Plot Summary – During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb.

★★★★½ 

Watched 21 Jul 2023

I had to think a lot about this film before writing my review because I had a lot of thoughts and feelings about it and summarizing all of those into a non-spoiler review was a bit daunting for me. It’s safe to say that I thought this film was an absolute achievement in filmmaking. To tell this huge story with nuanced characters and interweaving plotlines, whether you think it was necessary or not, is an undeniable feat. Christopher Nolan has a very particular film language and this might be the most Nolan movie. It feels particularly in conversation with Tenet – which really is the antithesis of this movie. If the point of Tenet is to confuse you, then the point of Oppenheimer is to compel you. My only criticism of this film is that it is a bit overcooked and maybe too much of Nolan’s style is baked into this movie. The repetitive cutting and the non-linear storytelling felt excessively gimmicky at times and it felt like Nolan was just doing it because it was his thing, whether it served any narrative or thematic purpose.

That being said, this film tackles its philosophical question quite thoroughly and has a very very nuanced take on the central question of the movie. This would be impossible if it were not for Cillian Murphy’s brilliant performance. He is easily the glue that holds this movie together. Just from small changes in his expression, he conveys so much internal conflict. The way he plays the character is so brilliant and the moral hurdles the movie puts you through would not be even half as effective without his presence. Robert Downey Jr was another incredible part of this film, his role, and his acting were extremely effective in bringing an alternative perspective to the movie. I think Nolan still struggles pretty heavily with his view on women and his writing of female characters. Barring Interstellar, I don’t think he has a movie with a sensibly written female character, and that makes this film a bit confusing and off-putting at times. The female characters often act without logic and reason and that being his only departure from the source material is a pretty telling sign.

From a visual perspective, this is a masterpiece. Every shot, every frame is so intentionally constructed and it was a treat to watch it in 70mm. The score by Ludwig Goransson is also phenomenal and does a huge service to the movie in carrying some emotional weight. I very rarely appreciate or notice editing, and I feel this movie may have been slightly over-edited but I still feel like its a huge achievement in editing. The sound editing and sound design were also crucial aspects of the movie and they are very effective in making it work.

Overall, I thought this movie was a huge achievement in filmmaking and craft. It was also brilliantly written and very well executed. I just thought it was a few confusing decisions and weak characters away from being a masterpiece. I highly recommend you go check this one out in theaters!