Review: Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was a scientist and "father of the atomic bomb." This film follows his involvement with the Trinity Project during WWII, and afterwards in two separate hearings.

To say this was a highly anticipated movie for me is an understatement. I love director Christopher Nolan's work (most of the time) and Cillian Murphy is one of my favorite working actors. Like many others, I caught both this and Barbie over the weekend, and I'm glad I started here.

Oppenheimer is a biopic that absolutely gets it right. Told in 3 separate timelines in an easy to follow fashion, we get a riveting courtroom drama, an intense race against the clock story, and an engaging interrogation all in one. Even though you know the Trinity Project was successful, you still felt the pressure these characters felt going into their final test. You also feel the moral discomfort with what they accomplished. They're cheering for a job well done, but you never forget that their job will eventually go on to kill thousands.

Murphy of course is fantastic. He carries the weight of his decisions on his shoulders and it shows. Oppenheimer is a calm, calculated man. It's a very guarded performance, but one that works so well. Robert Downey Jr takes center stage for the final hearing as Lewis Strauss, and what a treat it was so see him. I love his Tony Stark, I'm not going to pretend that he was trapped in some thankless role for years because he absolutely wasn't, but it was nice to see him in something different. Emily Blunt playing Kitty, Oppenheimer's wife rounds out the incredible performances. At first I wondered why she even took this role, but in the 3rd act, you see why. She gets her chance to shine.

There's so many known actors in this film that some will no doubt be "wasted." Though I don't like using that term for such a good film. Florence Pugh for example...so much was made about the nudity in this film and how it was Nolan's first time adding sex into his movies. Nah, we can lose it in the future. Those scenes were underwhelming.

Oppenheimer was everything I wanted it to be. The actors, the sound, the script, Ludwig Göransson's amazing score. While not perfect, it's a great watch and one I can't wait to see again.

Grade: A