The movie was amazing to watch even though there were some inconsistances, my favourite actress Florence pugh also showed out lol, Overall 9 stars.
So you are telling me Oppenheimer was warned several times of what he was building and he did not stop until he realised it was too late to apologise and revert on what he had caused/created. Even he regretted his own invention on the bombings of Japan moments after creation. He could have stopped all this non-sense and maybe today we wouldnt have Atomic bombs nor Hydrogen bombs that would menace the humanity.
Furthermore, he was warned that he had near 0 chances of destroying the whole world and he kept doing it risking everyones life because of his selfishness and ambition. He was truly a MONSTER. One of the WORST inventions ever
It started slow, but once you get into it, it slowly builds to a great movie
Other than the bomb, doesn't let any moment breathe.
Would be 10/10 if Jack Parsons were in it:person_shrugging_tone3:
https://boxd.it/5HH7aP
It's a Nolan movie and quite a fun topic
Good biographical story.
Great acting
Biographical stories are typically not for me.
Characters 8/10
Story 7/10
Pacing 5/10
Visuals 8/10
Rewatchability Factor 1/10
Enjoyment or Emotional Value 4/10
Average Score 5.5/10
I don't think it's Nolan's best film, as some have suggested, but weirdly enough - being an R-rated three-hour film, part black-and-white courtroom-style drama, part dialog-heavy biopic - it may be one of his more accessible stories. It's not a high-concept, mind-bending sci-fi film that outgrows a lot of people's patience, it's not a comic-book film which for a lot of people is still a silly and uninteresting genre. It's not even so much about the atomic bomb and the war itself, which again may put some people off. It's about a real person who was instrumental in the making of a game-changing weapon, and how he had to deal with the fallout of this invention amidst a battle for narrative and control. It's a very grounded and personal story that seems easier to relate to than many of Nolan's previous works. There still is his obligatory non-linear way of telling the story, but it's more streamlined here than even in Dunkirk.
Having said that, I found the first half of the film fairly hard to get into. It moves so fast, skipping all kinds of beats - especially in the student years - the and hardly ever slows down despite not a lot happening on screen plot-wise. It's absolutely doing the groundwork for the second half and maneuvering characters and story elements into position, but instead of a natural part of the story, much of it felt like a recap montage edited to get viewers caught up in a heavily cut-down version of the story in order to not have to spend any more of the already considerable running time to go through everything thoroughly. I felt like yelling "Chris! BREATHE!" at the screen more times than I cared to count, as many scenes seemed like they should have gotten more time and buildup to really communicate their weight, but felt rushed through and quickly moved on from. For parts of this half, the race against the enemies to create the weapon before they do and the horror of what might happen if they get there first could have provided a good reason for this restlessness, but this was reduced to a few brief mentions and not nearly explored as much as it could and probably should have been.
The second half, however, redeemed almost all of that. The Trinity test scene, which really kicks off this second half, is absolutely phenomenal and effortlessly goes from extreme suspense to just pure awe. It feels like both the acting and the creativity in using image and sound in interesting ways are shifting into a higher gear at that point - not that any of it was anywhere near bad in the beginning, but it's the second half where the standout scenes happen for all of them. The victory speech and Kitty's interview are some that spring to mind. And as the trajectory and focus of the movie become clearer, the pace seems to find its stride as well.
While I ultimately thought the portrait of Oppie's personal life wasn't as focused as it should have been, and the story behind the hearings got a little too convoluted, I found the visuals and sound design to be very impressive and I loved the score, even if it can sound like Tenet leftovers here and there. There's even some good humor to be found despite the subject matter, and while just about everyone and their mother being part of the cast may sound distracting, the performances are great across the board and apart from maybe one exception it all came together nicely and seamlessly.
I'm sure the first half will work much better on repeat viewings, but maybe the pacing would have worked out better if Nolan had chosen a Chernobyl-style miniseries format and strong-armed Universal to release it theatrically. As it stands, I think it's a very good film with a lot of excellence in it that's somewhat hampered by an unusually rocky first half. It's not Nolan's best overall film, but it still might contain some of his best work and deserves to be seen with the best picture and sound setup possible.
Level "Interesting" • 7 :heart: • Entertaining and Good.
This was a fantastic film. The acting was tremendous, and the pacing of the film was quite good for such a movie. I was really impressed w/ the overall production, and I learned quite a bit about the entire process of the atomic bomb coming to be. I will say that I was somewhat surprised that there wasn't any real focus on the long-term effects of dropping the bombs, however.
Acting 10/10
Pacing 4/10 (montage)
Why did we need 60 mins for the villain arc, it added nothing. It was just Hollywoods obsession with needing a villain.
Was it good? Yes.
Was it overrated and majority of people being twats who don't mention both good and bad after watching? Also yes.
.
It's way too long..
You really have to justify yourself to be a 3 hour movie..
There was way too much fat on this film to justify itself..
Did I say this film is too long??
It would have been a better film if it was shorter, like this review..
The movie was great, but I wish it was a bit shorter. The directing was exceptional, and Cillian Murphy's acting was on point. But I think they could have focused more on the devastating effects on the civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
As a biopic, I found this quite engaging, if a bit overlong. As a Christopher Nolan film, it felt very safe, but gorgeously done. Perhaps the hype set the bar too high? That being said, this film is chock full of standout performances by a cast of amazing individuals. Murphy turned in a fully realized effort as the titular character, and he was surrounded by performers knocking it out of the park. I had hoped for a bit more moral wrestling with what they created, but the scenes where it was permeating the goings on did hit. This is obviously worth the time you'll invest to watch it, but it was not quite the masterpiece it may have been talked up to be.
Nolan does a even more serious movie about politics and wins the Oscar he should have won decades ago
It's a movie that's carried away by its monstrously remarkable historical context, and as a film, Nolan's beautiful technical production. However, it fails to create a biopic that makes you connect with what's going on, and even manages to spoil the pace of the movie with a lot of filler. It's unbelievable that the guy could deliver such a lazy script for such an impactful and interesting subject as the use and danger of the nuclear bomb. A waste of potential.
