Sunday, December 31, 2023

Movie Review : Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer 

This is Christopher Nolans greatest film he has ever made! Now I have been hearing how amazing this film is from the reviews online but I can confidently say the hype is true this truly is unlike anything Nolan has ever made and had me walking out of the theatre shaking and with my jaw on the floor. The performances from everyone involved are outstanding Cillian Murphy delivers a performance that is one of the best screen performances I’ve ever seen his portrayal of Robert J Oppenheimer is sensational. Everyone in the cast are all truly amazing and the sheer scope of this film will have you in total awe as it’s also a visual feast for the eyes. Oppenheimer is truly a special film that will be studied for years. 


Firstly, The writing from Christopher Nolan on this film is the best screenwriting he’s ever done the narrative is tightly written and paced in such a fantastic way you don’t even feel the three hour runtime it just flies by. A lot of people will make comparisons to his most recent films like Tenet and Dunkrik calling his work narratively is a return to form as in how he tells his story structurally. Now he does bring that non linear way of storytelling to this film as he has done so in the past but it never felt like he was simply using old ways of styles on past works to use it for this film as the way this film is edited is phenomenal. The way he brings people into the headspace of Robert J Oppenheimer in a way that you are experiencing the anxiety, sadness and weight of what’s he’s going through in a first hand visual experience was such a brilliant way to tell his story. Their is a certain sadness and horror like tone to the film that I have never seen him explore ever as a filmmaker and it feels like a historic nightmare tale in the way he brings this story to the screen. Theirs no sugar coating or glamorizing he tells this story warts and all of how it happened and he delves into the darkest depths of Oppenheimer’s heart and gives the audience a experience of how his heart was ripped apart from taking part in this historic event in history. From how he flashes to the political aftermath of the trinity test to winding it back to the beginning and leading up to the creation of this bomb was amazing as the experience feels visually intoxicating as he thrusts you into the narrative the moment it starts and I never felt like it should of been shortened he captures the entire story in a way that never felt like should of gone deeper he went to the very core of the story and it’s facts that leaves you satisfied. The way he uses sound in this film was so creative and serves as a character itself into the story. As he plays with sound for us to be inside the brain and mind of Oppenheimer and what was so great in how it serviced the story was that when you see him on the brink of anxiety and emotions being high the editing goes quicker the sound gets louder and it a genius way in how to incorporate it into this story. As sure the sound sounds great for when you see the bomb go off but I was more impressed in how it was able to use it for the emotionally driven scenes as I’ve never seen Nolan use sound in such a way like this before. He also uses the colours in the film in a way to show the audience how Robert J Oppenheimer is viewed as well when the film is black and white it shows the perception of him through others when it’s in colour it’s told entirely in first person narration which is such a outstanding way of looking into a character. This way of using colour to also help tell the story he has used to an extent in one of his earliest films Memento but hasn’t revisited that way of storytelling with that added element to it since. The way he captures this film from the screenwriting to the sound and editing was truly genius he has reached a feat as filmmaker with this film that has cemented him as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time. If that hasn’t already been known he’s an amazing filmmaker the places he goes narratively and from a technical way he accomplishes the best work of his career with this film. The style and tone never felt flashy for the sake of just looking cool it served a purpose and was used in such a smart way that will have you truly amazed. 


Secondly, The performances from the whole cast is outstanding! The performance everyone will be talking about is Cillian Murphys monumental performance as Robert J Oppenheimer he explores the man behind the genius scientist that he’s been painted as among many other names and he expresses so much through his eyes and can so much from his heart with saying so little. It’s a performance that is the best work of his career and one that will be talked about all year he explores the layers and tragic nature of who this man was yes he was a genius with his contribution to science but he bares his heart open in a raw performance that is phenomenal. Then theirs Robert Downey Jr who is a big stand out in this film giving the greatest performance of his career with his portrayal of the incredibly complex individual that was  Lewis Strauss. He brings this politician who very much led people on to think he was this cunning and genius person  when behind closed doors he was a very opinionated  person. He  let jealously get to him easily and Downey channels that morally grey judgment of this individual in such a powerful way that will unsettle you and have you unable to look away to what he’s contributing to the screen. Then the performance I hope that does not get overlooked is Emily Blunt’s performance as Robert J Oppenheimer’s wife as what she brings to the role really is outstanding as she doesn’t play the typical wife in a biographical film. What I mean by that is a lot of wife’s in film especially biographical films are sidelined and or used to help lift up the main character of the story and that be their sole purpose for being their as she dose not resort to such a standard like that in this film. As she plays this emotionally powerfully driven woman who will not let herself be treated as just a housewife and let that be the only thing she’s known for and Blunt brings that emotional bluntness in such a gripping way and in many ways she is the anchor and thing that keeps Oppenheimer from loosing himself emotionally and wow is she truly terrific. Everyone else all gave amazing work from actors such as Matt Damon who plays the disciplinary on the scientist to make sure this is done properly is greatly captured in Damon’s performance then you have actors who may pop in for a scene or two but serve a great service to the plot with names such as Kenneth Branagh, Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich and Florence Pugh who has very little screen time but is brilliant in the scenes she is in. As she  has a big impact on Oppenheimer psychologically that stays with him his entire life. The cast is truly incredible I have seen a Christopher Nolan film where the  cast  is solid that’s nothing new but in this film from top to bottom all the actors  contribute next level performances that are all extraordinary. 


