Cillian Murphy stars in the title role in “Oppenheimer,” which was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film was released on July 21st via Universal Pictures.
The synopsis is: During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. (portrayed by Matt Damon) appointed physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project.
Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spent years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.
The film is based on the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin, which was the recipient of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize.
Emily Blunt plays his wife Kitty Oppenheimer, a biologist and botanist, and her rapport with Oppenheimer allows for more resonance.
Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., the director of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, the founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, Benny Safdie plays physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber, and Josh Hartnett plays Ernest Lawrence, a pioneering American nuclear scientist.
Rami Malek is also featured in the role of David Hill, and Sir Kenneth Branagh plays Niels Bohr.
The supporting cast includes Dane DeHaan, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich, Matthew Modine, Casey Affleck, Kurt Koehler, Tony Goldwyn, Tom Jenkins, and Will Roberts, among many others. The movie feels like a major assembly line, where each cast member is part of a well-oiled machine Nolan ensures runs smoothly.
“Oppenheimer” tackles such themes as the early use of the dark side of technology, and the duty that scientists have towards society; moreover, it showcases how one man’s drive changed the nature of war.
Nolan and Murphy take the audience on an exhausting ride through history, and there is a rawness and authenticity to this ambitious blockbuster film.
It bears mentioning that the movie isn’t without its flaws. It could have easily been 30 to 45 minutes shorter (especially with attention spans in the digital age), the screenplay felt bloated at times. Some of the sequencing is out of order, which makes it hard to follow at times.
The female characters could have been developed more, and the film needs to pump down its sound since it was extremely loud at times (to the point where the audience would have benefitted from wearing earplugs).
The Verdict
Overall, Christopher Nolan is not afraid to take risks in “Oppenheimer,” and those risks have paid off in this psychodrama. Nolan is able to tip his hat to the man who became known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb.”
Cillian Murphy delivers a powerhouse, cerebral performance of the title character, where he truly captures the conscience of the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in a controlled and organic manner.
Murphy layers his emotions well and he deserves to be a “Best Actor” contender at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Despite some structural challenges, “Oppenheimer” is an intense character study of an eccentric man who must risk destroying the world in an effort to save it, and Nolan expertly shot it.
The film’s cinematography is visually striking as well. “Oppenheimer” is bold, unflinching, and it garners an A- rating.