A great watch with fabulous performances and great photography, but also with many issues...
In many scenes it felt like watching the academy awards speeches: after a short while the, mostly very interesting, dialogue was getting drowned out from the music, why make it so annoyingly loud? When watching Oppenheimer giving a lecture in what supposed to be Dutch, I almost laughed out loud... I'm Belgian myself, why not bother to teach the main character of a movie with such high production value at least a few understandable sentences in Dutch? These details kinda got the movie down for me. Almost as much as hearing Tom Hanks speaking with a Dutch accent in 'Elvis'.... Certainly not best movie at the Oscars material in my very modest opinion....
Nolan certainly outdid himself in this one! More pedantic and self-important than ever! There is something ironic in that Oppenheimer's wife character critiqued him saying something along the lines of him thinking so great of himself... and that that would definitely apply to Nolan. Just because the movie had great acting and a difficult story to be adapted, it doesn't make it any good; quite the contrary, the higher you are, the harder the fall. The editing to make it "artistic" is just disorienting enough to trick you into thinking it's oh so smart and complex and profound. Not to forget the cheesy lines some characters, Einstein specially, were spitting like it was fountains of wisdom coming straight from the most generic Marvel movie. This is the worst garbage of intellectual wannabe film ever: it's like Ricky and Morty for people that think they are actually smarter than Ricky and Morty fans. Apologetic Hollywood trash that OF COURSE copped 7 Academy Awards. Make the bomb, drop the bomb, make the movie, make money with the movie, award the movie... all in a day's work of American imperialism.
Slow movie with US propaganda.
There it is. My 3rd viewing of arguably one of the most mesmerizing technical achievements in cinema ever. I'm gonna up my rating from a 9 to 10 because it totally deserves every bit of praise it gets. I have read many reviews pointing out the flaws of the movie, while I don't really deny most of them you can't but get pissed at the comments saying how boring the movie is because no movie has ever had me glued to the screen for three straight hours like Oppenheimer has.
I don't have anything new to add that haven't already been said before so I'm gonna cut this review short by appreciating Nolan for this masterpiece and the totally deserving Oscars for the actors, directors and the crew.
Uneven movie. Stellar performance by Robert Downey Junior.
This anxiety felt since the bomb test scene is breathtaking. The cast is great and so is the cinematography. Chris Nolan did it again, hope he ever will
Incredible cast. Absolutely phenomenal casting.
I must not the intended audience of this movie… or maybe everyone else is just saying they like this to sound smart?
The Zone of Interest is a grown up story about war. This is a sophomoric history lesson and an incomplete one at that. And folks should know that there were people in New Mexico who were displaced and not compensated and others who were irradiated and not compensated either. Nolan's way of doing history does not entertain me nor does it satisfy my curiosity.
Don't know if I would have loved this film had I not read the book on which it's based. It really was a strange mess of short clips that are supposed to take the viewer from place and time. It was difficult for my over-stimulated mind to bounce around like that. But once I settled in, it was a great ride. And the Oscar goes to Cillian Murphy...
I'm in the minority but I didn't enjoy it. The focus of the story at times was not of interest. The story itself around the bomb and court case was interesting enough that it didn't need all of the time jumps. I'm assuming these were added to motivate tension or quicker pace which it didn't. Some weird scenes in there like the two character sitting naked and discussing things. Seemed like a cheap ploy to get bewbs on screen. Overall the actors performed fantastically and the real story was interesting, but it ran too long adding in some meaningless scenes and story tangents which created a bit of boredom.
So you don't even get to watch a video on your phone that you choose that is not good
It’s like Zelig, but with physicists and not as funny.
I didn't like this very much. Too disjointed. Mixing scenes from different times where they have their own specific feelings and emotions doesn't work. Overall no sense of wonder, bad use of effects and many other things.
A haunting exploration of the genius and moral burden behind the atomic bomb, fueled by Cillian Murphy's captivating performance and Nolan's signature grandiosity.
Right after watching, “Oppenheimer” leaves you the lasting impression of having just watched a perfectly crafted film. However, I still find it hard to connect to the material on a personal level. Nolan gives it all, but his tropes look as elegant as they feel mechanical, capable of achieving their effect only superficially. The film leaves you amazed by its achievements as a piece of cinema, but struggles to have an impact on an emotional, human level. Nevertheless, "Oppenheimer" remains a meticulously crafted film, so rich in characters and events that it never feels dragged out despite its three-hour runtime. The first half felt even too fast-paced, frenetically bombarding the audience with so many names, notions, and fanservice for science history nerds that it disorients. Luckily enough, the pacing slows down in the second half, allowing the audience to breathe and connect the dots in preparation for the crescendo in tension accompanying the last beats. Ultimately, despite failing to get a moving insight into Oppenheimer’s inner world, I find it impossible not to be fascinated by the intricate framework built around the character.
No, sorry, not the movie to become a classic. Way tooooo complicated, with 4? 5? different timelines, each one full of information that the viewer had to understand, put in order and remember. It was very beautiful to watch, but it looked more than a montage exercise and less like a drama movie. But Cillian Murphy was amazing, incredible, totally worths every award he is a candidate. Also the cast is top, even those who came for a scene or two.
It was really good. Despite the long run time, it kept you engaged the whole time. It makes me want to check out the book the movie was based on, which sounds like they did a pretty faithful representation of the book.
Yep, a quality film.
'Oppenheimer' lived up to the billing to me. Not that that was ever really in any doubt, with Christopher Nolan at the helm and Cillian Murphy in lead alongside all the acclaim that I have seen this receive since its 2023 release. The near 3hr run time is no problem whatsoever, despite more talk than anything else the film simply doesn't hold any slow/uninteresting moments - 'tis all fascinating.