Lastly, Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan’s greatest achievement as a filmmaker from a technical standpoint and narratively on top of it being his best written screenplay he has reached new heights as a director with what he accomplished with his story of Robert J Oppenheimer. The tone he set for this story is haunting as he explores the heart of a man who’s  grapples with the responsibility that he created something that changed the future and having to live with the effect his creation of this scientific discovery had on the world and it’s told in such a brutally honest and unsettling presentation by Christoper Nolan that delivers a film with incredible performances from its whole cast and a truly incredible performance from Cillian Murphy giving a career best performance. While underlining a powerful message for people to take away from the film that will stay with you long after the film is over and have you walk out in total silence and have you reflect on what you just watched this film will hit you like a punch to the jaw. It’s Christopher Nolan’s greatest film he’s ever crafted As Oppenheimer isn’t just one of the best films of the year it is one of the best films ever made. I recommended everyone go see this film on the biggest screen possible with the best sound system. 


This film centres on Robert J Oppenheimer and his creation of the atomic bomb and the affect it on him and the world


Rated R : Nudity|Language|Some Sexuality


Cillian Murphy : Cillian Murphy delivers one of the greatest performances I have ever seen! Now this is an actor who has been working with Christopher Nolan for 20 years as far back as Batman Begins. He has had supporting and small roles but this is the first time he has got to be front and centre of one of his films and i love that for him. As he has proven time and time again in his previous collaborations with Nolan that he has the chops to take on a big leading role and wow did he amaze me with his take on the tragic personality that was Robert J Oppenheimer. The film is three hours and what I love about its runtime is it never rushes through key events in his life it takes its time to explain him when he was very young in his academic years, his relationships, his career and the events that happened after the bombings in Japan. So for an actor to take all of that on such a large scale Cillian Not only gave a solid performance he lived and breathed the skin of this character. His dedication to the role is incredible because you can see the care and resect he had for the subject matter and for making sure he got the portrayal correctly onscreen. From the way he speaks in this old fashioned American accent in such a soft spoken but yet emotionally charged way was captivating. Adding to the fact of the psychical transformation he went under he looks so skinny and really adapted his body to match how Robert J Oppenheimer looked like. Then  the details in how his posture was like in the way he placed his hands on his hips and changing his body language to match the age he was at points in the film to match how he would of presented himself those small things really go a long way as he was incredibly discipline with himself to showcase a authentic performance of this well known scientist. What I respected about his take on the character was he didn’t do a impression or make him to be over the top in emotion just for the sake of chewing up the scenery his emotional expression is very subtle in what you see in the film and its outstanding as he is able to have you understand what is going on in his mind and heart with just a look in his eyes and expressing them in such a raw sense. As their is not a moment in the film where he makes this big grand emotional scene that is loud he is able to bring that stern and direct point through his gentle but very much emotionally felt delivery of the dialogue. When we see him at his schooling years he is much more bold in his choices for instance when a professor embarrasses him he would use his incredible brainpower to lash out and yet he does that behaviour in his youth as you don’t see that once his reputation becomes very established. When addressing his romantic life he is very much a lady man in the sense he brings a great deal of charm when he finds someone romantically attractive to him and his gentle heart is what also causes him to act more with his feelings then his brains at times. As he has a complicated relationship with a woman that had a huge impact on his life and affected him psychologically. It  had an everlasting impact on him and his wife stayed by his side through it all and Cillian is able to bring that charm and romantic side of Robert J Oppenheimer to the screen. He explores it in a way that makes you want him to follow his heart but he does it at times in a very unprofessional way in comparison to how he deals with his work. The only time he ignored logic for love was when it came to the people he was romantically involved with. The two woman who were in his life meant a great deal to him and he very much chased after that pursuit of love in a way to feel.  