REVIEW! - 'OPPENHEIMER' (2023)

'Oppenheimer' (2023)

“Oppenheimer” is the biopic to end all biopics from Christopher Nolan, the man that not only directed the movie but also wrote the screenplay based on the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer”. Nolan tells the story through two perspectives. In the color segments of the movie, we are seeing the movie through the eyes of our titular character, Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) while the black and white segments are through the eyes of the man that would be Oppenheimer’s greatest villain, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.).

The movie moves backwards and forwards through the narrative’s timeline. Some of it takes place during Oppenheimer’s rise through the Manhattan project while another thread follows Oppenheimer’s security hearing after the war and during the Red Scare. A third thread follows Strauss as he is trying to get confirmed to a cabinet position in President Eisenhower’s administration.

This movie brings the full weight of Nolan’s talents as a filmmaker to the forefront. The movie is shot on film with no extensive CGI shots, including a practical recreation of the Trinity Test, the first time we detonated an atomic bomb. The effect is astounding and great to watch yet while it does capture the full power of what we unleashed, it is also not the highlight of the movie.

The highlight of the movie are the amazing performances throughout. Murphy is on the fast track to win the Academy Award next year for Best Actor. Unless some surprising performance appears over the next four months, I feel like Murphy has this one in the bag as he completely falls into the role of this historical and, at times, controversial character.

Cillian Murphy is the tragic hero of Christopher Nolan's latest epic.

Another Academy Award that may be in the bag is a Best Supporting Actor statue for Robert Downey Jr. This movie proves once again why the actor is one of the best of his generation even before he donned a metal suit for Marvel Studios. Downey Jr. is at the top of his game here as he brings to life the cold, spiteful, grudge-holding Strauss and he truly disappears into the role.

Beyond both Murphy and Downey Jr., all of the actors in the movie give great performances as well. Matt Damon is dependable as ever as General Leslie Groves, the military director of the Manhattan Project. Emily Blunt is also in the running for Best Actress for her performance as Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, and Florence Pugh may be in for a nomination for Best Supporting Actress as Oppenheimer’s tortured mistress, Jean Tatlock.

Then, there is Nolan’s storytelling along with the editing skills of Jennifer Lame. Yes, the movie is three hours long but they tell the story at such a brisk and nonlinear pace that I never once felt that the movie was too long or that there were things that the movie didn’t necessarily need. Not only do I think that Nolan will win his first Best Director Oscar, Lame will win for editing and Hoyte van Hoytema will win for his stunning cinematography.

I have yet to find a Nolan film that I didn’t like. I keep waiting for the director to make a movie that doesn’t work for me, but so far he’s on a winning streak that hasn’t stopped yet. “Oppenheimer” may very well be another masterpiece from one of the best directors working in the business today.

Not only is it one of Christopher Nolan's best films,
it is the film to beat for Best Film of 2023!