Ever since I found out about his casting I knew Murphy would deliver a sensational performance and that's exactly what he produces here, which is not even a tiny bit surprising - anyone who has seen television's 'Peaky Blinders', for one, would know that. Loved every single second of him onscreen.
As for the rest of the cast, where do you start?! Emily Blunt is impressive, again not a shock as I'm a fan of her from other things - shoutout 'The Adjustment Bureau'. Matt Damon stars alongside Blunt in that aforementioned great flick, he himself is very good in this. Robert Downey Jr. shows quality too. All others have much less screentime but do a fair bit with it, for example Jason Clarke and Florence Pugh.
It was impossible not to be fully engrossed in this, at least for me. It is not my favourite Nolan movie, 'Inception' and 'Interstellar' surpass but to be honest it's the definition of splitting hairs as his films are of such a high standard. For example, 'Dunkirk' and 'Tenet' move me less but are still ones I rate highly.
Final words on this: Watch it if you get the opportunity. One of the big 'uns!
it’s complicated to properly rate this movie but i just find myself taken out of the movie watching experience by the poorly written female characters and the question of what the purpose of making this film was?
The visuals were great and the score was incredible, no notes, and obviously the acting was top tier (but with a cast like that you’re taking no chances) but something about the victimization of Oppenheimer angle taken at the end just rubs me wrong:woman_shrugging_tone1:
Whilst rather long this is a superb movie. It certainly gives great insight into the life of Oppenheimer and the world of nuclear development and destruction. Murphy and Downey Jr deserve their Oscar Nominations, I hope they win in their categories. :thumbsup_tone1: Stunning film, should win best Film at the Oscars. The comment at the end of the Movie by Oppenheimer to Einstein " we have destroyed the world" sums it all up.
Christopher Nolan is an expert in his field of creating masterpieces. This is an exceptional piece of film with equal parts beauty and horror. It is not a film for an everyday "sit down with your mates" but instead an education in history delivered in a package that only Nolan can drop. Stunning and hard hitting with a stellar cast and sublime acting.
Well that was 1000x better than Barbie....
Oppenheimer is not a movie, it's a film, it's a masterclass achievement in the history of cinema, a ridiculous achievement in filmmaking and a spectacular experience that should be studied. It's a cinematic detonator, exploding with tension and brilliance. I can't sweat it enough to recommend how good of a movie Oppenheimer is, but it doesn't always cater to the mass.
Overall a good film, but you have to pay close attention to really understand it and sometimes the story seems a bit confusing and is only really explained at the end. This made it difficult for me to understand it right from the beginning and to be able to follow it consistently
Another amazing movie to add to Christopher Nolan's excellent movie portfolio, 3 hours flew by like it was nothing! Exceptionally paced, beautifully acted (by everyone involved but especially Cillian Murphy) the editing, and the soundtrack how fantastic! What can i say? it's as to be expected by now from his previous track record that this is another movie well worth your time. Elevated by the amazing tech behind IMAX.
Maybe I should stop watching movies all together.
There I was, about to invest three hours into a movie about a man I thought to be one of the most interesting characters in human history, and it left me totally underwhelmed. In fact, I quit at the 2:20 hour mark.
This is not "The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II." This was more about american communist paranoia, about political intrique then it was about a build up to an event that changed the world. And even that, the Trinity test, was a massive dissapointment to lock at. It didn't look like an atomic explosion but rather just a giant gasoline fire, which it probably was. No fascination or awe or even fear, on my part about the power of nature they just unleashed. Why not make a movie about the project, the challenges, the difficulties when all you can show us of Oppenheimer is - what really ? What did he actually do, what were his contibutions other then sitting in meatings and hearing others talk.
I would like to say the acting was great but I can't as there are hardly scenes where anyone has more then two lines of dialogue in a row. Or longer scenes at all for that matter. You try to put yourself in one scene and it switches to the next, and the next and so on. Add to that jumping throught timelines and you can be left utterly confused. Which will probably be the reason it get's tons of Oscar's.
For me it's a soulless, lifeless and, dare I say it, boring movie stuffed with a massive cast that seemed so wasted on this.
Nolan deserve all the recognition that he are receiving by this master piece, a genius. Oppenheimer don't have mistakes.
so it was good . not great. some real good acting that really kept the storyline going. so much male ego and feelings for my liking. I liked how the movie truly covered all of his accomplishments and finished the story with a conclusion that I never new existed.
I love it because of the genuis in it. From the acting and designs to the soundtrack and cinematography. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because the 2 hour version would be better.
The tension to satisfaction this gave is one of the bests iv ever experienced. I could talk about this movie all day.
Managed to keep my attention for most of the 3 hours running time. I did get distracted by the stellar cast lining up to be in this film.
Both the leads were amazing in their own way, but I would give the award to Robert Downey Jr. He was mostly unrecognisable in the role.
The sound mix deserves a special mention for helping a biopic film feel like a blockbuster.
With Oppenheimer, his first biopic, writer/director Christopher Nolan once again proves he’s up to the challenge of balancing a difficult subject matter with a very tricky character piece. The slow, careful process of scientific discovery is rarely friendly to film, and shy, socially-awkward introverts do not often make for compelling leads, but in this case Nolan juggles both and steps away smelling like roses. As he’d already done on more than one occasion, in decidedly different flavors.
Here we track the career of a famed theoretical physicist, thrust into the limelight as the so-called “father of the atom bomb” during the crush of World War 2 and then dismissed by an ungrateful government after he’d outlived his usefulness and started asking difficult follow-up questions. Oppenheimer’s frustrated early career, meteoric rise to fame and equally rapid fall from grace are depicted almost simultaneously, in a rush of confused, overlapped memories. This style of all-at-once storytelling, in which foreshadowing coexists with its own outcome, is reminiscent of the time-blurred motifs we’ve already seen in Tenet, Inception and Dunkirk. Here it serves as a compelling way to digest a lot of information in a very short amount of time, especially when paired with a head-spinning series of metaphorical visual effects and an entrancing musical score. I’ve read the book this film was based upon, a daunting 800-page tome, and after the first hour I felt like I’d just read most of it all over again. This time with a little extra dramatic pizazz.
