After a busy career filled with masterpieces, Christopher Nolan finally succeeded in creating a perfect film. In fact, Oppenheimer might be the best film I watched in a long, long time.
Very different than Nolan's recent films, especially the Sci-Fi ones, but shows that Nolan can master the Biopic/Drama genre just as well as he can any other genre he tried to tackle yet. Personally, I must admit that unlike most of Nolan's previous films, I didn't go into this one with overly high expectations. Based on the genre and material the film is based on, I couldn't see how Christopher Nolan could give it his unique touch, and how it could stand alongside films like "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Inception," and "Interstellar" in his filmography. The film proved me wrong. While it's not my personal top pick in Nolan's filmography, it's undoubtedly his best film so far.
Anyone who has read the book "American Prometheus" on which the film is based, can attest to the incredible editing work Nolan did to turn it from a long and detail-packed narrative into a compact film that captivated such a wide audience. While the direction of the film is no less than masterful and is considered the strongest aspect of the film by critics and award bodies in the US and worldwide, in my opinion, the writing is actually the strongest aspect of the film - whether or not you consider the complex material it's based on.
Legendary Irish actor Cillian Murphy leads the film with one of the best performances seen on the big screen, with his presence dominating the screen time throughout the film's 3 hours, allowing him to leave a long-lasting mark on the history of cinema. Robert Downey Jr. Also gives an impressive performance, capping off a career of over a decade of roles that didn't demand too much acting prowess from him.
The film is 3-hours long yet goes by very quickly and enjoyably. Without spoiling anything, the film presents important and very relevant subjects, and doing so while being non-stop entertainment and a comprehensive character study and a study of our society on a very high pace.
The way Nolan chose to compose the film, and Jennifer Lame's amazing editing (which unusually resembles more of an action film's editing than that of a drama), make the film very dynamic, with its extended length almost unnoticeable. The other technical aspects also strive for perfection - whether it's the costumes, set design, or cinematography.
Ludwig Göransson's work in the musical aspect of the film in particular is masterful, on par with Nolan's previous works. I'm actually visiting the score on a daily basis. The cinematography is stunning and the editing is cutting edge. As I mentioned, this movie is a masterpiece in pretty much all technical fronts as well.
When watching the film, you can't help but feel it's a collaborative effort of a highly talented ensemble - from the actors to every single person responsible for every small detail in the film's production, all under the guidance of an experienced artist who has honed his craft over a career of more than 20 years. It feels like all of Nolan's previous films and the various genres he attempted to tackle improved his filmmaking abilities in different and diverse aspects, so that ultimately everything converged into this film, in which every aspect strives for absolute perfection, delivering everything we've come to expect from a Christopher Nolan film.
Without mentioning anything specific, there was one scene that caused almost every single person in the theatre to move nervously in the seats, non-stop for a long period of time, being one of the most intense scenes I ever watched in a movie and reminding me of the true power of the cinematic experience like no other movie did in recent years.
After a career filled with masterpieces and amazing films, Christopher Nolan finally managed to craft a perfect film - and to my great delight, he finally received the recognition he deserves. Despite all odds, the film managed to captivate audiences in disproportionate amounts for its genre, proving to studios and audience opinion alike that true cinema will always prevail. The year is only half-way through but right now this is my top pick for the upcoming awards season. Picture, Writing, Directing, Acting, Score-- Oppenheimer is a winner on all fronts. A rare feat for filmmaking and a salient reminder that cinema is not dead.
I highly recommend this film to everyone. Watched it once already, and going back to the theatre for at least a few more times soon.
