Oppenheimer is one of the most intense character study I have experienced.
The statement might sound like an overrated one but I stick to it since it's the first time I am watching a character drama on the big screen. Nolan has followed a narrative structure that is quite similar to that of The Social Network by David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin. The narrative interwoven across three major timelines, 2 of which are named as Fussion and Fission and the third one in the first person narrative of the titular character himself. The idea is simple but the way Nolan goes back and forth in time with several intercuts within a timeline is what makes the screenplay so much gripping. Not even for a moment I could take eyes off the screen. Our minds are catered with dialogues continuously leaving us with no time to think or even catch a breath. The portrayal of the titular character by Cillian Murphy is phenomenal. No surprises if he bags the Oscar this year. He expresses very less with his facial features but a lot with his eyes. We, as the audience, won't support all of his actions but we do empathize with him at an extreme interpersonal level. The way Nolan teleported us into his mind using the Quantum physical imagery felt like a visual homage to Terrence Mallick's style of surreal filmmaking. The supporting characters are too good. Robert Downey Jr just surprised me with his acting as the character Lewis Strauss. He just nailed it. The way RDJ convinces us his motivation is proof of the fact that he is capable more than Tony Stark. Emily Blunt is a one of the strongest women characters out of the few. The way she looks through people makes you go awe for her. Matt Damon is solid. Florence Pugh is more of an emotionally unstable person portrayed decently. Rami Malek surprised me. Even Gary Oldman as President Truman was great. There are a few people whose names I am unaware of who were brilliant. Albert Einstein was an apt cast is what I felt. Talking of the technical aspects, what makes this film this much intense is the ear popping music by Ludwig Goranson. The dialogue heavy scenes passes so smoothly in rythm with the background score. The use of the IMAX format is a choice that I do appreciate to an extent but it did make the experience more immersive. The bombing sequences, the Quantum physical visuals and certain closeups demand an IMAX experience. The sound design and mixing were spine chilling. I could indeed feel my chair vibrating. Oppenheimer being a man who walks into sins and cries over the consequences, as described by Kitty(Emily), is deeply flawed both in his personal and professional lives. We do not completely understand his motivations but do get a glance of what leads him to what he is doing. The climatic scene, which is what forms the crux for an entire subplot, summarises the director's stand on the subject and leaves us with a haunting experience. This film is not like the previous works of Nolan. The charcter root is so deep. Nolan has achieved something that is remarkable for a biopic and pushed the limits of the mainstream cinema for the audience.