It’s an impressive display of top-notch filmmaking, proficiently depicting a historical scenario in which everyone already knows the ending and climaxing with a tense, powerful visualization of the Trinity tests which first loosed the power of violent nuclear fission upon the world. I loved every moment, but then, I was already deeply invested in the subject and had done some homework. My wife, far less prepared, was also far less enchanted. I think this may be more of a knock on Oppenheimer the man than Oppenheimer the film. A complicated, often misguided individual who, for all his brilliance within the hidden world of molecular physics, was inherently flawed and broken in a human sense. Nolan makes no apology for this, baring the person (and his many blemishes) to the screen with no filter, and the results aren’t always pretty.
Perhaps a bit too long, especially in the painfully bitter, sixty-minute postscript, but I’m not sure where I’d want to see a cut. Certainly not a feel-good audience pleaser, Nolan’s latest is an exhausting experience, but also rich, thoughtful and rewarding.
movie wasn't pink enough :(
Amazing movie. It’s long, but it doesn’t drag at all. Which is surprising, because it’s mostly men talking about one of the complicated/boring subjects in the world. The fact that it’s as good as it is, is proof that the story, performances and music are top notch.
oppenheimer's life and involvement with the manhattan project are too interesting for this movie to be so boring.
cillian murphy and robert downey jr. have both shown amazing performances in this movie, no surprise there. the videography is great and edited to mute any bright colors. it helps carry the undercurrent of despondency through the film in a visual way and that added a lot of impact to the dialogue and acting in general.
i admire nolan's attempts to tackle a movie written in first person. his choice to show the subjective in color and objective in greyscale was genius and i think this is probably one of his better movies.
however, the complete lack of continuity is very frustrating. i like how one of the reviewers put it: "it makes the common biopic mistake of treating its subject matter like a Wikipedia entry." i couldn't have said it better. this movie feels messy and all over the place. it's incredibly slow-paced while also being choppy and inconsistent. it's hard to pin down oppenheimer's emotions and convictions when the film feels like a mashed up series of webisodes.
my largest complaint about this movie, though, is that it's boring as heck. there's no action, there's no drama, and there's very little emotion. cillian murphy did a standup job of trying to inject as much emotion as he could, but this is really christopher nolan's failure as a screenwriter. if he wanted to write a documentary, he should have just written a documentary.
a large part of this movie deals with oppenheimer's conflicting feelings around the project and use of the bomb, but it's shown in a very subtle way. there are so many moments where he's questioned about his opinions and concerns on the bomb. he's displayed as weak, a traitor, and someone attempting to prevent the progression of building a hydrogen bomb for selfish reasons. through all of this, not once did slotin come up. he's not even in the movie and i can't figure out why.
slotin was a physicist who worked with oppenheimer on the manhattan project. he was the person who built the trinity device for the test explosion (the big tower with the bomb on top of it.) his contributions to the project were crucial to its success, so he was by no means a minor or unimportant person. he died just months before the testing of the bomb from radiation sickness after an experiment went wrong and he was exposed to lethal doses of radiation. it took nearly a month for him to die in a hospital at los alamos.
maybe this is a bit ranty of me, but i don't understand why nolan would choose not to include the gruesome death of a colleague in this movie. i'm sure this strongly influenced oppenheimer's opinions on the project, and it certainly impacted the entire town. seeing the effects of radiation poisoning and how awful of a death it can be is an important factor when deciding if you wanna inflict that suffering on hundreds of thousands of people.
the film is from oppenheimer's pov, and he wasn't present at the accident, but a funeral was held in los alamos and oppenheimer gave speeches about slotin after the fact. there were many times oppenheimer's hesitation about the bomb was interpreted as disloyalty. he was accused of being a soviet spy and of being sympathetic to the japanese during the war. slotin's death was a pivotal moment in the quest to build the bomb and it's dumbfounding to me that this was excluded from the movie despite the emphasis on how oppenheimer's opinions evolved while working on the project.
there were so many other ways to display how and why his opinions changed, but all that's shown is 2-3 seconds of cillian's face while viewing photos from the aftermath. nolan was attempting to be subjective with this film but instead he made oppenheimer seem stale and emotionless.
all that being said, i did still enjoy the film. it was worth going to see, it was worth buying, and i'll probably watch it again. it was good, but it wasn't as great as i had hoped it would be.
i just had high expectations and nolan let me down.
“I believe we did.”
Final review of 2023
Out of all the movies I saw in 2023, this movie has not left my mind since leaving the cinema auditorium when I watched it back in July.
After giving it a long thought and consideration, this might be Christopher Nolan's best movie. It’s not an easy watch with the subject matter and pacing, but that didn’t stop it from being a massive hit with critics, audiences, and, surprisingly, the box office. This three-hour-long talky movie managed to beat out every single blockbuster this summer. I have never seen anything like it. I worked at my cinema on the opening day of this movie and Barbie, and I have never seen it so packed since Avengers: Endgame. Everybody dressed up for the double feature event of the summer. The atmosphere was electric, and everyone was happy. It was a good day.
Oppenheimer is fantastic! It is a three-hour-long historical drama that is dialogue-heavy, which may sound off-putting, but I found it all engaging. People have best described it as a mixture of Oliver Stone's JFK and David Fincher's The Social Network.
It won't be for everyone, and that's all right.
I have to say, this is the best I have seen from Cillian Murphy, whose expressive face can convey so much fear and painful regret. His eyes are his most powerful tool as an actor, and Director Christopher Nolan knows this. It is one of my favourite performances from 2023, and nothing that I have seen has topped it. I try not to care about the Oscars because I don’t like to be disappointed, but I hope he gets nominated and wins. He has my vote.
However, it’s not only Cillian who deserves the credit, as the entire cast did a brilliant job despite their small screen time.
