‘Oppenheimer’ is the great director Christopher Nolan’s first stab at a biopic.
It’s true, I looked it up. I just wanted to confirm that fact, for this motion picture is so meticulous and absorbing, it looks like the guy has been doing this kind of dance his entire career.
A movie about the man who made the atomic bomb might not seem like an enjoyable summer blockbuster on the surface….and maybe ‘enjoyable’ isn’t the right description for ‘Oppenheimer’…but with a pressure cooker delivery and one indelible image after another, this is a can’t-miss big screen experience that makes for one heck of a history lesson. There’s always a hesitation when writing about films to throw around terms like ‘masterpiece’, especially for a film that’s only been out a couple of weeks. However, if ever there was a case to make the argument to engage the term, this is it.
Cillian Murphy, a frequent hired hand to pull off the ambitious vision of Nolan, plays the subject of the project, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist credited with the creation of the atomic bomb used during World War II. Perhaps you read about it once upon a time. And, in his first leading role in a Nolan film, you can see why he’s a favourite of the director – Murphy’s visual expressions often say more than words ever could. And for a man as complicated and likely haunted as Oppenheimer, that’s a big plus to bring to the table.
Not surprisingly is the frequent use of flashbacks within the narrative; Nolan is big on the concept of time, always has been in his movies. Oppenheimer’s tale, from the race to beat other countries to the prize to the inevitable boom and the resulting legal mess and deposition that followed, is pretty much the perfect yarn FOR such a blueprint. It doesn’t always make it easy for us, the viewer, but then, mentally digging in to truly appreciate this journey comes with its rewards. Though ‘Oppenheimer’ has a running time of over 3 hours, it certainly doesn’t feel like it. You’re simply too engrossed to care.
Part of THAT comes in the unexpected form of intimacy. The film explores not only the actions of the man, but the relationships he carved along the way…that includes both the bonds and the bad blood he experienced. There has to be supporting Oscar nominations among the assembled roster here, including Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh and Robert Downey Jr…..but, similar to whispering ‘masterpiece’, probably best not to look too far ahead just yet. Let us, for the moment, appreciate the best movie of the summer, and most likely, the year.