By Gary

Oppenheimer is a cinematic masterpiece that charts the story of J. R. Oppenheimer and the development of the atom bomb.

Director Christopher Nolan delivers a cinematic masterpiece.

Oppenheimer is a fast-paced thrilling biopic that will leave you stunned. The cinematography, sound design, score all exceptional.

Every acting performance is perfect with Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey JR standing out.

In true Christopher Nolan fashion, the story is not told as a conventional biopic but rather as a fragmented, non-sequential series of highlights pertaining to the title subject’s life.

When we are first introduced to J. Robert Oppenheimer, we see that he is an incredibly intelligent man whose sheer commitment to his craft earns him the utmost respect of many of his peers, even as a young student.

However, almost immediately after, the film cuts to him being questioned over ties to communism, an accusation which threatens to completely derail the positive reputation bestowed upon him.

As the judicial committee interrogates him with hard hitting questions, Oppenheimer is haunted by the errors of his own judgement, shown to the audience through flashbacks of varying length to pivotal times in his life.

These scenes range from his fractured relationship with his wife to the remorse he has for placing his trust in the wrong people.

This gives the viewer a first-person perspective of what Oppenheimer’s mind must have been processing during this intense period of his life, as he contemplates the very real possibility of having all of his hard work mitigated by these powerful government officials.

It’s hard to imagine any other director trying to convey so much information to their audience in such a fashion, but Nolan manages to work his magic in the best way possible, always striking the perfect balance of showcasing the triumphant rise and tragic fall of an imperfect man.

For what can only be described as the performance of his career, Cillian Murphy brings everything necessary to the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a man so complex that I can’timagine the amount of pressure there was to play him this effectively.

The combined efforts of both Murphy’s acting and Nolan’s direction help make Oppenheimer one of the most fascinating individuals of the 20th century.

This is not a man who can be viewed simply at face value, as there are so many layers to his character that it bears an in-depth exploration that only a movie like this can accomplish.

The film paints Oppenheimer as neither a hero nor a villain, but rather a complicated man whose human qualities undermine what he will be remembered for in the history books.

Murphy approaches him like that of a Shakespearian figure, rife with flaws, haughtiness, and a sense of hubris that ends up sealing his inevitable fate. One scene may have you admiring his remarkable talents in the field of nuclear physics while another might cause you to hate him for his unfaithfulness to his family.

He can be viewed simultaneously as a martyr and a scapegoat for the way in which he helped bring an end to the deadliest global conflict in history, while consequently ushering in something even worse.

The rest of the film’s cast all did a fantastic job as well, with the standouts being Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, and Florence Pugh.

Damon’s take on Major General Leslie Groves is more than simply that of a stock military character but rather an important figure who seizes the opportunity to use Oppenheimer’s talents to his advantage.

We watch as Groves forms an unlikely alliance with the physicist, often questioning the ramifications of the theoretical nature in experimenting with nuclear power. Groves’s ignorance to Oppenheimer’s extensive scientific knowledge allows the audience to learn along with him when it is explained in basic detail.

To that effect, he provides an important third-partyperspective to Oppenheimer’s achievements.

It’s also great to see Robert Downey Jr shine as Lewis Strauss, which is not only his best post-MCU role but one of his best roles in general. Strauss is a man who is not viewed favourably by history due to his role in exposing Oppenheimer’s ties to communism.

He holds such a grudge against Oppenheimer that you can practically consider him the true villain of this story. Downey takes every opportunity to show Strauss’s two-faced nature, biding his time for the right moment to strip Oppenheimer from the record books and damage his reputation.

Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh also contributed significantly as Kitty Oppenheimer and Jean Tatlock, respectively.

Each of these two women represent something significant in Oppenheimer’s life, with Kitty being who he should be with and Jean being who he personally wants to be with.

This draws parallels to that of Oppenheimer choosing between acting on instinct or acting on intellect when assisting in the construction of the bomb, which again reminds the audience of his flawed human qualities.

It can be difficult to give up following your heart but when the fate of the world rests on your pragmatic decision making, sometimes you have no other choice.

As a biopic and a Christopher Nolan film, “Oppenheimer” exceeds virtually all expectations to become one of the very best in both fields. There are few films that are able to tackle such subject matter in this much detail while also remaining entertaining the whole way through.

I guess sometimes all it takes is one brave, risk-taking filmmaker to prove that this really is a possible task.

We need more films like this to inspire thoughtful, creative discussion and it is comforting to know that someone like Nolan is here to help keep them in the mainstream.

After all, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it for us.

My Rating: 10/10.