This is also the best I have seen from Robert Downey Jr. in a long time, as he delivered a superb performance. He plays Lewis Strauss, a narcissistic cry-baby whose facades he puts on slowly crumbs as the film progresses. He delivers an utterly fantastic monologue midway through the film about ego, loss of power, and fury. He has played Iron Man/Tony Stark for so long that you forget what an actor Downey can be. Same with Cillian, I hope he gets nominated and wins.
It's a huge cast, and there wasn't a single bad or mediocre performance in sight. Everybody showed up to work and gave it their all.
Emily Blunt is terrific as Kitty Oppenheimer. The Testimony scene is one of the best scenes in the film, where she stops being the victim housewife, collects herself, and commands the room. But another scene that doesn’t get mentioned is when Oppenheimer and Kitty meet for the first, then ride together on horses, and have a special connection. It was a sweet and memorable scene.
The rest of the supporting cast - Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie, Jason Clarke, Rami Malek, and Alden Ehrenreich were all stellar. Also, this might be random, but Jason Clarke reminds me of Gene Hackman. It’s just a thought I had.
A special mention to Gary Oldman as Harry Truman, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein, and Casey Affleck as Colonel Pash, who made an impression on me in the little time we had them. Oldman is excellent at playing sinister and cold subtly, where we see President Truman drop the act and tell the hard truth about his role as President and what his decisions can do to them, mentally and emotionally. It was a chilling and eye-opening scene. Conti is phenomenal in his six minutes of screen time, where the bond between Oppey and Albert is adorable and heartbreaking. I say heartbreaking because we see the horror and disappointment on Einsten’s face from the outcome. But Casey Affleck made me feel so uncomfortable, as he had a dangerous air in his scene. He brilliantly plays a ruthless and remorseless Cold War intelligence agent. He gives the vibe of “if you are lying, you’re dead.”
It’s mind-blowing (to me) how massive a cast can be, and nobody was wasted or forgettable. It’s one of the best ensemble cast for any movie ever.
The score by Ludwig Göransson is so powerful to listen to. The sheer weight of this theme that it almost brought a tear to my eye. I had goosebumps all over my body when ‘Can You Hear the Music’ and ‘Destroyer Of Worlds’ started playing. It’s the perfect score to listen to if you are studying. Ludwig Göransson is one of the best composers working today.
The Trinity (nuclear test) scene is one of my favourite scenes of the year, with masterclass directing and pacing. The build-up to it, the dread, and the anticipation of the bang was an otherworldly experience. My hands were sweaty, and I was leaning so far back into my seat; it was so tense. I never felt that in my 24 years of life. And the silence in the room was defying until the bang eventually caught up.
Or how about the gymnasium scene after the Trinity Test? It might be the most impressive scene in Nolan’s filmography. It’s a horrific scene where you feel the horror that Oppenheimer is experiencing, knowing what he had done. It scared me more than any horror movie tried to do. Everything from the haunting visuals, the sound work, the editing, and Cillian's acting made the scene effective.
And the ending, the best ending to a movie this year. It ends on a chilling and terrifying note that is relevant today. The last frame is unforgettable.
Director Christopher Nolan is one of the best filmmakers working today. The story is not told as a conventional biopic but rather as a fragmented one, often circling the timeline of events. Nolan delivers a meaningful and riveting visual feast with rich characters and dialogue.
Everything on the technical side is an achievement. The visual effects and cinematography were stunning and inspiring for any upcoming filmmakers to learn from. The makeup and hair team also deserves a shout-out, especially towards the end, with some convincing old-age makeup.
Beautiful direction, acting, writing, and score. The best of the best!
Overall rating: Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
I hope you all had a great 2023, and I will see you in 2024! Take care!
Like Barbie, this movie has been written about a ton already. I think it’s genuinely impressive that a talkey movie, half in black and white, that works as a biopic and a condemnation of the American government, could become so popular. And that’s due to Nolan’s excellent directing, which finally feels purposeful instead of just self-imitation. I’ve often criticized how he tries to play with narrative structures and chronology just for the sake of doing so, but here everything is done intentionally. The spliced narrative puts Nolan into the room, giving the camera an actual perspective on the events taking place. And yes, the technicals are just as high quality as you would expect, from the stunning cinematography to the booming sound.
First I was bored by science, politics and lack of humor. Later I got involved and the final lines blew my mind. It did totally worth the three hours of my pre-holiday evening.
There’s no doubt that the idea of an atomic bomb feels vile and immoral, but there is also no denying that its existence (and thus, the stalemate of mutual destruction the world finds itself in now) has brought peace to our time like nothing else could have. One might call it a necessary evil or say “the ends justify the means.” Of course, that will only apply as long as these bombs don’t fall into the wrong hands; hands that could ensue a chain reaction resulting in the end of the world…
All in all, this was a beautiful and compelling movie with stellar acting. This movie has certainly shown me that Oppenheimer was not only a true genius, but also a good person with the best intentions and perfectly human emotions and feelings
I don't see what the big stink is about this movie. its OK
The music all the way through this film ruined it. Far too loud and not needed.
As some have said, this was not what I expected. I expected a film that focused on the actual scientific undertaking and technological achievement as well as the psychological, emotional, and real world turmoil of creating man's worst invention. I expected to come out of this film impressed by the science, but also as horrified as Oppenheimer himself.
I thought this would be an actual biopic of Oppenheimer. I was curious to see what type of life he lived that would eventually lead him to the Manhattan project, its destructive aftermath, and his future work. And I expected to come out of this film with a better understanding of how they even built this crazy thing - which despite its obvious horrific application, is still a scientific marvel that only a small handful of countries have been able to reproduce even nearly 80 years later.
But instead, this stuff was glossed over to give us 3 hours of boring political dialogue outside the scope of anything that truly historically mattered. Oh, and they gave us occasional scenes about his sex life mixed in. Because of course, when it comes to the father of the atom bomb, the first thing people want to know about him is his sex life??
