If you saw “Oppenheimer” during the summer, it’s time to take a second look.
The film has so much to offer it deserves repeat viewings and an assessment in light of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Like Martin Scorsese’s epic, it holds up.
Like Scorsese, director Christopher Nolan reminds us cinema is a vital art form, not a disposable one.
In the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb,” he details the distractions the physicist had from multiple sources as he worked to unlock the weapon’s secrets. Oppenheimer (played with great poise by Cillian Murphy) didn’t just have political opponents, he had nagging insiders who could have spilled the secrets to any number of enemies. Keeping a lid on the build, dubbed the “Manhattan Project,” was often the least of his worries.
On the homefront, he had a feisty, forthright wife (Emily Blunt) and a needy mistress (Florence Pugh) who had the ability to steal his focus. In the hastily built Los Alamos (where scientists were united to craft the bomb), he had a deadline-crazy general (Matt Damon) and a phalanx of experts who demanded his attention.
Nolan carefully lays the track for the mission, then begins chugging until audiences can feel the pressure building.
Murphy handles it skillfully (Damon isn’t quite as controlled) and gets his project underway. Then, it’s a matter of ensuring it won’t destroy those creating it.
Throughout the mission, Nolan switches to scenes with Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, chair of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Nominated for a cabinet post, Strauss tries to sully Oppenheimer’s reputation in order to build his own. Shot in black-and-white, the hearing and confirmation scenes represent the dismantling of Oppenheimer. The color shots show what happened outside the process. Folded into all of it, of course, is the thought that the man could be a Communist, working for interests other than the United States.
The witch hunt ties nicely with the statements Nolan makes about politics and its role in the arms race. Oppenheimer talks with Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) at one point and learns what he has to lose. It’s a telling scene that confirms games have always been played in Washington.
When Oppenheimer and company test their bomb, Nolan builds tension by using sound and light to underscore the moment. Step by step, you witness areas where the film could be the leading contender for Academy Awards.
There are so many supporting actors of note (it’s like an indie director’s dream team), you’ll wonder who will emerge from the pack. Downey is obviously a standout -- at times it’s impossible to recognize him under the makeup and gestures -- but there are also smart turns from Alden Ehrenreich, Dylan Arnold and Damon.
Subtly, we see Oppenheimer age. The makeup effects are first-rate, aiding Murphy in his process. While he isn’t a flashy actor, Murphy displays plenty of emotion on his gaunt face. It’s not difficult to see the wheels turning. When he’s greeted by his team following its victory, life becomes a blur. Like the bomb, there’s plenty of flash, indistinguishable sound and a sense of dread. Like “The Candidate,” the moment has an “oh, no, what have I done?” feel.
Murphy plays every scene with care, providing his character with plenty of dimension and thought.
He makes “Oppenheimer.” But, then, so do Nolan and the thousands who abetted him.
Movie critic Bruce Miller says "The Holdovers" is a holiday movie with some rougher edges. Despite being bathed in the glow of nostalgia, “The Holdovers” is brutally real about human relationships.
