There are some stories that no matter how inspiring they appear, there is always an underlying but great evil. As humans we have this unmatched ability to create such complexity. While sometimes it would be nice to pat ourselves on the back, the events of Oppenheimer are nothing to be proud of. As for director Christopher Nolan, his new film about the infamous physicist is something to be proud of.
As a film freak, this movie has been on my anticipation list for quite some time. Luckily, it more than lived up to the hype for myself and I am so happy I finally got a chance to see it and review it here for RMR. There will most likely be spoilers ahead so proceed with caution if you still care. Please also keep in mind, I know nothing of the actual events, nor the real Oppenheimer, so everything presented is based solely on the film.
What Oppenheimer has Meant to Me
The last Christopher Nolan film that demanded my theatrical attention was 2017’s Dunkirk. This is not to say that 2020’s Tenet was undeserving of my $13, but a global health crisis was happening so there was not exactly a lot my mind could handle. I enjoyed Tenet. It was a good bit of fun, that was kind of up its own ass, but that was beside the point.
Dunkirk showed that Nolan is more than just about science fiction and explosions with a brain. Mixing a very real war with his personal flavor of direction and writing produced great results. So, with all of that laid out, it was exciting to hear that Nolan was going to be doing another war type of movie. Although my knowledge of J. Robert Oppenheimer was limited to the guy who built a bomb and said the cool quote, it was intriguing to see what Nolan would do.
With the ever-growing cast of outstanding names being added to the film, all under the lead of one Cillian Murphy, this was shaping up to be something worth investing in. A big-name director and a huge cast are here, but why else should we be interested? How about some still shots of Murphy recreating frames of Oppenheimer himself? Yes, that will do quite nicely! Okay, cool, everything is looking good so far. Next, we got a trailer that cemented my excitement. Nolan is so back! Give the film a July 21st theatrical release date next to The Barbie Movie and now everyone is excited.
All of this was to say that it has been a long time since a movie has demanded my presence in the theaters (Except Barbie. That was a separate demand). Movies have looked great and seemed like a better experience in the theaters, but Oppenheimer wanted me there for it. With all things I review, I like to start off with the elements that are the opposite of how I feel overall. Let’s keep it fair and start off with the negatives.
Failures of the Mind- Confusion
Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. Image provided courtesy of Universal Studios.
I like to think of myself as both a smart and intelligent person. Obviously not smart enough to work alongside J. Robert himself, but I know what a quadratic formula looks like. While the film does a good job of breaking everything scientific down enough for the less scholarly (Me) to grasp the story, there was still a bit that left me slightly confused. None of this took away from the overall experience, but not knowing the conversation sometimes irks me.
On that note, this further complicated some scenes for me. Trying to figure out exactly what they are talking about would have been counterproductive, but understanding would have helped. Obviously, the simple solution is to rewatch the movie, but this point withstands from my first watch. My brain required the movie to pause a few times so I could catch up and in turn, I found myself a bit lost and muddled since I missed some dialogue and tried to catch up. Again, this all goes back to just rewatching the movie or watching it more to hear them explain what they just said.
Personal Pacing Problems
Oppenheimer is split into three sections: understanding Robert, developing the bomb and falling out from the fallout. The movie is three hours long which provides ample time to let everything breathe and to tell the story necessary. Typically, in three-hour movies I find the first section to drag on a bit to get the good stuff, but I found the opposite to be true.
There were numerous scenes that I totally understand are designed to tell you information to keep it going. Although not exclusive to the first act, those scenes that zoomed through to tell you the information were at times, a little confusing. This can all tie into the editing as well. I believe the editing team deserve an Oscar for their work on Oppenheimer.
Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock and Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. Image provided courtesy of Universal Studios.
However, there were scenes with multiple layers of dialogue going on and at the moment in the theater I felt it needed a bit of consolidation. We can talk more about the editing in a minute. Despite how genuinely impressive it is, I do think the editing room laid it on a bit heavy at some points. A simple nod to the aforementioned conversation or a direct quote would have sufficed.
Too Many Cooks?
I love me a huge cast of big-name actors and familiar faces. I also love me huge cast movies that make use of everyone they have. With that said, there may have been too many familiar faces that did not do much for me. No names will be named, but there are some actors that could have been anyone. Who knows? This could have been the starting point for a (respectfully) no-name actor to have their spot.
There is a high chance that the no-name could be just as forgettable, but what can you do? While I do commend Nolan for filling the cast with actors that my generation grew up watching on tv and in movies, however, in a very mature movie, I would have been satisfied even if I did not recognize them. I am bored with complaining. Now, I want to get happy.
Explosion-Heimer: Sound Mixing
YEAH BABY!!!!!! Pardon my language, and I do not say this often, but I am a whole slut for crisp sound mixing. It is part of what makes Red Dead Redemption 2 my favorite game of all time. The sound, baby, it is all in the sound. Explosions exploding, particles accelerating, machines whirring, and rain pattering are all godly sounds in my ears.
Tom Conti as Albert Einstein in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. Image provided courtesy of Universal Studios.
Sound played a huge role in this movie and was a huge part of my enjoyment. One of my favorite scenes was the Trinity Test. Everything leading up to it was tense and great. What really kept the holes clenched was the giant delay. Each explosive test included a realistic wait for the sound to catch up with the light and the distance of the crews. As each test grew larger, so did each wait for the sound.
After the official Trinity Test, I knew it was coming. I waited and waited and waited, and then after finally lowering my guard, the sound hit me like a wave. Glorious. Science is not my strong suit so I have no true knowledge of scientific authenticity when it comes to the sound’s delays, however they acted as super effective tension building tools.
