OPPENHEIMER (2023) – My rating: 9/10

Oppenheimer (/ˈɒpənhaɪmər/ OP-ən-hy-mər) is an epic biographical thriller written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film chronicles the career of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The story predominantly focuses on Oppenheimer’s studies, his direction of the Manhattan Project during World War II, and his eventual fall from grace due to his 1954 security hearing. From the moment I saw the trailer for Oppenheimer, I was intrigued.  I thought the movie was a great addition to the fascinating history of one of the most regretful events of our time.

In 1926, 22-year-old doctoral student J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was studying under experimental physicist Patrick Blackett (James D’Arcy) at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. Oppenheimer is homesick and suffers from anxiety while struggling with the required lab work. Upset with the demanding Blackett, leaves him a poison-laced apple but retrieves it from the hands of visiting scientist Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh), who is impressed enough by his intellect to recommend that he should instead study theoretical physics in Germany, where Oppenheimer ultimately, completes his Ph.D. and later meets theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg (Matthias Schweighöfer) at a conference in Switzerland.

Oppenheimer returned to the United States, wanting to expand quantum physics research there. He began teaching at the University of California (Berkeley) and the California Institute of Technology, starting with one student. He meets his future wife, Katherine “Kitty” Puening (Emily Blunt), a biologist and ex-communist, and also has an intermittent affair with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), a member of the USA Communist Party. In 1938, Nazi Germany’s progress in nuclear fission research spurs Oppenheimer and his colleagues to replicate their results. In 1942, amid World War II, U.S. Army General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) recruited Oppenheimer to lead the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb after he gave assurances that he had no communist sympathies.

Although Oppenheimer is over three hours long, it has the tedious task of covering the creation of the first atomic bomb and all the participating lawmakers as well as its inventor. The story was well told and well acted. Oppenheimer employed a massive cast of A-listers and enjoyed a huge budget. There’s much to be learned from Oppenheimer as power, deceit, lies, secrets, and character were then as it is now, a big part of what makes the world go round. Many smelled the power of creating the bomb, even after Germany surrendered. Oddly, Oppenheimer may have been the only innocent in the scheme of things. He clearly felt there was blood on his hands after Harry S. Truman (Gary Oldman) ordered Hiroshima and Nagasaki to be bombed, forcing Japan to surrender.  Oppenheimer urged Truman to restrict further nuclear weapon development but Truman dismissed the thought and he also dismissed Oppenheimer. Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) warned there was a small possibility that an atomic detonation could trigger an atmospheric chain reaction and destroy the world. One of the most intriguing performances was that of Robert Downing Jr. as Lewis Strauss, a high-ranking member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission who played a profound role in the film. The skills of the makeup artist that went into the creation of these characters were nothing short of phenomenal. I think an Oscar nod will be eminent as the 96th list of nominees is revealed. There is so much more in this film to be unpacked, but I don’t want to spoil this great movie by revealing too much. Kudos to Christopher Nolan who managed to direct Oppenheimer in a way that was both exciting and interesting.  The subject matter was anything but… Oppenheimer is currently playing in theaters — Check It Out!

As of August 25, 2023, Oppenheimer has grossed $293.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $438.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $731.9 million. It has a $100 million production budget that makes it the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2023, the highest-grossing World War II-related film, and the fifth-highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. It received critical acclaim, with particular praise for the cast performances, screenplay, and visuals.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 457 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website’s consensus reads: “Oppenheimer marks another engrossing achievement from Christopher Nolan that benefits from Murphy’s tour-de-force performance and stunning visuals.”

[OPPENHEIMER has the most Oscar nominations at the 96th Academy Awards for BEST:
Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design, Sound, and Adapted Screenplay — TOTALING  13 NOMINATIONS]