Oppenheimer
Jay 👽

Review by Jay 👽 Patron

Oppenheimer 2023

★★★½

Watched Jul 21, 2023

I don't care if there's CGI! When it comes to atomic explosions, I'll take Twin Peaks: The Return 😎

If it wasn't for the pacing and some awkward interludes, this might have been a ten. The cinematography is masterful, the practical effects even moreso. The visual metaphor of guilt is explored in a fascinating, harrowing way. I thought the last hour, when the scenes were a bit longer and more meditative, when I was given a chance to breathe for a moment, was cathartic as all hell.

Cillian Murphy was born to play this role. At every point in the man's life, and it is portrayed extensively, the performance is utterly convincing. I believed I was seeing the real-time turmoil of J. Robert Oppenheimer, not an artist's rendition. Murphy has such a commanding, attention-vacuum presence that it seemed like all the actors around him, even some of my favourites, felt as if they were tiny dark stars rotating around a planet.

Nolan is an artist that seems to be getting more ambitious every project he undertakes. I'd love to see him use his skills to lean a little further into the abstract, rely more on feeling and less on narrative trickery. Captivate me, Chrissy.

Happy Barbenheimer Everyone!

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