Written & Directed by Christopher Nolan
Based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird & Martin J. Sherwin
Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, & Kenneth Branagh
Release Date: July 21, 2023
Running Time: 3hr
Rating: R
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy), a theoretical physicist who was pivotal in developing the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project, and thereby ushering in the Atomic Age. There’s also the events following WWII, where certain people in the US government question his moral character and loyalty to the country, despite his contributions (good old fashioned McCarthyism at work!).
The film premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom and United States on July 21, 2023 by Universal Pictures. Its simultaneous release with Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy Barbie led to the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon on social media, which encouraged audiences to see both films as a double feature. It received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its cast, screenplay, and visuals.
I’m a fan of the director, the cast, and WWII history, so this was definitely something I was interested in seeing. For better or worse, the creation of the atom bomb changed the world and the nature of warfare, and Oppenheimer was at the center of it all. Nolan is a filmmaker I’ve admired for years now, so I typically look forward to anything new he comes out with. There’s always striking imagery, terrific editing, good juxtaposition of certain scenes. In typical Nolan fashion, we get a bunch of nonlinear storytelling, which definitely keeps the story interesting plus allows certain perspectives to be considered before the final reveals that may or may not occur. I personally thought it moved at a good pace and didn’t overstay its welcome (for those who might be reluctant see it because of its 3 hour runtime).
Cillian Murphy in particular shines as the title character. He’s a great actor who doesn’t often get the lead (at least in major studio films), typically I see him in supporting roles; I gotta imagine after this he’s gonna get way more chances to headline more. Nolan said of casting him in the lead “I’ve been staring at the cover of the book American Prometheus for so many months, and there’s this photograph, black and white, a light blue-eyed stare, very intense, of this guy,” he recalled. “And I thought, ‘Well, I know who could do that.’”
The supporting cast is top notch as well, as expected from the diverse talent involved. RDJ in particular gives a solid antagonistic role that you don’t see him do often (I hope that changes after this).
So yeah go see it!
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