Remember, just because the film overwhelms viewers with intense, suspenseful music from beginning to end doesn't make the accompanying boring political squabble scenes any less boring. Just because it tells the story non-chronologically doesn't make the script more profound, it just makes it frustrating to watch. And just because it had the budget to fill even minor roles with A list actors doesn't mean it should have. Each time another big face popped up, it pulled me out of the film (which admittedly, was not hard to do since the film was so boring).
Ironically, the film multiple times hinted that certain aspects of the bomb and its story are actually important and should be seen by all. For example, they explicitly talked about the importance of actually seeing the bomb and its destruction to fully appreciate, and fear, its power. But then the film ignores its own insight and only shows us short clips of one test while completely ignoring its destruction. And Hiroshima and Nagasaki occurred off screen! Seriously This film could have used 2023 movie making skills to re-instill fear of nuclear apocalypse (which given current international conflict, wouldn't be the worst thing right now). But it didn't even attempt to. Further, the film even acknowledges in its conclusion that the political drama was almost entirely unimportant compared to the bigger picture of the technology and its impact on the world. So why couldn't they make the film focused on that instead??
They should have just called the film "Straus vs Oppenheimer" since that's really what this film was about. They built a device that killed hundreds of thousands of people in a single strike, and which changed the world forever, yet the film portrays the political stakes of Oppenheimer losing his security clearance and Straus not being confirmed to a cabinet position as the bigger deal worth caring about (and worth a 3 hour runtime).
This was a chore to watch and I had to rewind it multiple times because I kept falling asleep. I finished the film not entertained nor did I even learn anything of value. I feel like I got robbed out of what should have been a deeply impactful film.
I think it's not the usual biopic that me or people expect, but still a good one. Btw, RDJ finally gave something else different from Tony Stark lol.
There are two things stand out about this movie. First, I can't imagine any other actor other than Cillian Murphy pulling this off. He is just so.... believable. He completely blended into the role, and I have to imagine that if he did not nail the role then this would have been a lesser movie. The second thing is the direction. This is a story that had to have been hard to tell because it is a rather talkie-like drama. Nolan's storytelling walked a very fine line, and the result was something truly special. It was easily in my top five of the year.
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I liked the movie when I saw it in the cinema. But now watching it at home, being more familiar with the names and timelines, with the possibility to rewind; I have to say it's a masterpiece. There's not one minute that could be cut, for those that complain about the length.
the big bang theory's worst episode
The movie lets you believe the atomic bomb is the worst invention, but in the past months, they bombed Palestine with more bombs in kiloton (KT) power than the A-bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki together. Again, with the cooperation of the same two parties that invented and used the A-bomb. So the worst thing in this world is not the bombs themselves but the parties that control the power with their undemocratic World Government.
This was an ok movie. For some I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I also think it could have been much shorter.
This movie makes you feel like you were part of the Manhattan project. Imo as an Indian the controversies don't bother me at all. It might seem random and it very well might be... but honestly... eh. Made in a very compelling way.
Pretty good... but not fantastic. Felt like a lot was just brushed over, which it quite a feat considering its 3 hours long!!
I really appreciated it switching to black and white for the flashback/different timeline - more movies should do this.
Overall I liked it, but still feel a lot was missing (I have no idea what, because I'm not that interested in finding out more). One thing that was referenced but glazed over was the German scientists' involvement.. as in it was downplayed. Pretty sure I've read in the book Operation Paperclip that they were heavily involved during and/or after Oppenheimer.
7.5/10
Me when Matt Damon testifies at the end:
""Awww! They're buddies now!""ù
Casting-wise it is pretty much flawless and every single one delivers stellar performances and Nolans script derived from American Prometheus is spectacular.
However the cinematography is absolutely appalling and I have a hard time believing that an non stroke impaired Van Hoytema followed up Interstellar and Tenet with this absolute mess.
It is constantly switching between different aspect ratios and black and white vs colour all within the same timeframe.
It illustrates nothing. It accomplishes nothing. Just... why?
The sound levels switches seamlessly between barely audible dialogue to EARSPLITTING BOMBASTIC MUSIC enough to actually simulate an atom bomb going of in your eardrums every fifteen minutes worthy of a horror B-movie aiming for a jump scare.
As much as it pains me as a fellow Swede composer Ludwig Göransson completely missed the ball on this with a musical score so out of place it's like he wrote it for a completely different movie than the one I just watched.
As these factors where so extremely palpable throughout the entire film it turns what could have been a great film into a good one simply because Nolan's at his lowest is still ridiculously high.
I was actually looking forward to watch this movie. Unfortunately I have to say I was rather disappointed when the movie came to an end.
One of the most impressive projects ever undertaken filled with scientifical challenges and performed under immense pressure.
That is what the movie should have been all about. Unfortunately it is not. Instead all the science, challenges and achievements are just glossed over and we are feed three long, boring, hours about political machinations and his sex life.
That is not what I was expecting and it is definitely not what I wanted to watch.
Trust Hollywood to turn science into a bloody soap-like drama.
Christopher Nolan is definitely not a person that should be tasked with making a science or history movie. His Dunkirk was underwhelming to say the least and Interstellar was both a poor movie and a joke when it came to science.
I guess I should have lowered my expectations when I saw they gave the movie to him.
Oppenheimer, a historical figure of immense significance, has long awaited his cinematic portrayal, and it has finally materialized. This remarkable film boasts outstanding performances from its cast, complemented by a compelling narrative.
While the movie approaches perfection in many aspects, its extended duration and occasional complexity may pose challenges for some viewers. Regrettably, the film falls short of perfection in my eyes, partly because my wife did not resonate with it. In my opinion, a movie about Oppenheimer should strive to captivate every mind, transcending the boundaries of historical or scientific interests.
For a film to truly be considered a masterpiece, it should aim to imprint the concept of a nuclear bomb on the minds of all its viewers, fostering a positive impact. I derive joy from the greatness of this movie, yet there's a tinge of sadness as I feel it didn't fully realize its potential to reach and resonate with a broader audience, making a lasting impression about the gravity of the subject matter.
