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Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer

Seen July 2023

First Watch

💺Imax

Opening Weekend (Theatre)

Reviews

Status

Quality (9)

Status

Enjoyment (9)

Status

Disappointment (1)

Score 86%

Thoughts

I think this movie is difficult to judge, it seems like a story we all kinda know but don’t; it is powerful but didn’t cut as deep initially.
 
I will say these amazing things at the top - I think the performances are stellar, I think the picture is stellar and the pacing - for the most part this movie flies you won’t know it has been 3 hrs. I also do think this is one of the most important stories of our time. Finally I think the film does its job of painting Oppenheimer as the hero and villain of this story - what that means for each person is different but that is done well.
 
I do think this movie has been marketed as something wholey different than it is, this is much more singular character study.
 
I think this movie is quite dense and needs more viewings to really unpack and score just yet - it might just be one of nolan’s best for now I am going to leave this as more out of of theatre reaction where I was hooked would recommend but was not immediately sold - that’s okay some movies come around and really do.
 
I do think there are some valid Nolan criticisms here:
  • the sound mix - wasn’t terrible but some stuff was hard to hear would’ve loved them captions
  • over indulgence - in many ways this is film is quite a bit less indulgence than prior films it does do b&w vs tenet. But I think any other film would’ve probably put time and names on people, this would’ve helped.
also pre trinity, idk that the time jumping is super critical
 
Finally I think there are a few things in the subtext which I would’ve liked more in the text:
  • the question of should we give the bomb to the Russians and this is in the text but not as explicitly
  • the characters that criticize Oppenheimer or call him crybaby are painted in an unsympathetic light to the audience and I think this criticism of Oppenheimer is valid and real
  • the “failure” of nuclear energy, maybe this is the truth but the fact that this movie talks very little about the promise land of nuclear and Oppenheimer effect is causing that failure in some lights. This is me projecting
 
Also I think for the most part this movie doesn’t regulate AI I think, we will see reactions ig to see tho that last shot was self indulgent

Theatre Experience

First 70mm imax experience and wow, it was something else the print quality was phenomenal tho the problem with imax prints is always when they cut away and I think Nolan should be more cognizant of that in shot reverse shot situations