Oppenheimer

I align with other reviewers here who have found this. Despite the hype surrounding it, Oppenheimer fell short of expectations. The film proved to be tedious and at many times draining to watch.

I liked the cinematography but the beautiful scenes had an overwhelmingly loud background score that drowned out most of the dialogue and made it hard to comprehend what was going on.

The movie also had several disjointed scene transitions which in my opinion, because of lack of character development and loud background music, only added to the confusion, making it hard to follow the plot coherently. Overall, a disappointing experience that failed to live up to its hype.

As VFX and special effects take over the traditional filmmaking methods, Nolan is among the remaining few directors who still builds grandiose true-to-life sets and reflects cinematic setpieces by filming them instead of digitising them. Oppenheimer is thus a culmination of Nolan's cinematic genius combined with an incredible story that changed the world in more ways than one. It's incredibly intimate and divisive, with the onus of it's justification being put on the audience instead of the narrator.

The cast is just as incredible as you would expect it to be, and the screenplay flows naturally, with a breathtaking score that justifiably draws parallels from Hans Zimmer's profound work in Interstellar. Nolan balances the intimacy between the characters while simultaneously juxtaposing it with some of the most impactful scenes ever shown on the big screen. The movie's runtime takes it's time in setting up it's pieces, with the finale leaving you utterly spellbound at the sheer magnitude and scale of the events transpiring right in front of your eyes.

Lastly, for those who want their daily dosage of immediate dopamine and faster pacing in the theatre instead of experiencing a meticulously guided journey, you could wait a few more months for yet another copy paste Fast and Furious flick or a Marvel movie laden with green backdrops and fan-service.

Because this isn't a film or a flick, this is Cinema.

The film looks great is brilliantly acted but there's virtually no actual plot, it's constantly jump back and forward and evey couple of minutes there's unfeasibly loud music trying to build up the tension. This is more a jazzed up documentary than a film and at a painful three hours long it does not hold your attention the entre way. It could easily be forty minutes to an hour less in playtime.

There were good bits, some great but but on the whole the film is dull and drags. I've seen it once now and have absolutely no desire to ever see it again. I'm baffled by everyone saying what a masterpiece it is. I suppose if you like long panoramic shots with overbearing music it's great but if you want a decent story give it a miss.

I'm still collecting my thoughts after experiencing this film, Cillian Murphy might as well start clearing a space on his mantle for the Best Actor Oscar.

This film is a masterclass in weaving narratives and different time periods while exploring the profound depths of a man whose actions altered the world's trajectory forever, for better or worse. Nolan brings us into the complexities of Oppenheimer, and all the moral conflicts stirring within him.

Murphy's portrayal is so riveting that the long run-time became an afterthought. Robert Downey Jr also offers a great performance and Nolan's push and pull with how he uses sound design throughout is the cherry on top.

Some viewers might need a brief refresher on WWII and Cold War history, but any film lover should be happy to willingly lose themselves in this film for hours on end.

I'm a big fan of Nolan's work so was really looking forward to this. I understood there would be some flipping in timelines and I'd need to concentrate. I didn't find this to be a problem at all and the storytelling was beautifully done. The acting was universally excellent. I saw a review saying Emily Blunt was rather OTT but I didn't find that at all.

I think my biggest gripe with the film may mean that I'm just getting old. I found the direction quite jarring with jump cuts galore. While it did keep things moving along apace, it was all rather exhausting. I also found the music and sound very very loud to the point of intrusion. Much like other Nolan films as it goes: Interstellar that I love, also had *very* loud music.

All in all this is a quality watch. It just left me longing for the days when so called 'cerebral' biopics, were a little more tranquil.