This is a good story about Oppenheimer and everything surrounding his work. The acting is pretty excellent but the movie isn't particularly captivating. I was into it for the first hour of the three and then found myself distracted by nearly anything else to have this on in the background.
"Oppenheimer" is a cinematic tour de force that showcases the best of what film can offer. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film is a masterclass in storytelling, performance, and technical prowess.
The film's narrative is both dense and intricate, weaving together elements of courtroom drama, romantic liaisons, laboratory epiphanies, and lecture hall personality cults. It's a testament to Nolan's skill as a director that he's able to balance these disparate elements into a cohesive and compelling narrative.
Cillian Murphy's performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer is nothing short of extraordinary. He captures the complexity and torment of the character with a nuanced performance that is both restrained and expressive. Robert Downey Jr. also delivers a titanic performance, further cementing his status as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
The cinematography, courtesy of Hoyte van Hoytema, is a visual feast. The film uses the large-format IMAX film system to capture the splendor of New Mexico's desert panoramas and contrast the external coolness and internal turmoil of Oppenheimer. The film's photography is a testament to the power of visual storytelling, with each frame meticulously composed to convey emotion and narrative information.
The film's score, composed by Ludwig Göransson, is a haunting and evocative soundscape that perfectly complements the film's narrative and visual elements. The music underscores the film's themes of creation and destruction, adding another layer of depth to the film.
In conclusion, "Oppenheimer" is a film that showcases the best of what cinema can offer. It's a testament to the power of storytelling, performance, and technical prowess. It's a film that will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the highlights of 2023's cinematic offerings.
absolute masterpiece.
this movie is not a biography of j Robert Oppenheimer.
it's not about making bombs.
its a very balanced story.Will involve you in that days.
it's not all about can you read the story,it's about can you hear the story more.
Solid movie, more vfx might have added to a few scenes.
This is and will be the most overrated move in history. I'm straight to the point, it boring AF.
It's a movie of life.
gave it an 8 but I'm not sure I would want to ever watch it again
Honestly, if this doesn't sweep the Oscars then I guess I know nothing about movies
On the technical aspects of shooting 70mm IMAX - why bother if the shots are out of focus? If you believe so highly in resolution being important for film making please use Digital Intermediates so we actually get to see that resolution by the time it hits our eyes. Finishing a film photochemically destroys resolution. We have better tech now days - use it!
The score had me think every 5 minute scene was building up to a life or death climax only to jump forward, or backward in time to focus on another pointless and exaggerated storyline. It hopped along from the US to Europe, back to the US, political parties, cheating spouses and having children with a hearing and bomb building sprinkled in between.
Instead of telling a coherent story it felt more like "hey... Look how many famous actors I can get in my movie."
Someone took my mom to see this in cinema. She hadn't been to see a movie in 40 years. I feel sorry she had to sit through this.
I don't know what he was speaking but it wasn't Dutch.
The movie is a little too hectic, switching from one scene to another. Playing in 3 different times at once. You have to really focus to know what's going on, definetely not a movie to chill out. The movie should've been a little slower and some "unnecessary", less important details cut down.
I fully agree with what Jordy said in his comment: "There’s a strong ‘and then this happened, and then this happened’ feel to it, which definitely keeps up the pace, but it refuses to stop and let an emotion or idea simmer for a while."
The film would have had greater impact and been a 8.5 if they cut at 2h:09m. The remaining 51 minutes is extraneous and feels like bonus content that wasn’t cut.
Once I was done watching this, part of me was surprised about the high average rating, but as I read comments from viewers who gave it 8/10 stating they found the movie boring or underwhelming, understanding ensued. At some point in his career, Nolan must have hit the jackpot with mainstream audiences, such that they—thinking he can do no wrong—will view any of his work through rose-tinted glasses, compelling them to hand out a higher grade than one matching their perceived entertainment value. His 2000s titles feel like passion projects, and although Inception is the only one I'd call myself a fan of, most indeed deserve high praise. Something happened later, the Marvelization movement I suspect, and authenticity went out the window to be replaced by pandering.
It's funny to contemplate that a three hour movie feels rushed, yet this did. As others have mentioned, it is a messy burst of snippets allowing little time to connect with the characters, or draw any emotion. By the end I still didn't have the main character pegged down, and this Oppie even comes off as unpleasant, which I'm sure was not the intent. While RDJ was delivering his lines I found myself thinking "good job man, you really nailed that! Show them you're not just Iron Man", almost applauding. You know you're getting bored with the narrative when your focus starts to shift on an actor's performance.
Many reviews point out there are too many characters and I can only concur. Some are briefly introduced out of nowhere, then briefly reappear a while later and you're like "wait who's that guy again?". And Florence Pugh's boobs—why? Gratuitous nudity isn't something I associated with Nolan, and just further highlights the pandering approach he's been reduced to.
As someone interested in quantum physics, I thought I could at least derive some enjoyment out of that and maybe learn something. Unfortunately, that aspect of the movie was glossed over and dumbed down, to avoid patronizing viewers I suspect.
Although I don't like biographical films, I loved this film. Nolan should definitely get an Oscar this year And certainly the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is decided for Robert Downey jr.
Absolutely loved it so very much
I do not think i could have watch it this on theatre, the years have passed on me were i could sit for 3+ hours on the chair to watch a movie, even one that suppose to be a masterpiece.
Was it a masterpiece ? no, a solid 8 for me. Nolan have yet to to be able for me to pass Interstellar.
It was very difficult to follow the pace and the cinematography, the constant change of scenes the sciense and the facts that were giving all the time in extra speed was hard to keep up. Yes i should paid more attention on the school or maybe read a bit more about the story before seeing the movie i think that would have helped a lot.
Cillian was really good (every performance was good actually)
Truly amazing that Nolan was able to create a biopic that somehow had a twist in it, but given the material, it also makes complete sense. While I will say the pacing of the movie in some parts was a little odd, there's no denying the visuals, soundtrack, and story are all spectacular. The end credits scene was also really good.