The brilliance of Which you can see so greatly through Cillian’s performance he wears his heart on his sleeve around the woman he loves and that’s really the only time you see his heart bare is when letting a woman into his heart. The way Cillian puts his emotional wall down to let them love him you can feel from the way he engages in conversation with them. He shows that he wants to have that companionship and he smiles more and shows more light in his eyes. He is able to just be Robert and not the big grand Oppenheimer scientist that people treat him like each day. By having these relationships it also shows he was much more then just his work he was a person who loved to feel love in his heart and that joyous feeling Cillian taps well into when that part of his heart is explored. Then when we see how he is when he is totally in the mindset of his work and how passionate he feels about science and making the right leaps forward for society. When we see him spoken to by government officials and the military to pick apart his genius brain and use it for their gain he to a extent has no idea what their intentions are as he hopes they are approaching him to bring a positive outcome to help end the war. Now seeing Cillian Murphy bring that selfless but still very smart wit to the performance was amazing as he could explain very complicated scientific language that very few would understand and will impress these people who doubt his allegiance to his country with his straight forward way of speaking. He never comes off as over confident or has a sarcastic sense to him it is that he knows that due to him being a scientist he thinks he can be pushed around for his smart view on things and he will use that to his advantage to show them showing why in order to achieve a successful outcome they need his help. So the way that Cillian can at moments show off the incredible brain of who this man was in response to telling others he knows what he I doing as his way of giving a sliver of attitude though showing his amazing knowledge on things I thought was amazing. Now how he explores the aftermath of how this breakthrough in science help end the war we see the emotional damage it had on him and you see his brain snap like a pencil. What I mean by that is he made something that was to end a war and hopefully stop all the fighting but when he learns very quickly after he tested the bomb that he spent years on trying to make sure didn’t fall into the wrong hands and had constant observation  from the government the moment the test is deemed a success we see they now have no use for him as they can do whatever they want with it. Now at first he has no idea or thinks after working so closely with them they would never do something like that when he asks to go back to Washington and one of them reply with seeing why its because they are done with his involvement now its government property. The way you see Cillian just become broken inside day after day of learning of how they treated him for trying to contribute something to bring peace and how quickly they threw him away makes you feel for him. Their is scene that really stuck with me that he is amazing in that has very little dialogue from him when the world is celebrating that he brought a end to the war and he gives this big rousing speech the cheers and stomping from the people in attendance gives this bombastic sound. We see from his peespecirve how he is taking it in and sure he may of brought peace for his country but he is utterly haunted by the mountain of dead bodies in Japan he feels directly responsible for and the lives that were lost due to his creation. That sheer conflicted anxiety is presented in such a brilliant way that has little lines spoken but yet you can understand everything of how his heart has been affected after the test on the atomic bomb. Now as we see the last 45 to an hour of the film it is truly devastating how terrible Robert J Oppenheimer was treated. We see how the government and military quickly disregarded him not just as a scientist but as a human being. For instances when he goes to the president and tells him he feels essentially sick with himself and that he has blood on his hands he’s made out to be a Joke and it’s so sad as you can see how much this has taken on him and he shows a moment of vulnerability with the most powerful person in the US and he’s called a crybaby for it. You can see the fragile state he’s gone into and how he is so muted and won’t speak up due to having his opinion stripped from him. The makeup also on Cillian was amazing as the film progresses and we see him much older the frailty and weight of this emotional burden he has taken on really destroyed him and even to when they press him about his involvement with the scientific findings of the bomb to his potential involvement with the Soviet Union. He was thrown into a room and just grilled day after day and pushed around and bullied having to just sit there and take all this abuse hurled at him. All the while his wife is telling him to say something and he’s so emotionally drained that he so feels no positive outcome in putting up a fight anymore and after weeks if not months of being mistreated he has one moment where he raises his voice and tries his best to counter what massive accusations have been put against him. You hear the shakiness in his voice that he’s even scared to Raise his voice that he’ll get himself in trouble but at the same time he’s sick of being told that his potential ties to the Russians has made him a disgrace when their spinning all of these lies and theories he just wants to put a end to the ongoing media circus that is now his life on full display having to discuss the most intimate aspects of his life. Cillian is able to show that shattered aspect of who he as become all while trying to stand up for himself it’s masterfully shown. Cillian Murphy explored not just one aspect of who this incredibly genius scientist was but he put on full display each aspect of this man’s life and he goes to the most intimate parts of his heart to give a respectful and accurate depiction of who he was in a performance that honesty is one of the best onscreen performances I’ve ever seen. Cillian Murphy is heartbreakingly amazing in this film and it’ll have you in total awe. 


