Stringer Bell’s review published on Letterboxd:
I'll be fully honest I didn't expect to see as many walk-outs as I have in this theater experience tonight. I think I counted at least 10 different sets of people who walked out and never returned to their seats, at various points throughout the film after about the 1 hour mark.
This is Nolan's "JFK". His greatest undertaking. Arguably his most ambitious project. I actually found this to be, for the most part, a gripping and fascinating film that managed to show Nolan's artistry extending to a refined and mature place. That said, it is not without its fair share of issues.
I guess I should open up this review by saying Christopher Nolan hasn't had a good film since 2008 (TDK). I should also say that before The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan was also one of my favorite filmmakers. I find TDKR, Interstellar, Dunkirk and Tenet to be one of the worst 4-film runs by an "acclaimed director" which then slowly forced me to start seeing many holes in his work. There are trademark Nolan pitfalls that are apparent in every single one of his scripts.
Let's just say, he fell from grace in my eyes and I was truly hoping for this to be his return to form. I wanted this to be a homerun. And to be honest, by the standards of the messy and ridiculous films I've gotten from 2009 onwards from Nolan, this is his best work in 15 years. Easily. Hands down. Bar none.
Nolan's direction here is stellar by every standard but it doesn't feel particularly groundbreaking or unique. Like I said, the obvious comparisons to JFK are glaringly apparent and once noticed, almost impossible to ignore. Nolan still has the tendency to not trust his audience fully enough, and the odd random jump/smash cut to something referenced via dialogue will ruin the flow of a scene just so Nolan can quickly yell at you and "MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE CHARACTER IS TALKING ABOUT".
I do have issues with some of the audio being too loud, and some of the music drowning out the dialogue but is it really a post-2010 Nolan movie without these issues? lol. It really elevates a few scenes so I can see why he has the tendency to do it, but at times, it feels like the loud elephant in a quiet room and it's not pleasant. The few audio jump-scares (you'll know them when they happen) were genuinely almost painfully loud at my theater so I'm hoping on a rewatch at home I can control my audio levels lol.
It's the screenplay, that yet again, holds Nolan's newest effort back from greatness. Because mind you, I truly think this could have been one of the best films ever made if it was written by practically anyone else. Sure, he manages to make a lot of this dense regurgitation of scientific history digestible, but he has never spoken to a woman in his whole entire life and it really shows. The women he writes are so criminally pathetic, it's actually just embarrassing to see. Within 60 seconds of introducing the FIRST female character in the story, she's expressed desire to sleep with the male protagonist because he's just SO DAMN SMART and she's naked, exposing her tits by the 61st second. Like, yes we love Florence Pugh but give her some damn depth lol. She's so wasted here other than nudity fodder. Emily Blunt's character here is also just so shallow it's a miracle she managed to add any sort of personality in her performance to an empty shell of a character. You have the ONLY two women characters in this story serving the two archetypes of female characters that Nolan is capable of writing (those who serve the interest of progressing the plot of our male character) and at this point it's just become such a tired trick.
The film tends to be all over the place in setup and execution but when the key sequences hit, you are in for an absolute spectacle, as is expected from Nolan. The trinity sequence was tense but I'm still trying to decide if I loved it or felt underwhelmed by it visually. I enjoyed all the courtroom scenes as well. The film is strongest when, like in many of the key sequences, it focused on Oppenheimer's psychological state in the moment.
The fragmented structure of the narrative can be hit or miss at times, where some sequences really feel like they're firing on all cylinders while others seem to be juggling too many things too quickly. Maybe a rewatch will make this issue disappear, or perhaps hinder the score as it becomes even more obvious. It's mostly apparent in the first act when it hits the ground running at almost too quick a pace, edited in a very choppy style. Luckily, it eventually finds a nice rhythm.
Also, I challenge you to find a single person of color in a Nolan film. Tenet doesn't count, that "protagonist" wasn't even blessed with a first name. Nolan is subliminally the most racist filmmaker ever lol. Sure, maybe not the timeframe for a bigger representation of minorities but also, come on lol.
Martyrdom and loyalty are repeatedly toyed with thematically throughout the film to great effect. I also found it fascinating the few times where it focuses on an extension of the "with great power comes great responsibility" theme and we see Oppenheimer face the weight of the guilt of his creation. I like how the film opens with this theme in the scene with the poisoned apple too, and you quickly get a sense of this man's penchant for science, vengeance and also regret. However, the weight of these themes and their efficacy is only dampened by the script's repetitiveness in relaying them.
Cillian Murphy is INCREDIBLE and gives a nuanced and brilliant performance, only highlighted by his incredible cheek bones and baby-blue eyes. He's a leading man and he's proving it here. I'm hoping for an Oscar nom.
Robert Downey Jr was also quite solid. Refreshing to see him in a role outside of the Marvel movies.
I personally never want to see BENNY SAFDIE in a movie again. The dude has zero acting talent and the most punchable face I think in the history of faces.
I genuinely think this could have been about 30 minutes shorter and been just as effective. Maybe that's just me.
I'm sure I'll have more to say but it's nearly 3 a.m and I'm tired af so I'll sleep on it.
I was feeling a 4 honestly but I'll stick to a 3.5 for now. It may very well go up (or even down) after thinking on it more.
********BUMPED TO A 4 FOR UPON FURTHER THINKING ***********
********DROPPED TO A 3 AFTER SECOND WATCH************
5.8/10
Nolan Ranked.
12. Tenet
11. TDKR
10. Following
9. Interstellar
8. Dunkirk
7. Inception
6. Oppenheimer
5. Insomnia
4. Batman Begins
3. Memento
2. TDK
1. The Prestige
