As the story opens you discover that this is not a "begin here and end there" type of Drama. In fact, it seems to be flying all over the place in time and location. It takes the viewer a few rounds of this type of flashback, "flash-forward," "flash-middle" storytelling to get into the rhythm of this ultimately amazing film about the life of Robert Oppenheimer, who was the director the Manhattan Project that created and unleashed the Atomic bomb on the world, and who was later chastised severely for his early flirts with Communism and various social protests.
The film follows the known history of this man, in it's non-linear style, while delving deep into his highs, his lows, and his inner uncertanties and conflicts. The basic story of Oppenheimer is easily available with a few keystrokes on any computer, but this film gives us the emotion of the man and his contemporaries.
The film is well cast, even to using actors who actually resemble their real-like counterparts. Although it concentrates in Oppenheimer , wonderfully played by Cillian Murphy, with all of his neurotic conflict, the full cast must also be applauded. Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr's well-know public personas are all but lost in their portrayals of General Leslie Groves, The military man in charge of creating "The Bomb," and Senator Lewis Strauss, a high ranked member of the Atomic Energy Commission who was instrumental in Oppenheimer's difficulties after WWII.
Another major nod goes to Emily Blunt, who plays Oppenheimer's loyal wife though a variety of scandals and praise.
In fact I found no poor performances in this epic story.
The settings are either real, as in the meeting with Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) at Princeton, or in the recreations of the top secret "village," Los Alamos created in New Mexico for the scientists and their families who worked on the Manhattan Project. Most impressive was the recreation of the ignition of the First A-Bomb. The reality of the detonation is eerily spot on!
At nearly 3 hours a film like this might become tedious, but "Oppenheimer" is able to kleep the audience involved throughout!
Well worth the price of the ticket.
The film follows the known history of this man, in it's non-linear style, while delving deep into his highs, his lows, and his inner uncertanties and conflicts. The basic story of Oppenheimer is easily available with a few keystrokes on any computer, but this film gives us the emotion of the man and his contemporaries.
The film is well cast, even to using actors who actually resemble their real-like counterparts. Although it concentrates in Oppenheimer , wonderfully played by Cillian Murphy, with all of his neurotic conflict, the full cast must also be applauded. Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr's well-know public personas are all but lost in their portrayals of General Leslie Groves, The military man in charge of creating "The Bomb," and Senator Lewis Strauss, a high ranked member of the Atomic Energy Commission who was instrumental in Oppenheimer's difficulties after WWII.
Another major nod goes to Emily Blunt, who plays Oppenheimer's loyal wife though a variety of scandals and praise.
In fact I found no poor performances in this epic story.
The settings are either real, as in the meeting with Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) at Princeton, or in the recreations of the top secret "village," Los Alamos created in New Mexico for the scientists and their families who worked on the Manhattan Project. Most impressive was the recreation of the ignition of the First A-Bomb. The reality of the detonation is eerily spot on!
At nearly 3 hours a film like this might become tedious, but "Oppenheimer" is able to kleep the audience involved throughout!
Well worth the price of the ticket.
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