:heart:x8
This is a powerful, interesting movie and piece of History. I did peruse the internet a bit to see how much of the movie is actually true and I'm glad to report that it appears it is very accurate where it matters.
It turns out I only barely had a rudimentary knowledge of the Oppenheimer story making the movie much more interesting and educational.
Cillian and Downey Jr are excellent in their portrayals. Definitely a movie worth watching.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Nolan's penchant for non-linear storytelling somewhat ruined this movie for me.
Don't get me wrong, it is just about short of a masterpiece. Character driven, and oh boy, are there some colorful characters in it. From Oppenheimer himself, Groves, Strauss, Tatlock (Pugh, of whom I'm not a massive fan, shone in her dialogue driven scenes, the "other" ones feeling superfluous), to any number of scientists, soldiers and politicians. It's a massive cast of people you'll recognize, most of whom have small roles but all of whom add that something special to the overall project. Hell, one could tell this whole story from the perspective of any of those characters and it would still be an experience to behold, especially with Nolan at the helm. Cinematography doesn't warrant mention, it's exactly what you'd expect. The movie has it all.
While I love Nolan's approach to telling stories, non-linear wasn't the way to go with Oppenheimer. The movie is still amazing, but it would have been better with a simple linear narrative following Oppenheimer from a young student going from school to school while he compiles his knowledge of physics, his tinkering with communism, his life defining inclusion in the Manhattan Project and the subsequent deconstruction of his persona by politicians playing a game on a completely different field from him. It would have worked just fine.
Whoever said movies are dead need only look at movies like this to realize there are still people out there capable of telling a compelling character drive story without anyone having to wear spandex and land in a way that damages the knees.
Nolan at his best.
Can anyone craft a tale like him? A masterful storyteller.
Before watching it,I feared that Nolan wouldn’t be able to give his best this time.But you know what,Nolan never disappoints...
This time, he rocked with the solid appearance of the modern Prometheus and provided a cinematic experience like never before.I didn’t think that a biopic can be so intriguing and engaging to keep me seated the whole time.The music was just damn perfect with such wonderfully crafted screenplay and cinematography. And what to say about acting.!Nolan always takes the best as his cast and makes them exceed their own acting range..This man is just above appraisal. And Cilian Murphy acted as Oppenheimer like he lived the life of that legend...Love to the whole crew and cast for such a wonderful ride through a legend's life....
I fail to understand why this movie was made. People who are actually interested, can just read the history or watch an actual documentary. This movie was filled with unnecessary personal drama, most of which is either incorrect or exaggerated. Oppenheimer never felt guilty of anything he did. He did feel sympathy for the innocent lives lost, and he was concerned about nuclear arms race. But he had no regrets till the day he died.
Jason Clarke's most villainous role since Terminator Genisys.
My first impression of Oppenheimer, after watching it yesterday, is identical to the review by Trakt user Jordy[1] here. This turned out to be one of the most over-hyped movies of 2023.
It's 3 hours long. So, the probability of me rewatching this to check if I missed something is slim to none. Personally, I think glorifying Oppenheimer as the "father" of the Nuclear Bomb is debatable. It's not like the guy actually designed and built the bomb all by himself. The Manhattan Project had other highly qualified people working on the bomb. Simply put, J. Robert Oppenheimer isn't Alan Turing, and this movie pales in comparison to The Imitation Game (which I've watched multiple times over the years). :wink:
Playing with the timeline is a signature of Nolan, but this one so far, was my favourite type of it. A biography is boring in nature, unless it's told in a certain way. I admit it's confusing at first, but for that very confusion you'll be thinking about the movie afterwards.
Captivating story, albeit the last act was a rad underwhelming
"You don't get to commit sin, and then ask all of us to feel sorry for you when there are consequences."
For a movie about making a bomb, the explosion is only a small fraction of what the whole story entails, and I love that. RDJ kills it, Cillian Murphy kills it (not sure if his character is that likable), and the music elevates the build up and the consequences so much. At one point I had to look at my watch to see if my heart rate was elevated in the theater.
This flick about the bloke who invented the big bangs is a real ripper! Ol' J. Robert Oppenheimer was a proper smart fella who cooked up the atom bomb during World War Two. This blue between the Yanks and the Japs was a real rumble, I tell ya.
The film shows how Oppenheimer and his mob of eggheads cracked the code on splittin' atoms using some bonzer physics. There's a truckload of science chatter that'll make your head spin, but it's choice seeing them blow things up in the name of science!
When Oppie realizes what he's done, he looks more crook than a bush parrot. His gizmo killed a squillion Japs and he's not apples with that. But the Yanks reckon he's fair dinkum
This flick is a corker with all the trimmings. The acting is bonza and it really gives you the drum on Oppenheimer and his doomsday machine. I give it the thumbs up - it's one for the pool room for sure! Take a squiz at Oppenheimer if you want a rip-snortin' history lesson, it's got everything including the kitchen sink.
Re: Barbenheimer
I think it’s a really rare thing when releases are SO eagerly anticipated and then so wholeheartedly deliver. I enjoyed both of these movies immensely for wildly different reasons; Barbie is a fantastically feminist, candy-colored camp fantasy that delivers laughs and thoughts on existentialism and humanity; and Oppenheimer is a dramatically dense, fast-paced character study that delivers dread and thoughts on…existentialism and humanity. Funny how the two meet there.
Aside from the movies themselves, it has been YEARS since a movie theatre has felt so electric as when my husband and I saw Barbie on Thursday night. The outfits and “Hi, Barbie!” exclamations left and right fed directly into a delightfully enthusiastic audience - and then I didn’t hear a peep during my Oppenheimer screening this evening, which is a far cry from the typical Friday night audience.
This has been my favorite week at the movies in a very long time.
Shout by MikeBlockedParent2024-06-06T16:52:25Z
Didn't do it for me. Dragged and dragged. Managed to watch it to the end but only just.