Preston Marr’s review published on Letterboxd:
Oppenheimer is a grand achievement in filmmaking and for biopics. I’ve been a massive Christopher Nolan fan pretty much as long as I can remember now. If you’re around my age (born in Nov. 1999) it feels like you really grew up with Nolans’ work. “The Dark Knight” trilogy was my introduction to Nolan as “Rises” released when I was thirteen years old and he’s actually the first director I remember knowing. I’ve seen all of his work and I truly love almost every film he’s done thus far. Nolan also has made some of my favorite films of all time with him easily being in my top three favorite directors working today. With “Tenet” releasing during the “Covid” year, I was fortunate enough to catch it in theaters. However, there were only two other people in my theater so, I was really looking forward to catching a new Christopher Nolan film on the big screen with a packed audience this time around and wow this film certainly delivers beyond that. Oppenheimer in many ways is Christopher Nolan’s greatest feat as a filmmaker yet. Which is a truly miraculous statement considering what he’s already accomplished so far in his innovative and grand career. This is a layered film with a lot of depth and complex storytelling spanning so much time; with the film being an extremely tall task that Nolan passes with flying colors. The film moves very quickly introducing you to many characters and places, so the film definitely demands your attention through each line of dialogue. The pacing is air-tight and some of the best i’ve seen this year with the film feeling about a half hour shorter than it actually is. The editing is exquisite and so snappy hardly ever gearing down throughout its runtime and I genuinely don’t know what you could take out from it. The score once again composed by Ludwig Göransson is fantastically done. It’s very bold and epic while also remaining very haunting and eerie which really help builds the atmosphere of the film. It’s one of my favorite scores so far this year with my favorite sound design i’ve seen in a very long time. The sound design alone feels like a character in this film and the way sound is utilized, especially with the bomb & other key moments was truly breathtaking. The cinematography is stunning as the film looks beautifully shot in IMAX 65MM featuring several black & white segments throughout its runtime that all look incredible. I was ecstatic to see this film in IMAX and it definitely delivers some of the best cinematography you’ll see all year long. The practical effects in this film are some of the best i’ve seen in I don’t know how long honestly. It’s so impressive that this film was made without any CGI and once again is just a huge testament to the kind of legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan is. There are moments of imagery of atoms throughout and also the bomb itself all using practical effects and VFX work is the biggest flex i’ve seen in filmmaking in quite some time. The bomb truly looks and feels so real due to fantastic effects work and sound design. Oppenheimer is a very script heavy film where each line of dialogue feels vital and of importance. This is easily the best screenplay i’ve seen all year long capturing so many pivotal characters, events, and places while telling it all in such a fascinating manner. The way the film reveals certain information throughout the story is so well executed and impactful. I love how you truly understand where the different “sides” or “characters” feel about the bomb before its making and after its creation. The writing truly does an excellent job of articulating the before and after of the bomb and its impact upon the world and the people whom developed it and I honestly just love how much this film lingers on some aspects like that. I really appreciated the way this film dove into “J. Robert Oppenheimer’s” (Cillian Murphy) personal life as I feel this film does a great job at giving you a look into this complicated man’s’ life. Any dialogue discussing the making of the bomb I really ate up and also the courtroom scenes I found intriguing as well. There is an absolutely hilarious moment that happens with “Leslie Groves” (Matt Damon) that I couldn’t help but note as my entire audience roared with laughter. Thematically speaking there is a lot you can take away from this film and it feels timely as well. There are so many standout moments but two scenes really sat with me the most. One being the bomb scene as I feel this will become an iconic film sequence almost immediately. Also, there is a scene where “J. Robert Oppenheimer” (Cillian Murphy) is talking to a crowd where it gradually goes from cheers to terrors and it really resonated with me, that’s all I’ll say without getting into spoilers. These standout moments only got elevated by Christopher Nolan’s expertise direction here and commitment to filmmaking. Nolan’s helming of this behemoth project is nothing short of astonishing to make a film this grand yet personal and also wonderfully vast but incredibly coherent. I truly don’t think there was anyone better than Christopher Nolan to direct this film as his style really worked well with the narrative and feels like a masterclass in filmmaking. This is easily the best ensemble i’ve seen so far this year featuring some true superstars delivering phenomenal performances. Cillian Murphy is absolutely fantastic as “J. Robert Oppenheimer” whom delivers a very layered and nuanced performance here. Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, and Matt Damon all get some really great moments to shine in here especially Matt Damon of the bunch who’s given more to do here than I thought he would. Also, Robert Downey Jr. is a force to be reckon with as “Lewis Strauss” and it’s just so awesome to see him in a role like this as he absolutely crushes it here. I’m really campaigning for Cillian Murphy as “Best Lead Actor” & Robert Downey Jr. as “Best Supporting Actor” at the Oscar’s this year; I would truly love to see it. Lastly, without getting into spoilers I loved the ending to this film and the final shot as well. However, I do have a few minor nit picks. I would say at times the film feels a bit inaccessible just within the first hour or so due to how much you’re jumping around to new places and people. Also, the sound mixing isn’t always the best making it difficult to hear some lines of dialogue that you weren’t able to absorb before the film has moved on. Finally, certain segments in the film hop around in time and it is hard to gauge how much time has passed or grasping the timeline/development between events.
Oppenheimer is my favorite film of the year so far featuring some of Christopher Nolan’s greatest achievements yet. This film is an instant classic that I can’t implore you enough to go see on the biggest screen you could possibly find near you. It’s a complex film that is bound to stick with you after your viewing. I can’t wait to own this on 4K as soon i’m able & to revisit this film to see what I pick up on my second watch that I didn’t notice upon my first. I can only see this film aging wonderfully and I’m excited to see how it stacks up against his previous work over time. I’m giving Oppenheimer a magnificent 95% 🏆.
