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Oppenheimer; Christopher Nolan


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Oppenheimer, at a stellar 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has become Nolan's best-reviewed work to date. Nolan's former heavyweight, The Dark Knight, previously held the top spot on the review aggregator at 94%.

The film’s strength lies not just in its numbers but its substantive narrative, underscored by insightful critiques from critics like Patrick Cavanaugh of ComicBook. Cavanaugh praised Oppenheimer as a deep dive into Nolan's intellectual repertoire. He described the film as "a universal representation of human struggles" that doesn’t merely rely on them, but integrates nuanced critiques of global war mechanisms.

According to Cavanaugh, the film's brilliance stems from its topicality. Although set 70 years ago, the movie’s exploration of geopolitical tensions and evolving government directives feels eerily relevant to our present.

https://movieweb.com/oppenheimer-best-rated-christopher-nolan-rotten-tomatoes-dark-knight/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_campaign=EchoBox-MW&utm_medium=Social-Distribution&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2Bi7Ms_rS0m4ybOaHLH49_Tn578cfhLJ65n55tDilN0uswGoZ2a-RxtRs#Echobox=1689803769

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For the most part, the film is a towering achievement. Not surprisingly, given Nolan’s preference for shooting on Imax 70mm film, the picture has a depth of detail you could drown in. There’s no shortage of scenes of furious blackboard scribbling, the accepted cinematic signifier of scientific genius. But more interesting are the abstract moments; it’s as though we are venturing into the heart of the atom itself. Equally inventive is the way the sets seem to quake at moments of tension. Oppenheimer’s world is literally rocked by the shockwaves of the reaction that has been set in motion.

Most effective, however, is the use of sound and music. Like Jonathan Glazer’s upcoming The Zone of Interest, this is a film in which the horrors of war are not shown but conveyed inescapably through what we hear. Ludwig Göransson’s score is masterful and mercurial, surely one of the finest of the year. And there’s a recurring motif in the soundscape, a crescendo of thunderously stamping feet. It’s taken from a moment of triumph and glory, the high point of Oppenheimer’s career. But it takes on a mounting sense of threat with each use, as the catastrophic potential of the physicist’s work becomes clear.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jul/22/oppenheimer-review-christopher-nolan-volatile-biopic-is-a-towering-achievement-cillian-murphy

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I just got back from it and I'm more than happy to report: Christopher Nolan does it again, this movie is epic. Everything, top to bottom was amazing. Cillian Murphy kills it as Oppy, I'd say give the man his Oscar already, his performance was something else and everybody else nailed it as well (Emily Blunt, RDJ and Matt Damon are always great, so that kinda goes without saying). Every single character in this movie feels important with amazing performances, dialog and story beats that take some nice unexpected turns for good measure.

Speaking of which, this movie's 3 hour runtime may be misleading (you read that right) because it sure doesn't feel like 3 hours. You'd think "a 3 hour drama, there's bound to be some scenes that drag, right?" Not Oppenheimer, every second of every scene held my attention and for a 3 hour drama, that really takes a special kind of writing and directing talent to pull off.

I don't give perfect 5/5 scores often (there's probably more movies that deserve 1s or lower than 5s tbh), but this movie deserves it. Go.See.It.Now.

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2 minutes ago, KManX89 said:

Speaking of which, this movie's 3 hour runtime may be misleading (you read that right) because it sure doesn't feel like 3 hours. You'd think "a 3 hour drama, there's bound to be some scenes that drag, right?" Not Oppenheimer, every second of every scene held my attention and for a 3 hour drama, that really takes a special kind of writing and directing talent to pull off.

This is something that people didn't really take my word for. It's a biopic for the most part, and it's 3 hours, but man, it does not drag whatsoever and it does not feel like 3 hours. 

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My wife and I saw it last night.  Here is what you don't do...

Don't see it with a start time past 6:30.

It is such an AMAZING movie, with so many different levels to it, that your mind will replay it all night long.  It should keep you awake at night.  Go to a 3:00PM matinee.  Then go to dinner afterwards and just talk about it.  

It was so good, I wanted to see it again, right away.  I know I missed some stuff in there.

And....I feel like my education let me down.  I knew darned little about Oppenheimer, the bomb and everything that went with it.  

The casting was perfect...for everyone.  I'm curious if @MacReady has seen it yet.  And if so, I'm wondering how he liked a certain actors bit part in the movie.....  :)

I loved the early parts, the parts that talked about theoretical physics.

The lead, Murphy, was excellent.  But I think that Downey Jr. was his equal, if not slightly better in his portrayal of Strauss.  (I didn't recognize Downey at first.)

No offense meant to Murphy, but at one point and time, Oppenheimer was referred to as a "salesman".  And Murphy's performance didn't have all that much charisma in it.  He was stoic.  He was a thinker.  To me he wasn't "showy" at all.

Einstein really stole every scene he was in as well.

If you haven't seen this yet, go do so.  It's one of the best movies made in a long, long time.  Top to bottom.  

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