goes off, will it be a success for all humanity? Is it possible for everyone to work effortlessly so that America stays ahead of the Soviets? Will it be responsible for killing thousands upon thousands of people?

Not only was he great, but Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Lewis Strauss, head of the Atomic Energy Commission, is a heavy reminder of how great a dramatic actor he is. His role will have us forget how great he is outside his stint in the MCU (and I still love him as Tony Stark). Downey is almost unrecognizable in a role I hope is in consideration for a Best Supporting Actor nomination based on a strong presence in the third act. As General Leslie Groves, Matt Damon is another standout when sharing his scenes with Murphy, providing a few moments of levity in an overall bleak drama.

The two main actresses in the film, Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh, were superb in their respective roles as Robert’s wife, Katherine “Kitty” Puening, and Robert’s early romantic interest, Jean Tatlock. Blunt’s character is likened to Claire Foy in First Man, who is more than just a devoted stay-at-home parent, as we witness later.

But much like Barbie, this also has a stacked ensemble, which doesn’t surprise me too much since every actor would jump at the chance to be in something Nolan directed. Here we got familiar faces such as Josh Hartnett, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Alden Ehrenreich, Dane DeHaan, David Krumholtz, and so on. They never seem to phone it in, even when they don’t have many scenes. There were even a couple of appearances from a couple of Oscar winners I did not know were in this.

Hearing how Nolan didn’t use any CGI throughout this had me not believing at first, but he will always provide as many practical effects if possible. Maybe the only examples were the scenes where Oppenheimer’s mind works with atoms and supernovas. With the Nuke scene, if that was actually real, respect for this man is in order. Getting to see this in IMAX is one thing, but it was also the first time I experienced one of his films in 70mm (about 11 miles long). Unsurprisingly, it completely overwhelmed me with how it fills up the entire screen, making Hoyte van Hoytema’s stunning cinematography even more incredible on-screen. God bless the projectionists at the Indiana State Museum theater for not having any technical difficulties.

Technically, it’s crucial for making Nolan’s films pristine. Some of his past few films had people notice they had difficulty hearing the dialogue because of the audio quality. That issue wasn’t noticeable when I saw Dunkirk, but the sound mixing was definitely an issue for Tenet. It’s a problem that might continue here, though it wasn’t for me aside from a few times. And Ludwig Göransson, who previously worked with Nolan on Tenet, might’ve composed his best score that sets the tone hauntingly. The anticipation of listening to it again when it was available the following day was beautiful. So far, he should be the front-runner to win his second Oscar for Best Original Score.

For three hours long, this is one of the few Nolan flicks that doesn’t contain bombastic action sequences every twenty minutes. Those hoping Oppenheimer is all about a giant bomb going off will probably be disappointed. It’s the dialogue-heavy drama I knew going in that would have you thinking about The Social Network or JFK from jumping from different periods. Working with a nonlinear narrative is usually Nolan’s forte. Yet it took me the next day to learn the black-and-white sequences are from Lewis Strauss’ perspective, and everything in color is from Robert’s. That alone will probably be bothersome to keep track of, making it boring to most.

For me, memorizing different names for the characters is a slow burn. Still, thanks to the terrific editing from Jennifer Lame, I didn’t necessarily feel the length in possibly Nolan’s best screenplay work since Inception, as it had the vibe of 150 minutes. Maybe the last half hour was the only time it slowed down, but it’s one of the most well-paced films in the past few months.

As it ended and the final scene proved too effective, I immediately wanted to see it again the next day. However, it will be impossible to see it downtown since they sold nearly all the other showtimes for 70mm, or the good seats are already gone. That alone had me underestimate how many moviegoers care about original films. And judging by those planning to see this and Barbie back-to-back, it would make for better box office numbers than what Tenet made in its entire run. And best of all, this might be the first film I’ve seen so far this year that has a strong chance of getting nominated for Best Picture and possibly seeing Nolan receive his second nomination for Best Director.

In the end, Oppenheimer blew me away (literally and figurately) and will please the acclaimed filmmaker’s biggest fans. A lot to process in one viewing, but Christopher Nolan’s latest is such a riveting character study that captured your attention with an unforgettable experience from a visual and sound standpoint. Cillian Murphy’s performance is proof he earns the status of leading man.