Dillon Wheaton

SPOILER FREE Those venturing into the theater expecting anything akin to an action movie or war flick are going to be wholeheartedly disappointed. This is a contemplative film about the hubris of not just one man nor nation, but of our entire species. Everything about this movie, from the obvious points of pacing and dialogue to the lesser emphasized sense of dread (belonging to both the titular character and humanity itself), was methodically plotted and meticulously sculpted. The trademark Christopher Nolan attention to detail on an epic scale is apparent throughout the film's imposing three hour runtime. I mean imposing not to sound negative or derogatory, no, but merely in the literal sense. Oppemheimer demands you pay attention to all that can be seen and heard if you want to take from it all that it has to offer - which in and of itself is an imposing bounty of cinematic story telling richness. The ensemble cast had not one weak spot upon my initial viewing. All involved seemingly having bought into both the serious nature of the film's subject and Nolan's vision itself. Cilian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. both give masterclasses in the thespian art and will both likely be well into the running when awards season comes around. Gary Oldman was a pleasant surprise as President Trumam (I wasn't aware he was in the movie), and Emily Blunt shone brightly from her intentionally constrained role as Oppenheimer's emotionally neglected, oft taken-for-granted wife. The score, while not composed by Nolan musical staple Hans Zimmer, was the perfect accompaniment in tone and weighty, melancholic mood to Oppenheimer's subject material. The cinematography was as to be expected in most all of Nolan's projects - absolutely top tier in every scene. In terms of sound design, I can think of few movies where sound played such an integral part in portraying the scope and scale of what was being viewed on screen - often by not being present at all. You could hear a pin drop during the most highly-anticipated scene. Suffice to say, all technical details were as you would expect from a film of this repute. Where Oppenheimer truly shines, though, is in the spaces and places between and around the film's plot. While this is, simply put, a movie about the construction, testing, and ultimate deployment of a military weapon - the real drama unfurls itself throughout the trials and tribulations of its lead character(s). The inner clonflict caused by the moral and ethical questions around the use of such a weapon were emphasized and focused on to an appropriate degree. These were men and women who knew full well that their work could potentially result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children, and Oppenheimer makes no attempt to undermine the uncertainty and politcial fallout that coincided with the presence of a basic human conscience in each of the doubters and dissenters to the bomb's usage. Ultimately, this is a movie about a man whose struggle, both inner and outer, was the perfect microcosm of the fears and apprehensions felt by a world fighting a war the likes of which would forever alter civilization. Yes, the movie is long. Yes, there are a lot of closeups and expositional dialogue. No, there are no CGI-fueled fight scenes or Marvel-esque aliens and masked heroes. This isn't so much a roller-coaster ride as it is a quiet trip to the Smithsonian. They don't make movies like this one much anymore. Oppemheimer might just be good enough to change that.