There’s a certain gravity that comes with telling the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life and achievements. Under his supervision, the world was about to undergo a change that would alter the course of history. Nolan peeks behind the curtain, asking an essential question - what defines Oppenheimer?

Surprisingly, Nolan would argue that would be his politics. Rather than focusing in on the building of the bomb during the Manhattan Project, Nolan focuses in on his relationships, both personal and professional, culminating in a showcase of the politics of politics. It was interesting to get a glimpse into the lives of those within his inner circle, and how those relationships would come back and have an influence in events later in his life. 

As dialogue heavy as the film is, it’s a very easy film to digest. I’ve seen many say that they felt the runtime, but I honestly felt like this was a breeze to sit through. The three acts are very distinctive, but each meld together so well, weaving these various times within Oppenheimer’s life into a tightly-knit biopic. 

It’s no surprise that Nolan’s filmmaking is at his highest quality here, having a more stripped-down aesthetic, more in line with Dunkirk than Tenet. It’s also his least Nolan-esque film, stripping down the score to the bare minimum, letting the haunting visuals do the heavy lifting, rather than the score to push the film along. 

With a cast as stacked as this is, I was glad to see that everyone had their shining moments, not a single performance butting against another. Murphy delivers a haunting portrait of Oppenheimer, while Blunt manages to make a smaller role (but an extremely important one) into a work of art. She manages to transform herself into a character that isn’t that recognizable for her, but it’s a damn good performance. There were a few surprising castings that I wasn’t aware of, which made for a bit of a jarring experience, but overall, this cast was phenomenal. 

I already know that people are going to have a problem with the structure of the film, with the third act not being what was expected. The third act’s climax with Robert Downey Jr. is nothing short of breathtaking, with Downey Jr. giving his best performance to date. It’s unconventional, but fits so well with the mold that Nolan created for this film. 

I was hesitant going into this film, since I didn’t have the warmest reception to Tenet, but Oppenheimer honestly blew me away (pun fully intended). I’ll have to revisit Nolan’s filmography, but I know this certainly will rank high within my ranking. I’m so glad I was able to get into a 70mm presentation (even though I got a double exposure of the iconic Nicole Kidman AMC ad during the opening of the film). Nolan’s made a name for himself as an exciting and thought-provoking auteur, and this film proves that sentiment to be absolutely true.