'Oppenheimer' review: Christopher Nolan delivers best film of 2023
What's the story
After making films such as The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Inception, etc, the bets on Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer were high. A biopic on "the father of the atomic bomb" J Robert Oppenheimer, it can rightly be termed as Nolan's finest. From direction to powerful performances, excellent BGM, and fine camera angles, there's no reason why you should miss watching this cinematic brilliance.
Plot
The Manhattan Project- its beginning, impact, and aftermath
Oppenheimer begins with the story of young "Oppie" who goes on to build an atom bomb that ends World War II. It shows how the Manhattan Project came into existence followed by the aftermath of bomb creation. In the middle of all this, it shows the emotional shift that Oppenheimer goes through, before and after the creation of the "weapon of mass destruction."
Award-winning performance
Cillian Murphy is the best casting choice
Cillian Murphy, who plays Oppenheimer, is the best choice for the biopic. His eyes, especially in the close-up shots, have conveyed every emotion- whether it was of an ambitious physicist willing to build a bomb or the person who soon realizes he has created a weapon of mass destruction, Murphy's performance will move you emotionally. He has delivered an award-winning performance.
Game-changer
Robert Downey Jr. is possibly recent time's best antagonist
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer is a treat to watch. The Marvel hero plays an antagonist in the biopic. He shines through his character, essaying emotions like jealousy with so much ease, making him one of the best anti-heroes of present times. His character seems subtle in the first half before he takes off like a storm in the second.
Direction
The Nolan style of filmmaking
The constant time transition from past to present is a typical Nolan style of direction. Oppenheimer continuously glides through the initial days of the atomic project shown in color, and Streuss's trial scenes, filmed in black-and-white. Nolan is able to make an (emotional) impact on the audience, without showing bombing scenes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, proving why he's one of the greatest filmmakers.
Supporting cast
A perfect cast put together
Though Murphy and RDJ are quite the stars of the film, you can't take the credit away from the rest of the cast. Nolan has been successful in putting forward a set of some of the best actors. Matt Damon as Leslie Groves is spectacular, but Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer, is equally impressive. Her final scene during Oppenheimer's hearing is particularly mind-blowing.
Technicalities
The cinematography and background scores are absolute winners
With very little or no CGI work, Oppenheimer is still a visual treat, thanks to Nolan's skillful direction and Hoyte van Hoytema's brilliant cinematography. Adding more to it is Ludwig Göransson's music. A fine example of all three is the atomic bomb test sequence, especially when Murphy utters the famous lines after the bomb goes off: "I am become death...Destroyer of the worlds."
Verdict
Don't miss it for anything!
With a runtime of nearly three hours, Oppenheimer is truly 2023's best movie, so far. The film's strength lies largely in its complex characters, and how neatly all of them have been stitched together by the writers. Another winning factor is how it conveyed the aftermath of an atomic bomb, without resorting to showing gruesome scenes. Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5.