When it comes to movies and the blockbuster season, this weekend is a significant one for cinema. While the writers’ and actors’ strikes dominate most of the current entertainment headlines, two very big movies are ignoring all this for the moment, in order to go head-to-head at the box office.
One of these movies is the Margot Robbie-fronted Barbie, while the other is the biographical thriller, Oppenheimer. Both movies open in cinemas today, both deal with significant figures from US history, and both are being touted as two of the biggest releases this summer.
In the case of Oppenheimer, the movie arrives courtesy of writer/director Christopher Nolan, with Cillian Murphy taking the title role. Joining Murphy on screen is an exhaustive list of well-known names and faces, including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh and Tom Conti, amongst others.
Oppenheimer is based on the book American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film follows the story of real-life theoretical physicist, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, who played a key role in developing the world’s first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project.
Covering a number of years in Dr. Oppenheimer’s life, including just before World War II and a short-while after, Oppenheimer centres its story around the creation of the atomic bomb. The film details Dr. Oppenheimer’s involvement in the project, including how he was recruited, before moving through to the theory, testing, and implementation of the weapon.
During the course of the movie, the story looks at Dr. Oppenheimer’s relationship with his work, as well as his relationships with his colleagues and his romantic partners. The film also discusses his political views and his thoughts and feelings about creating technology that would change the world.
In addition, Oppenheimer looks at the political tensions and historical significance of this moment in time. The picture also deals with concerns over questions of national security, as well as suspicions from government officials about Oppenheimer’s allegiance to his country.
All of the above unfolds over the course of three-hours, and is told with key characters being dropped into the story along the way. At times the movie is intense, at times it is breathtakingly beautiful, and there is no denying how good the cast are.
Is it something outstanding and truly amazing? Some may say it is.
As for me? I’m a little on the fence.
While I believe Oppenheimer to be a picture which will forever prompt discussion, and one which is high calibre in almost every way possible, it doesn’t quite hit the top spot for me. However, there is no getting around the fact this film is strong stuff, with Nolan demonstrating his skills as one of the most talented filmmakers around.
From its writer/director and its cast, through to its subject matter, its historical relevance, and even its runtime, Oppenheimer is an epic in every sense of the word. This is a film which doesn’t just show up to the party with a bottle of bubbly in hand and nothing more; it brings 12 cases of the finest champagne, an assorted collection of mixers, and a whole box of Mini Cheddars in tow too.
To put it more simply, Oppenheimer is backed by a great deal of heft, clout, and prestige. Everything about this movie elevates it onto a higher tier, and thanks to all of the big names involved, it arrives in cinemas without the need for bluff or bravado.
With Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan has assembled a cast of actors who understand the picture they are making and deliver performances to match. Cillian Murphy is outstanding in the lead role; Robert Downey Jr. offers up some superb support; and there’s not one actor who drops the ball or fluffs their turn.
Moving outside of the actors, Nolan utilises the editing skills of Jennifer Lame, the exquisite cinematography of Hoyte van Hoytema, and the impressive music of composer Ludwig Göransson to craft his picture. I expect many of these names will feature on next year’s list of Academy Awards nominations, and I’d be very surprised if I didn’t see Göransson’s name on the list, as his score for Oppenheimer adds so much to the film.
But if I am so complementary to all of the people above, and I say this film is on a higher tier, why do I also say I am on the fence about Oppenheimer? Well, this is because despite the many things Oppenheimer has going for it (and it has a lot), it also has some problems.
While the overriding story of Oppenheimer is truly fascinating, and everyone is doing their best in the film, the screenplay is quite stuffy and at times rather stodgy. The movie is a very talkative picture, with little in the way of spectacle or action to break up scenes, and while some discussions are insightful and interesting, others are downright dull.
When I say this is a “very talkative picture”, I mean this is a very talkative picture. With a couple of exceptions here and there, this is mostly three hours of quick-cut dialogue.
The editing and music do their best to paper over the sheer amount of conversation in this picture, and at times they help to inject some suspense and tension into proceedings, but they aren’t miracle workers. There’s only so much anyone can do to stop a dialogue-heavy film from buckling under its own weight and unfortunately with all the endless yacking, you can see Oppenheimer‘s legs wobbling very early into the film.
For all its accomplishments and achievements, Oppenheimer is also a film with many peaks and troughs. The peaks are when the film is zeroing in on key points, including Dr. Oppenheimer’s concerns surrounding the bomb, while the troughs are whenever the film gets too bogged down by endless discussions.
Mapping the film out into three sections, the first hour is a bit of bumpy ride, the middle hour is arguably the film’s strongest (and is where most of the good stuff is), while the third hour feels a little anticlimactic. All three hours have some fantastic flourishes, as well as Nolan’s signature skills as a filmmaker, but none are perfect.
For my money, the movie suffers from being too long. Had this film slipped in at two hours or even two-and-a-half hours, it would be better for it.
Ultimately, while I marvelled at some of what was on screen (including THAT bomb sequence), at times I also found myself losing interest in Oppenheimer. Sure, whenever it lost me, it pulled me back in, and at times I was completely in sync with the material, but then it would lose me again, and this became a consistent pattern throughout.
When I sit down to watch a movie, I hope to be entertained, moved, or engrossed, but above all else, I don’t want to be bored. Unfortunately, Oppenheimer did bore me on occasion and this is something which I can’t overlook.
So, when it comes to giving an opinion on this movie, as well as a ‘star rating’, I feel a little conflicted. My head tells me this is a strong 5-star movie, and one which brings its A-game in all aspects of its construction, but my heart tells me that it falls short in places and this keeps it off the top spot.
However, Murphy is excellent, Nolan delivers something that few other directors can achieve, and there is clearly much to discuss about this film. While it didn’t quite reach the high mark for me, it doesn’t stop this movie from stirring up a reaction.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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