Oppenheimer

The long-awaited moment for Cillian Murphy has arrived, and it’s epic -- part David Lean biopic, part The Right Stuff team of scientists, and part Terrence Malick impressionistic essay on the morals of war. Murphy is fantastic playing a low-key, introverted scientist, but through excellent filmmaking conveying what is the “calling” to change the world. He did, it turns out. It’s a stirring portrayal. 

The entire movie is a piecemeal montage. There is no “present” there’s no hero’s journey, per se. The threads that weave together the story are two hearings. One, a hearing about renewing Oppenheimer's security clearance which devolves into a red-scare boondoggle, and one a senate confirmation hearing for Lewis Strauss (Bob Downey), who perpetrated aforementioned red-scare boondoggle. Every single white, male actor in the entire world is in this movie. Its filled with Oscar winners playing bit parts, which can be cleverly deceptive. Who will matter? Normally you assume the movie star will be the pivotal character. But if EVERYBODY’S a movie star, the picture begins to fill out and Christopher Nolan’s point becomes clear: all these scientists and generals and stuff were so important. They were ALL stars. The few women in the story, all with limited screen-time, are really memorable. It’s a blast (hydrogen or atomic?) when they’re spotlighted. 

The essay slowly builds towards a big-boom bomb test, which, when it happens feels gratifying and heroic. Ironic, because the details of what happens in Japan are rushed through and off-screen. We the audience don’t see the damage – only the post-war arrogance and paranoia -- a filmmaker’s choice which makes the conclusion to Oppenheimer’s story undeniably melancholy. Conversely, Alden Ehrenreich standing toe-to-toe with Downey as the results of the confirmation hearing are announced provides the juicy drama to wrap things up.