Sound was also great to convey the loneliness and stress of everything. When Robert was surrounded by proud patriots celebrating his accomplishment, the overwhelming silence was scary. Many scenes before this one had teases of the excitable audience stomping their feet for him. The sound was almost like a train coming through. Neither a train nor an audience of adoring people would have been better.
The Layers of Schematics: Editing
Although, yes, I did say the editing was a bit confusing, I do think it is impressive on every level. For a good portion of the movie, I was heavily impressed with how they did the “two separate trials with the same intertwining characters” technique used in The Social Network. As the trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer and The Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss take their separate places; we see the blanks being filled in from both respective perspectives. It was complex, but once it becomes apparent what is happening how this story is being told- it is all fantastic work. So many aspects of this film blew my mind, but at the forefront of it all is the editing.
Hearing the Music: Score
Christopher Nolan’s longtime collaborator Hans Zimmer is one of the greatest composers of the modern world. I will never say “no’” to another collaboration between the two, but Nolan’s new collaborator Ludwig Goransson has been introducing some new pizzazz into his films. It will take some time for Goransson to come close to Zimmer, however what Goransson accomplishes in Oppenheimer is remarkable.
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. Image provided courtesy of Universal Studios.
Zimmer’s work on Interstellar is regarded as the best score of any Nolan film, but I disagree with that. Not only do I plainly disagree, but I think Goransson channels some of the majesty that Zimmer creates, but also manages to twist the excitement of a lively orchestra into something magical. A good score can set the tone of a movie better than any words spoken or actions performed. In Oppenheimer, although a bomb is being developed to kill thousands, each scene feels inspiring.
The score soars and creates this wonderfully exciting landscape that you simply can’t escape from. Even if you have no idea what goes into a bomb, you can tell exactly how to feel from the impressive waves of Goransson’s orchestra. Currently, I am listening to Can You Hear the Music as I type this, and I am floating above my bed. Bravo, Goransson, you made me transcend.
Before and After the Fallout: Plot
There are so many plots in this movie. Granted, that is what you should have when a three-hour movie is on your hands. I thoroughly enjoyed every single plotline. Although some stories took more time to warm up for me than others, they all paid off in the end. Each new plot line feels like it is trying to up the previous part of Robert’s life by making things worse.
If he is not having an affair then he is an accused communist. When Robert is not being a communist, he is embarrassing United States Commerce Secretaries in public hearings. Since that went well, the only logical place to go is to build a bomb for the government with the sole purpose of mass destruction. Hey, look at that! Things are going very well, but how does a spy for the Russian government sound? Great to me!
Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. Image provided courtesy of Universal Studios.
Look at that! The bomb is ready, tested, and dropped onto thousands of people. Cool. Now I think it is time for my favorite game show, The Rigged and Biased Trial of J. Robert Oppenheimer! Join us next week for the exciting spin-off Lewis Strauss: Government Slug!!!!
Those are just the major plot points and they all flow so organically into each other. While my omission of giant portions of reasoning may not seem helpful, the sequence of events makes sense. Every character is unique and a necessity to advance even the tiniest of ideas.
Scientists: Performances of Oppenheimer
I expect to see at least two actors walk away with undisputed gold after the next Oscars ceremony. Cillian Murphy is perfect. His portrayal of Oppenheimer is a mix of so much and it is incredible. There were so many layers and nuances to each scene, and it feels criminal not to award a performance as powerful as his was. Robert Downey Jr. is not talked about enough for how damn good of an actor he is. We say he was good as Iron-Man, which is not wrong, but give him a heavy morally faulty character and he goes to amazing places. Downey Jr. absolutely deserves his Oscar as well.
Emily Blunt is another actress that is so damn good, and I feel does not get the proper respect that she does. Her performance as Kitty Oppenheimer was a different kind of roller coaster that I would very much like to see win, or at least be nominated for, an Oscar. Her logic is sound in most of her scenes (post alcoholism) and her support of Robert never feels like she is playing second fiddle.
Florence Pugh may have had some short scenes, but I also genuinely believe she deserves an Oscar nomination. Why? Because she keeps Robert in the palm of her hands. Flo is a very good actress and anyone else in the role may not have been as interesting. She is sweet when we meet her, but then feels the opposite in some way by the end. It is up to you to interpret how she feels for you and that is fantastic.
Physicists: Performances of Oppenheimer continued
Josh Hartnett was a big highlight for me. He was cool and charming and definitely someone I would want to be working alongside. Matt Damon is great as General Groves. He is a tough nut to crack for a while, but he comes around in the end and, for better or worse, seems like someone to keep, sort of, close by. Jason Clarke gave me bad anxiety in his case scenes. Alden Ehrenreich is so cool, and I always love seeing him in anything. David Kromholtz always brought a smile to my face whenever he popped into a scene.
Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 film Oppenheimer. Image provided courtesy of Universal Studios.
Oh, hello there Alex Wolff, Matthew Modine, Michael Angarano, Devon Bostick, Josh Peck, David Dastmalchian, Dane DeHaan, and Benny Safdie. Good day to you too Jack Quaid, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, James Remar, and Gary Oldman. Lovely to see you all here along for the ride.
Their roles were small, but it was cool seeing all of these actors here. Although many did not contribute anything, I still am happy to see the lads here.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer
Thank you, for sticking through this one. I know this one was rather long, but this movie was packed, and I wanted to touch on what I could. Oppenheimer is most likely going to be my favorite movie of the year and I hope to see it again before it leaves theaters. If it is not too late, I highly recommend catching Oppenheimer in theaters. Sure, it is three hours and there are times you can feel its length, but for a special and long experience look no further. Oppenheimer is a tricky one for me to number, but for now let’s call it a strong 9/light 10/10.
