Underwhelmed
The acting and production values are up to Christopher Nolan's standards. Cillian Murphy was a great choice to play J. Robert Oppenheimer - that said, there were long stretches where his deadpan portrayal evoked little emotion (in me) regarding his complex character.
If anyone stole the movie, it was Robert Downey Jr. As Lewis Strauss. RDJ moved seamlessly through the time shifts and was ultimately perfect as a foil to Oppenheimer. I won't get into any of the rest of the ensemble cast, but they all played their supporting roles quite well.
So, why the six star review, then? Even at 3 hours, the film and character development felt incredibly rushed, and there were many aspects to this expansive story that weren't adequately fleshed out. To me, it would have been much more engaging as a 6 or 8 episode biopic mini-series. Oppenheimer didn't need to be IMAX film. The story was about his life's work and personal idiosyncrasies.
At the end of the movie, I walked out of the theater to my car & never once said "wow!" While it was technically flawless, and was well cast, it never emotionally engaged me. YMMV.
If anyone stole the movie, it was Robert Downey Jr. As Lewis Strauss. RDJ moved seamlessly through the time shifts and was ultimately perfect as a foil to Oppenheimer. I won't get into any of the rest of the ensemble cast, but they all played their supporting roles quite well.
So, why the six star review, then? Even at 3 hours, the film and character development felt incredibly rushed, and there were many aspects to this expansive story that weren't adequately fleshed out. To me, it would have been much more engaging as a 6 or 8 episode biopic mini-series. Oppenheimer didn't need to be IMAX film. The story was about his life's work and personal idiosyncrasies.
At the end of the movie, I walked out of the theater to my car & never once said "wow!" While it was technically flawless, and was well cast, it never emotionally engaged me. YMMV.
- rcowles0324
- Jul 21, 2023