Robert Downey Jr : This is Downey’s greatest onscreen performance he’s ever given! Now people are hailing this as the greatest work of his career which is a massive statement. Now as much as I love his work within the Marvel Cinematic universe I find his work outside of the big budget superhero films are among his best work. With his earlier stuff such as Chaplin, the criminally underrated Less Then Zero and even Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to name a few he is a truly terrific actor. Even his work in Tropic Thunder is hilariously brilliant and you’re telling me that the performance given in this film tops every single one of those? Now after seeing the film for myself I also can agree it is definitely his crowning achievement as a performer. As for a lot of people who have not seen his work outside of Marvel they will be blown away at seeing him in a heavy dramatic role and for people like me who have been following his career for sometime its great to see him go back to his dramatic roots. As that’s where I think he excels the best as when the marketing for this film was being pushed I kept on telling people keep a eye out for what Robert Downey Jr does in this Christopher Nolan film. For the reason that he never gives less than 100% and he became in my opinion the second best performance In the film next to Cillian Murphy. As he plays Lewis Strauss a man who was incredibly complicated and jaded to an extent and Downey is able to explore the headspace of Lewis in such a captivating way. What is fantastic about his character is we see his view on Oppenheimer entirely through a black and white lens in the most literal way of me saying that. As when we are first introduced to his character he very much is impressed with the smarts Oppenheimer possesses and wants to help him in any way he can. Now once he sees the connections he builds with the scientific community and he is left out of those conversations their is a resentment built up in Lewis’s heart and he starts to despise him for that very reason. Now Downey is able to show that charming nature of who Lewis was in the first stage of his very complicated relationship with Oppenheimer as he seems very welcoming and warm but that attitude shifts very quickly when he starts to feel looked over. Now Robert Downey Jr is able to make that switch in such a seamless way while keeping you locked into his character and performance as for me he was the most interesting arc to follow as you have a man who essentially is willing to ruin a man’s life purely out of jealousy that he may be smarter and more important  then him. Those childish characteristics Lewis has is what causes his downfall as he is so hellbent on taking down Oppenheimer he will do whatever means to drag his name through the dirt and what is unsettling is he is unaware of what malicious behaviour he is doing and has no hesitation doing it. When he works behind the scenes to make sure each government official questions the work Oppenheimer is doing and call him out on it to publicly crucify him brings a grin to Lewis’s face and Downey is able to explore the shady workings of not just the person he was within the political party but who he was as a person and what his moral compass was. Downey brings a darkness out onscreen we have never seen from him before that is truly  terrifying because his character feels what he is doing is the right thing and sees nothing wrong in his actions. It’s a performance that chews up the scenery and truly is the best work Downey has ever delivered onscreen as the sheer depths his heart plunges to with this complex person was amazing to watch unfold in a career best performance from Robert Downey Jr. 


