While working on Tenet, Robert Pattinson gifted director Christopher Nolan a book containing speeches from theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. This sparked Nolan’s interest in Oppenheimer’s history, the creation of the atomic bomb, and the consequences of those actions. After announcing the project’s development in 2021, Nolan read the 2005 biography American Prometheus and based his screenplay on that. Around this time, he cut ties with Warner Bros. after they decided to release movies theatrically and on streaming simultaneously. A bidding war over the script ensued, with Universal coming out the winner and agreeing to Nolan’s stipulations. With a $100 million budget, the movie was shot between February and May 2022, mostly in and around New Mexico. The film featured an all-star cast including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, and Florence Pugh. After an extensive post-production period, Oppenheimer premiered at Le Grand Rex in July 2023.
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Synopsis
After earning his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Göttingen, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) returns to the US. He teaches quantum physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and Caltech and eventually marries Katherine “Kitty” Puening (Emily Blunt). While teaching, Oppenheimer is visited by General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon), who wants him to develop an atomic bomb. Fueled by his hatred of Nazis and their Antisemitism, plus his Jewish background, Oppenheimer agrees and starts assembling a team. With some government funding, a small town is built in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and work on the bomb commences. Their work culminates in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which leads to Oppenheimer speaking against developing nuclear weapons. This makes the once-renowned physicist a suspect as the government questions his loyalty to the US, given his communist ties. Will Oppenheimer be remembered as an innovator or a traitor?
Review
Writing a review of Oppenheimer will be difficult because there is so much more that works here than not. First, Cillian Murphy delivers the best performance of his career as the man behind the atomic bomb. He’s very logical and calculating but never comes off as stiff and robotic, showing plenty of emotion throughout his struggles. Whether he’s delivering a monologue or not saying a word, you can feel the emotion in Murphy’s eyes. The rest of the cast does a phenomenal job, with Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Florence Pugh standing out. Whether or not you’re a Christopher Nolan fan, you can’t deny that his films look fantastic; this is no exception. The fact that hardly any CGI was used makes the movie feel more natural and adds a more significant impact. The level of detail in the Los Alamos set alone is a testament to Nolan’s commitment.
One thing going into this movie I didn’t expect was its non-linear storytelling, but it worked for me. The switch between color and black-and-white helps separate which scenes are happening when, but I can understand people getting confused. Also, the movie isn’t just telling the story of how the bomb was built, but also the before and after. It’s a biopic that’s also a character study that turns into a courtroom drama, but it’s handled well. When the film gets to the bomb, it’s quiet mainly, making it all the more impactful. The movie does delve into the politics surrounding the bomb and Oppenheimer, but it never bogs the material. While the three-hour runtime will put off most audiences, it’s an incredible three hours you should experience. Overall, Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan’s best movie and one of the best movies of 2023 so far.
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