Oppenheimer - An Engaging Biopic

Before I start fawning about this movie, I should explain my indifference towards Christopher Nolan movies. The last Nolan movie I watched was The Dark Knight Rises, and I watched it in theaters. Having just finished my high school, I was young, naive and lacked the cynicism that comes with age. As such, I was sobbing when the movie ended, and that was one of the best cinematic experiences I've had.

But what turned me off was his fans. The ad nauseam idolization, pretentious dissection of each and every scene and the unwavering defense that all of his movies were nothing short of being a masterpiece, were enough reasons. I mean, "The Dark Knight Rises" wasn't great. And the fact that people are debating the ending of Inception to this day, grinds my gears.

And couple that with his movies needing my entire attention span and thus being exhausting, I never looked forward to a Nolan movie. I skipped Interstellar, Dunkirk and Tenet. And Oppenheimer wasn't on the top of my list. But a series of unexpected events, which started with me bricking my phone, culminated in me watching Oppenheimer on a 70 mm screen at an Almos Draft House, 40 miles away from my home.

And it was one of the best cinematic experiences I've ever witnessed.

Not what I was expecting

Since I wasn't excited for Oppenheimer, I went into the movie completely blind. I knew who he was and about the Manhattan Project, but my knowledge was bare bones. I didn't have a scientific or a historical interest as well. If anything, I was dreading it, and expecting the movie to make me squeamish.

And I could not have been more wrong.

Nolan has masterfully written and directed this movie, which revolves around J. Robert Oppenheimer's life, his role in inventing the atomic bomb and the effects it had on him. The A-Bomb is not the primal focus, as I was expecting, and that was a pleasant surprise.

I don't know enough about movie making, and I certainly have not watched enough biopics. But Oppenheimer has this rare quality of making three hours feel much shorter than it actually it is. And most of it is just people talking. There are no crazy action sequences or dance numbers, it is just people talking for three hours, at least for the most part. The screenplay flows effortlessly while never losing my interest. That is nothing short of magic.

The cinematography and lighting was quite good. But when you consider very little CG was used, it was top-notch. One of the reviewers mentioned how the framing of shots, here, let A-List actors be in the background. This is something I would not have noticed unless pointed out, but it is these little things that set the atmosphere where I am suckered in.

The background score certainly elevated the movie and does do the heavy lifting in trying to keep the audiences engaged. I remember the score building up tension, adding that dramatic flair and taking things down a notch whenever a scene needed. I haven't seen a movie in a while, where the score complimented the experience so well. It works so well that it can be a tad distracting.

Cillian Murphy is getting nominated for an Oscar. There is no doubt in my mind about it. He plays this role understated, and there is never a scene where he drops the ball. From the start to the end, he gives one of the best performances of his life. Another stand out is Robert Downey Jr. And I am sure he is a shoe in for an Oscar as well. His screen time is around 30 mins or so but leaves a bigger impact when walking out of the theater.

Emily Blunt had her moments to shine in the limited screen time she had. Matt Daemon was also excellent in the role given to him.

Closing Thoughts

The movie is not what I thought it would be. On paper, it is a boring one if you are not into biopics or history. But Nolan has somehow managed to make a three-hour movie which is captivating from the start to the end. He set out to tell the story of one, J Robert Oppenheimer, and has managed to successfully to do so.

It is a movie I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone and everyone. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. If you like the post, feel free to subscribe.