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MOVIE REVIEW
'Oppenheimer' Is A Haunting And Thought-Provoking Epic
By Sal LoCicero | July 27, 2023
Three years after the release of his underrated masterpiece, ‘Tenet’, Christopher Nolan has returned once again to support movie theaters, however he has also come with a cautionary message about politics, science, and uncontrollable power that can severely impact our lives, with his latest feature ‘Oppenheimer’; a biographical drama centered around the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the testing of the atomic bomb, based on the book titled ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’.
Whenever Nolan develops a new feature, it is destined to become a revolutionary masterpiece, and ‘Oppenheimer’ (somewhat) delivers. This time, Nolan takes aim towards politics, which he has never truly done before, but shows no weakness in doing so.
With Cillian Murphy as the main protagonist, it is impressive to see him lead an entire group of A-list actors, including Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, Rami Malek, Gary Oldman, Casey Affleck, & Matthew Modine (and much more) throughout the film’s lengthy 3 hour runtime. Robert Downey Jr gives his best performance and it will remind people how great of an actor he was - and still is - and he is deserving of an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
This is a very intense, dialogue heavy movie. Editor Jennifer Lame manages to make every scene integral to the plot, it’s fast paced and demands your full attention from start to finish. The way Christopher Nolan writes and directs proves that he is a master filmmaker.
Ludwig Göransson improves as the composer on every level. The score is very original, emotional, and thought-provoking. He is not attempting to replicate Hans Zimmer (like in ‘Tenet’), he has come into his own, and with the help of Nolan, this has turned into one hell of an accomplishment. The music adds even more emotional depth especially towards the third act.
While ‘Oppenheimer' isn’t Nolan’s top feature, that certainly does not make it anything short of epic. There is one scene that shifts the movie’s genre from drama to horror, and it may just be one of the best directed scenes of all time.
‘Oppenheimer’ is a haunting, yet relevant look at history that demands to be seen on the largest screen possible.
Grade: A-
What are your thoughts?
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