Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a long slog through history but blows up the quality of the genre.
During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. (Matt Damon) appoints 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. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.
Oppenheimer had a lot happen during his lifetime, and this movie captures it to the best of its ability without getting too historical. Director Christopher Nolan takes the underlying story and uses it as a guideline to help bring together the big parts and summarize his life, and it works very well in creating a brilliant visual style and storytelling. The result is a historical biography that moves, which is very important for a three-hour film.
There is no surprise that this film will be a contender for best acting as this film had some outstanding performances. This cast is huge and they all have this atmosphere that works. It blends Hollywood dramatic theater with biography and conveys relationships, tensions, and dynamics.
Nolan’s style is all about telling stories on so many different levels, and visual sensations are a key component. Oppenheimer has fantastic camera work that uses angles, lighting, technology, and planning to find the perfect angle to deliver viewers the best of the situation. The changing of filters for certain sequences adds this nuance that gives subtle changes that add emotion and messages you would not expect.
Nolan’s team also delivers crisp dialogue that is easy to understand and listen to without getting drowned out by other sounds. It’s absolutely perfect for the IMAX experience and the musical score adds that extra emotion while the resounding booms and other effects get an added life.
Overall, Oppenheimer may be one of the most artistic and impressive movies so far this year. Nolan once again shows that there is a medium of art and entertainment, which kept me engaged throughout the film. Fantastic acting accompanied by stunning visuals and audio collections that brings history to life. The film is a summary of a tremendous man’s life, and they did a great job covering the bases while adding a little Hollywood spectacle. It’s a marathon and it isn’t easy to sit through especially coming off of a long day, but the pace and content are engaging to keep your attention. Some issues with character balancing and pacing could have been cut down and it may not be the most entertaining escape for certain viewers, but the movie is worth the praise given what it achieves in this genre.
Oppenheimer is now playing in theaters.
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