Matt64’s review published on Letterboxd:
Oppenheimer is further proof of Christopher Nolan still being capable of capturing the essence of the cinematic moviegoing experience in all of the best ways possible through his masterful filmmaking techniques and care for storytelling that is enriched with depth.
To start things off, i will talk about the first excellent aspect of the film that being the screenplay. Writer Christopher Nolan (also the director) brings forth fascinating subject matter and provides a story to it that is constantly engaging from start to finish. The first reason for this being that through this story, the movie dives into the life of a prominent figure in American History; one who sets out to create a deadly weapon as a means to change the course of war, which then leads to his actions changing the course of history as a result. Through this story, the movie tackles an interesting theme in the form of the idea that our actions can lead to some severe consequences, which is something that Oppenheimer never took to consideration until after performing the Trinity Test. It makes for a story that provides a simultaneously compelling cautionary tale and engrossing portrait of one of the most interesting figures in the realm of American History that feels immensely human. What also helps is that the dialogue is consistently great throughout the runtime (which is important given how this is a 3-hour film that is mainly driven by its dialogue). It works perfectly in terms of tying into who Oppenheimer is as a person without feeling on-the-nose or spoon-feeding the audience while also being flat out riveting to listen to from beginning to end. The film, in general, is a huge success in the writing department as it takes every ingredient possible in creating a great story and strong character work (the latter being important given the additional amount of supporting characters in play here) and fully capitalizes their potential without a fault.
Next, I would like to sing my praises towards how this film was brought to life from a directorial standpoint. Christopher Nolan once again utilizes his most prominent trademarks as a director (concise editing, non-linear structure, love for practical effects, etc.) to create a film that is embodied with a properly fleshed out vision that fits the story marvelously. The idea to tell this story on such a large scope/scale is a pitch perfect idea that works for an exploration of someone who considers himself a larger-than-life hero who thinks that what he is doing is right. I will tap into this more later on, but the brisk editing style and concurrently grand & subtle style in which the movie is shot help in matching said scope/scale, which made for plenty of instances where the visual medium of film is used in a transcendent manner. One example of this factor is this choice that Nolan makes in the editing department where he will fluctuate between scenes shot in B&W and color at multiple intervals. This does a brilliant job in providing a compelling point of view for both of these types of scenes that examine Oppenheimer’s mind/beliefs versus those whose perspective differentiate from his. From top to bottom, Christopher Nolan provides another winning directorial effort that encompasses some of the best work in that department of the whole year.
Now i would like to talk about another aspect of the film that worked exceptionally: the cast. Regardless of the amount of screen time that they have, every cast member on display here gives it their A-game and make for plenty of memorable portrayals of their respective characters. It goes without saying that the MVP of this entire cast is easily Cillian Murphy as the titular Oppenheimer himself. He works wonders in crafting a cogent, impressive turn as a man who views himself as a hero only for him to recognize that he has done a horrible thing in the face of history as we know it. Even through the most subtle of moments & details (especially his eyes) he manages to communicate so much about who Oppenheimer is as a human being. The other major standout of the cast is Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, who brings such a huge amount of conviction and passion to a role in which it gets to a point where you ended up seeing the ACTUAL Strauss instead of someone trying to blatantly portray him. Matt Damon was also fantastic in this movie as Leslie Groves due to how in-sync he was with the material that he was given while also adding some solid moments of levity every now and then. Other strong key players in the cast include the likes of Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Alden Ehrenreich, Josh Harnett, Casey Affleck, and Jason Clarke.
Lastly, i would like to commend the technical work exhibited throughout this entire movie as it is some of the best work of the whole year. The cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema is exceptional work that captures the scope of the movie’s story remarkably through the aforementioned monumental shot compositions, beautiful lighting, and sturdy camerawork. There were some especially effective moments of framing through the usage of superb closeup shots on Oppenheimer as a means for the audience to gather a precise idea of what he is going through mentally and emotionally. The editing by Jennifer Lame is astonishing work that matches the breakneck pacing of the movie, but not to a point where it felt too frantic. It also contains a stellar usage of jump cuts that make the movie feel more dynamic in its presentation while also giving a gripping, thriller-esque feel all throughout. The production values of this film (sets, costumes, effects, etc.) were also spectacular work that make the world of the movie feel as real as possible and especially made for some stunningly brought-to-life sequences during the later portion of the second act (i will remember the bomb explosion scene for eternity). The musical score by Ludwig Göransson is outstanding work that matches the both the scope as well as the overall mood of the movie in a concrete manner along with helping out in immersing you into the world of the movie. Speaking of immersion, the sound design also helped out in pulling you into the story and world of the movie expertly (especially with how great the sound mixing is) while crafting multiple instances of awe-inspiring moments due to how striking the sound work is.
To wrap everything up, Oppenheimer is yet another mammoth of an achievement from one of the best working today and is one that i hope all of you get to watch on the biggest screen possible (preferably in an IMAX or Dolby theater) as it will be an experience that you will never forget.
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