Oppenheimer Review: Christopher Nolan Plays With Fire
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is one of the most comprehensive biopics ever put to film. The feature covers the majority of its titular character’s professional and private lives in 3-hours that fly by. The best way I could prepare someone to watch Oppenheimer is to approach it as though you are about to read a highly stylized biography. In classic Nolan fashion, the film is split into two distinct timelines, but really covers three periods of Oppenheimer’s life. It may be lengthy, but it paints a complete picture of the man.
As that man, Cillian Murphy commands the screen and gives the most impressive performance I've seen all year. Murphy plays both the titular character's arrogance and his regret with nuance and weight. We follow one of the smartest men alive as he comes to terms with what his brilliance has wrought upon the world. Murphy’s Oppenheimer can talk a big game, but when it comes time to face his actions head on, he cowers away like a scared child.
The supporting cast around Murphy consists of a lineup that would rival the 96-97 Chicago Bulls. You could point at anyone on screen and argue that Nolan was able to get the best performance of their careers out of them. Having watched the film twice now, each supporting member is given a moment to shine and brings layers of depth to their roles that become more apparent with each viewing. Robert Downy Jr. in particular is Oscar worthy as Oppenheimer’s rival, Lewis Strauss. Downy steps toe-to-toe with Murphy and reminds everyone how good of a performer he can be when he’s free from the shackles of the superhero machine. David Krumholtz, as Oppenheimer’s long-time friend and collaborator Isidor Rabi, was fantastic as well. He brings a much needed kindness and warmth to the screen amidst the chaos.
The crew behind the scenes is also at the top of their game, with Nolan delivering some of his most inventive and monumental filmmaking/writing to date. Narratively and visually, Nolan plants the seeds early on for Oppenheimer’s character arc, with Ludwig Göransson's score and Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography supporting that journey. Both will leave you breathless as they emphasize the beauty & horror of the smallest atoms and the grandest explosions. There is one standout scene (and it’s not the big boom) that has stuck with me weeks after seeing the film. It is one of the most horrific and chilling audio and visual feats I’ve ever seen, and may be one of the best crafted film scenes I’ve watched in my life.
Nolan seems to have been the perfect filmmaker to tackle these heavy themes, and I’m glad that his name-power and talent were able to bring so many people to the theater. Oppenheimer is a film about the ripple effect even the smallest decisions can have on your life or the world at large, and this film has left an impact on me. For now, Oppenheimer is the best film of the year, and it may very well be the best of the decade so far.
#71 on my Favorites List as of this review
