Ryan Conde’s review published on Letterboxd:
Great news everybody! I finally got to see Oppenheimer in IMAX at one of my local theaters. They finally fixed whatever issues there were in the theater and my screening went over very well without an issue. I was debating whether I should've waited until after the weekend to see the movie, but I decided to take a gamble hoping that the theater finally fixed the problem with the IMAX theater before the weekend ended. Thankfully, it paid off very well and now I am able to give my opinion on what is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Strap in folks, because this is going to be a lengthy review.
So, how is Christopher Nolan's newest movie? Well, let me just start off by saying that he did it again. That son of a bitch did it again. He created another masterpiece to add to his amazing filmography. Oppenheimer is not just one of Christopher Nolan's best films, but it is hands down one of the best films of 2023 so far. When people think of cinema, this is the kind of film that they think of. It may be three hours, but it is worth every second of it. First off, I didn't even know much about J. Robert Oppenheimer going into this movie, so it only made the whole story of the film so much more engaging. Beyond not even knowing much about the real Oppenheimer, the film manages to be gripping from the first scene to the last. Just the way the movie chronicles the life of Oppenheimer and how he was able to develop the Atomic Bomb and the first nuclear weapons is so riveting. You can also thank the screenplay and the dialogue for why the story works as well as it does. It's natural for the time period the film is set in and the dialogue is filled with plenty of great/memorable lines. There are also some surprisingly funny moments that come in at the right time to counter what is mostly a drama. In terms of characters, they are all fantastic. The movie has to balance so many characters and real-life figures, but all of them are interesting to dive into and are filled with depth. Now when it comes to filmmaking, it is all nothing short of brilliant. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and whether it is in color or in black and white, I already lost count at how many beautiful shots there are in this film. The editing is phenomenal and the use of sound is absolutely incredible which is only elevated while you're watching this on an IMAX screen. Then there are the visuals. Mix that in with the cinematography and you get something that is the definition of stunning. On top of the amazing production design and the film perfectly capturing the respective time periods that it is set in, it elevates the movie to feel so epic despite it being a biopic. I'll say that the movie doesn't feel as big in terms of scale compared to many of Nolan's other movies, but that's not really an issue. For a biopic to feel this big and epic is still really impressive. Like everyone is saying, The Trinity sequence is absolutely incredible. It's intense as hell, the musical score is great, Nolan's directing throughout the scene is masterful as is during the rest of the movie and the effects are all practical. Words can't describe how mindblowing those explosions look on an IMAX screen. Oppenheimer is also great in terms of pacing. While the movie definitely feels its three hour running time, the movie is so gripping from beginning to end that it doesn't really matter and even if there are plenty of scenes that go on for a long time, nothing ever feels dragged out. In terms of drama, the film works insanely well and a lot of that comes mostly from the performances, but also because of how invested we are in Oppenheimer's story. Some of the stuff that happens to him before and especially after the entire Manhattan Project is seriously devastating and it leads to many of the film's most impactful moments and some of those moments don't even require dialogue. For as much talking that is in this film, sometimes it allows the visuals. the acting, and even the use of sound to take over a scene and those are some of my favorites in the film.
Speaking of acting, everyone that is in the cast is fucking perfect. There is no single weak link among them because every single person in this movie is doing a phenomenal job. Before anything else, we need to give Cillian Murphy an Oscar right now! In what is easily his best performance as Oppenheimer himself, Murphy is so good in this movie. Even if he is giving the same look throughout most of the film, it can still say so much about him and Murphy handles all aspects of his performance as this guy who has a ridiculous amount of power to such a masterful extent. Cillian Murphy is easily one of the best aspects in this film. Then there is Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss and much like Murphy, he is also phenomenal in this movie. He just has a fantastic screen presence and gets plenty of standout moments as this character who much like Oppenheimer has so much more depth to him. The rest of the performances are all amazing as well. From Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Jason Clarke, Rami Malek, Tom Conti, and plenty of others, the entire cast is just phenomenal and all of them do an incredible job regardless of whether they are prominent or only there for a few scenes. Much like Christopher Nolan's other films, he yet again was able to assemble such a stellar cast that does all that they need to do with their performances and so much more.
Overall, with all of this being said, Oppenheimer is a truly amazing example of filmmaking. We've definitely seen many biopics of famous real-life figures before, but with someone like Nolan who clearly had a passion for J. Robert Oppenheimer and his whole story, you get something that only someone as talented and experienced in filmmaking as him could make. With stellar acting, gorgeous visuals, beautiful cinematography, an incredible use of sound/editing, plenty of impactful moments, a great musical score, amazing directing, and a story that is told masterfully, they all elevate Oppenheimer to become another masterpiece from one of the best film directors that ever existed. I know I'm just singing this film's praises at this point, but it is really that good. There's no denying that you have to see this movie in the theater. Like all of Christopher Nolan's other movies, it has to be experienced on the big screen and especially in IMAX. If you can find the film playing near you and in IMAX, absolutely go for it. You won't regret it and even if there isn't an IMAX theater near you, just see this movie in the cinema if you can. Films like this are why we go to the movies and I for sure won't be forgetting this experience for a long time. Between this and Barbie releasing this weekend, it's really great to see people come out in large droves supporting these two films that aren't your traditional summer blockbuster. Yeah, I know Barbie is based on IP and Oppenheimer is based on real-life events, but you don't really see films like this a lot compared to all of the franchise stuff we've been getting. It's refreshing and I hope Hollywood both realizes that people want to see more than just recycling old ideas and franchises and that they also pay their writers and actors. Not to turn this into a rant about the two strikes that are going on right now, but this needs to be said to the AMPTP and the studios right now. Stop letting your CEOs get ridiculous amounts of money and pay more to both your writers and actors! Is that so hard to ask?
