Movie Number 28 of 2023
The Movie: Oppenheimer (70mm version)
The Theatre: Village Cinemas, The Rivoli, Camberwell
Stars: 5
It feels like half of Australia are in the cinema the weekend. If you're not seeing Greta Gerwig's Barbie, you'll be seeing Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. The cinemas are packed to capacity which is a wonderful thing to see.
I'm off to see Barbie later today.
But back to Oppenheimer. Jay and I wanted to see one of these blockbusters and Oppenheimer won out, due to ticket availability - and that it was playing on a large screen in the 70 mm format, knowing the added depth would give more to this film. Also, the Rivoli's comfortable seats are great when you're watching a three-hour long film.
Oh my goodness, this did not feel like it was three hours long. Time, like physics, is a fluid concept. It felt a lot shorter than the 180-minute running time - but saying this, I'm glad my bladder was empty. You don't want to miss a moment of this.
This is movie making at its best.
For those who didn't pay attention or missed history class, this film looks at the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man responsible for developing the atomic bombs that decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War. A verified genius, a flawed man, a person with a conscience, this film meanders through his life before, during and after the Manhattan Project - the secret mission to develop the bomb. It also goes into his life as a student, working with the great physicists of Europe and his relationships with the Communist Party before the war, and after, when the McCarthy threats were making life intolerable in the fifties. The film looks at his life as a whole, but non-linear fashion.
Cillian Murphy is incredible as the complex Oppenheimer. Having lost a lot of weight to fit Oppenehimer's slight frame, his cheekbones could cut glass. This is Murphy's chance at an Oscar. You can see behind his eyes the gravity of a man who's given the world the ability to destroy itself.
On top of this, there are some brilliant performances. Emily Blunt is excoriating as Oppenheimer's long-suffering wife, Kitty. There is a scene at the end of the film where she turns a committee into a pile of mush. Great stuff. Robert Downey Jr. returns to serious acting playing Lewis Strauss, Oppenheimer's ultimate nemesis - another one who will probably be up for and Oscar. Matt Damon is great as General Leslie Groves, the head of the military arm of the project.
There are so many great actors in the backgroup. Tom Conti embodies an aging Albert Einstein. Australian Jason Clarke and Tony Goldwyn are menacing as part of Groves' examination committee. Kenneth Branagh shows up as one of Oppenheimer's early mentors. A lot of the film you'll be scratching your head wondering where you've seen the actors before.
But the real draw of this film is the cinematography. Yes, Christopher Nolan's screenplay and direction are exemplary - if you've seen Inception or Tenet, you'll be aware of the way he layers his storylines and themes. This is no different.
Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography is the read drawcard here. It's expansive as it is intimate, from the university scenes in Germany, to the Los Alamos village where they developed the bomb, to the seats of power in Washington. It's amazing. As I mentioned before, we say this in the 70 mm cut, given added depth to it. It's been said if you can, see this at an IMAX screen, which would bring even more to the equation.
On top of this, Ludwig Goransson's soundtrack brings everything to the edge. I had a visceral reaction to a lot of the soundtrack, and this only went to enhance the film.
My only small criticism of the film - why did Florence Pugh, playing Oppenheimer's mistress, have to be naked in most of her scenes? Nothing wrong with a naked Florence Pugh - but it felt a bit gratuitous.
So, this is not a comfortable film to watch. It's an all-body experience. Rated MA15+, it's the context rather than the content giving it this rating. I don't think anybody under 15 would be interested in this any way. It's wordy. But fascinating.
I can see at least seven Academy Award nominations.
It's brilliant.
Now off to Barbie.
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