Emily Blunt : Blunt gives a cutthroat and captivating performance that shows her on top of her game! Now Emily Blunt is no stranger to giving amazing performances I still think her work in the film Sicario was one of the most criminally snubbed performances that should of been recognized as her work on that film was amazing. She’s also given other solid performances in films like A Quiet Place, The Devil Wears Prada so seeing her deliver once again another terrific performance is no surprise to me. But it’s how she inhabited the skin of this character that really stood out as she plays Oppenheimer’s wife that stood by him through everything. Seeing Blunt explore the inner workings of their complicated relationship really is a highlight of the film for me because she is for sure a supporting presence in the film but when she is onscreen wow she lights up the screen. Her performance I hope doesn’t go unnoticed because theirs so many big names in this film and you have very big flashy performances from Downey and Cillian Murphy I hope hers dose not get lost in the shuffle because her work in this is truly phenomenal. As she’s the only person that can get through to Robert J Oppenheimer’s heart and soul in the way that she won’t take the dramatics and won’t feel pity for him if he dose not deserve it so seeing such a personality keep him in a way grounded was amazing. There are moments where someone in her position would never look at him the same way again but she stayed firmly by him didn’t mean it was easy but she did and sure their are moments where she had serious issues with him but didn’t make her love him any less and that within itself is so powerful. Emily is able to tell so much through just her eyes as she does have great emotionally raw moments where she just lays her husband out verbally out of sheer frustration of his decisions but for the most part it’s what she doesn’t say with words and the communication through her body Language that speaks volumes. She herself suffers from addictions and personal demons but not to the extent her husband goes through not saying their less important but she knows the gravity of what her husband is dealing with on a day to day basis and what matters most to her is how it affects their relationship and the family they have built. Emily speaks in such a Authority like way in how she talks to her husband so he knows he can’t walk all over her or treat her any less then the people he deals with and even though she can be very tough love in her approach with him her ability to be blunt with him at all times he respects because he knows she will always be 100% real with him. She explores such a devastating and tough part of herself brilliantly  in order to accurately portray who this woman was that played the anchor in Oppenheimer’s life and really kept him in line both emotionally but also she didn’t let people push him around. Emily Blunt is captivating from start to finish each word is said with such passion and at times intensity while still showing her Husband she loves him unconditionally and she is gripping and honestly I would go as far as saying it’s the best work she’s ever done. Emily Blunt is sensational in this film and delivers such a fierce performance that stays with you. 


Christopher Nolan : Nolan gives the finest direction of his entire career with his take on Robert J Oppenheimer’s story. Now Christopher Nolan is one of the most brilliant directing voices of his generation and truly a genius now he’s been giving high quality films for years now. He’s given masterworks like Inception, memento, Interstellar, The Dark Knight and even what I consider the underrated film the Prestige. So depending on who you ask everyone Will give you a different answer on what is his best film either directing wise or his best film as a whole. Now I will say this is his best film and work as a director he’s ever accomplished as the craftsmanship and way he went about executing the narrative is outstanding. There are things he brings to this film he’s never done in any other film as he constantly keeps evolving as a filmmaker and this is him at his strongest creatively we’ve ever seen. He dives head first into the heart of who this man was as he easily could of made this film be about just the creation of the bomb and that be it but the creation as important as it is to the narrative his personal life as what made a bigger impression on me then the lead up to the big explosion that for many seemed to be the big selling point was the exploration into the sheer anxiety of who this genius was. As he tells the film from a first person perspective which he rarely ever does and for a three hour film it could be very exhausting on the average viewer but for me I loved that aspect of the story because we are viewing not just his perception of science related things and how he takes in the environment around him but we get to see the sheer emotional hell this man went through by diving into his brain and having what he is feeling in his heart visualized onscreen in some truly breathtaking imagery. The sheer passion and research Nolan did to capture the essence of this impactful moment in Time cannot be ignored and the film feels very much like a horror film and because of how a lot of people don’t know about the aftermath of what happened to this mans life on top of the sheer scope of how massive this scientific find was to human evolution. Christopher Nolan is commenting on how someone who has good intentions of helping end something so terrible with creating something so violent then be used in such terrifying ways and get far out of hand in ways that Oppenheimer did not think would happen. The sheer horror and terror this film has as a theme over the picture is felt in each frame and its a very sombre tone and its not meant to depress you or not make you  not sleep at night but Nolan is brining to the attention of many that we don’t care about the environment enough  and to stand up for whats right its easy to be taken advantage of and walked all over. Now Nolan has done a ton of big budget films before but the word epic is what comes to mind when describing both his direction and the film as a whole. The fact he let his longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy take centre stage to lead this film who gives a outstanding performance topped with a engaging story with some of the best visual imagery he’s have had in any of his films with a tremendous score it truly is his finest work as a filmmaker. It never feels showy in the sense that he’s showing off if anything he is presenting things onscreen that is more subtle and quiet compared to his past works he is so much more restrained here in terms of style while also branching out to try new things and it landing beautifully. The performances from the whole cast are amazing from Emily Blunt, Downey Jr, this is a film that will be studied and analyzed for years to come for its amazing visual storytelling as Christopher Nolan presents himself at his strongest with his work on Oppenheimer it is truly brilliant filmmaking by the modern day genius! 

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