micahwilliams’s review published on Letterboxd:
Somehow, the story of the creation of the first atomic bomb is overshadowed by the magnitude of the personalities involved in the process, and rightly so. Nolan handles this balance so perfectly well, drawing out impeccable moments of tension and intrigue that deliver on every front. The rawness of the performances and the way Nolan cleverly uses them makes the film feel chillingly like a documentary, with an underemphasis on its unnecessarily stacked cast. Again, rightly so. Hoyte van Hoytema’s photography only adds to the nuance and tension between the beauty and the horror of the events taking place. And the pacing and edit of the film makes it so easy to play right into its hand. Somehow it keeps you invested and on edge despite knowing full well how things turn out for the characters. And the depth at which emotion and conflict within the soul and psyche is explored through expression and body language is just unreal. So many motivations and so much pressure can move you into a space that you aren’t necessarily comfortable in, but pressure brings the best work out of you. And that work could leave you feeling fulfilled or in total despair. Or somewhere in between. And I can’t thank Christopher Nolan more for creating something that so seriously and so authentically puts that war on display. Funny how the pressure and anxiety around war can bring to the surface the war that ever rages on within you. Hopefully one day we can learn how to fight that battle well.
micahwilliams liked this review
' ].join(''); if ( adsScript && adsScript === 'bandsintown' && adsPlatforms && ((window.isIOS && adsPlatforms.indexOf("iOS") >= 0) || (window.isAndroid && adsPlatforms.indexOf("Android") >= 0)) && adsLocations && adsMode && ( (adsMode === 'include' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) >= 0) || (adsMode === 'exclude' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) == -1) ) ) { var opts = { artist: "", song: "", adunit_id: 100005950, div_id: "cf_async_843bc07c-1e64-4dd8-ac5c-39a7a40ecade" }; adUnit.id = opts.div_id; if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; } else { adUnit.id = 'pw-843bc07c-1e64-4dd8-ac5c-39a7a40ecade'; adUnit.className = 'pw-div -tile300x250 -alignleft -bottommargin'; adUnit.setAttribute('data-pw-' + (renderMobile ? 'mobi' : 'desk'), 'med_rect_btf'); if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', (event) => { adUnit.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', kicker); window.ramp.que.push(function () { window.ramp.addTag('pw-843bc07c-1e64-4dd8-ac5c-39a7a40ecade'); }); }, { once: true }); } } tag.remove(); })(document.getElementById('script-843bc07c-1e64-4dd8-ac5c-39a7a40ecade'));
' ].join(''); if ( adsScript && adsScript === 'bandsintown' && adsPlatforms && ((window.isIOS && adsPlatforms.indexOf("iOS") >= 0) || (window.isAndroid && adsPlatforms.indexOf("Android") >= 0)) && adsLocations && adsMode && ( (adsMode === 'include' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) >= 0) || (adsMode === 'exclude' && adsLocations.indexOf(window.adsLocation) == -1) ) ) { var opts = { artist: "", song: "", adunit_id: 100005950, div_id: "cf_async_4b8a1515-b30e-4f98-9954-7a45c8eff41d" }; adUnit.id = opts.div_id; if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//srv.tunefindforfans.com/fruits/apricots.js";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; } else { adUnit.id = 'pw-4b8a1515-b30e-4f98-9954-7a45c8eff41d'; adUnit.className = 'pw-div'; adUnit.setAttribute('data-pw-' + (renderMobile ? 'mobi' : 'desk'), 'sky_btf'); if (target) { target.insertAdjacentElement('beforeend', adUnit); } else { tag.insertAdjacentElement('afterend', adUnit); } window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', (event) => { adUnit.insertAdjacentHTML('afterend', kicker); window.ramp.que.push(function () { window.ramp.addTag('pw-4b8a1515-b30e-4f98-9954-7a45c8eff41d'); }); }, { once: true }); } } tag.remove(); })(document.getElementById('script-4b8a1515-b30e-4f98-9954-7a45c8eff41d'));
