Documentary/Biopic Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer

[Gothamsknight]

There's so many small things in Downey's performance that make it special. Even the tiniest things!

Spoiler

when he says "the president of the United states needs to know" and he lets out that subtle expression of frustration. So damn cool.

I love this movie so much. It's both mesmerizing and haunting.

 

[BatLobster]

Steven Spielberg and Paul McCartney Go to the Movies Together for 'Oppenheimer' in the Hamptons

No biggie, just two of the most influential artists of the 20th century on a man-date to catch the new Nolan flick.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

The dialogue in the scene is very accurate to various accounts of the meeting, but Truman was definitely not as folksy as portrayed in the movie.

Spoiler

Oldman for the most part gave some of his more restrained performances for Nolan, I feel like that scene has got to have been a conscious choice.

I'm guessing the intention of the scene was to portray Truman as the unsophisticated, country bumpkin that Oppie perceived him. There are surreal elements to other scenes in the film.

I think your interpretation helps me in that case. It was jarring at first because it just looked like Gary Oldman in prosthetics, but the more I compare it to moving images, the better the prosthetics job comes off.

 

[Kane52630]

Steven Spielberg and Paul McCartney Go to the Movies Together for 'Oppenheimer' in the Hamptons

No biggie, just two of the most influential artists of the 20th century on a man-date to catch the new Nolan flick.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Where’s TMZ when you actually need them for the real important questions.

“Give us your review of the movie!”

 

[Ninjablade]

One cannot deny that Spielberg consistently has drip.

 

[BatLobster]

One cannot deny that Spielberg consistently has drip.

I have to say Paul is chill AF too, considering who he is.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Imagine you got a seat next to them in that theatre lol

 

[scarlet-witch]

Imagine you got a seat next to them in that theatre lol

I think my head would explode lol

 

[Iceman]

My God what a film, surprisingly a really star studded cast with some surprises appearances. Right now this has Oscar potential for multiple nominations imo.

The Academy needs to be paying attention to this, as you say multiple nominations could be on the cards!

 

[BatLobster]

I think if the stars were ever aligned for Nolan to finally get some Academy love, it's now. For a lot of reasons. Also helps vote-wise that half of Hollywood is in the film.

But, hey Kubrick and Hitchcock never won, so it's not like he'd be in bad company if he gets snubbed again. I just really struggle to think of why this movie shouldn't do very well come awards season. The entire thing is a love letter to old-fashioned filmmaking values, the theatrical experience and dramatic acting, all while telling one of the most consequential stories in human history. It's firing on every cylinder, it's as if it was made in a lab to win all the Oscars, only it doesn't feel that way at all because it has such a bold, distinctive voice behind it. And people have actually seen it- it's reached pop culture.

It shouldn't matter and I haven't cared about the Oscars in a long time, but I have to say it would be nice to see it finally see it happen in this case. He's due for his "career achievement" one and he just gift-wrapped this thing and then slam dunked it.

 

[Man in the Suit]

 

[samsnee]

James Woods can be a real a-hole but no denying he is talented

 

[Kane52630]

My favorite line from Oppenheimer

 

[Blade Hoarder]

The only movie that I can think of that can give it stiff competition come awards season is Killers of the flower Moon.

 

[Gothamsknight]

Anybody else think Casey Affleck was terrifying in this

 

[BatLobster]

I really want to see it again on the big screen, but am also kind of dreading it at the same time? It's such an incredible movie, but it's a really hard one to shake. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It's by far Nolan's most upsetting movie. I do hope to see something a bit more hopeful from him again in the future, haha. I had to remind myself that this is the same filmmaker that gave Batman a happy ending and made me believe in the power of extradimensional love to console myself as I was walking out of the theater, no joke lol.

And yeah, Casey Affleck was chilling.

 

[Gothamsknight]

The second viewing for me really helped connect everything together more than my first viewing. And somehow left me with a haunted feeling even more as well. This movie is brilliant.

 

[Daywalker89]

The second viewing for me really helped connect everything together more than my first viewing. And somehow left me with a haunted feeling even more as well. This movie is brilliant.

Completely agree. Just came out my second showing and my mate asked why i was visibly shaking my head in certain scenes. When you feel the gravitas of whats happening even more you can't help but feel disgusted, Cillian really did knock it out of the park. His emotions really are dauntingly captured particular in the 3rd act. Fantastic film to get engrossed in. Im actually blown away that this film has 90% of Hollywood's best actors in one film and all of them are utilised perfectly by Nolan imo. The ending really does empathize " Your actions have consequences " and the theme used induces alot of dread of whats to come. I generally loved the score overall.

 

[Drizzle]

The left side of my brain arguing with the right side of my brain getting ready to see Oppenheimer tonight:

 

[samsnee]

I liked it but didn’t love it.

Spoiler

The first hour was very unfocused. The time jumps outside of the black/white vs color was jarring. I feel like any scenes from his security clearance hearing should have been saved for the last hour. One minute he’s meeting Florence Pugh and starting a relationship and before we can get invested in it, he’s onto Emily Blunt.

There was one scene with Strauss coming to a meeting at a table with Oppenheimer that started in black and white. Then we cut back to it later and it’s in color. So a bit confusing about the choice there because I thought it was to signal we would be going in a single linear narrative the rest of the movie but that wasn’t the case.

Second hour was fantastic as it focused on the building of the bomb culminating in the trinity test. Damon was really helped pick things up and it felt like a “team on a mission” movie. The trinity test itself didn’t really wow me as much I had hoped.

Third hour was also great. The “twist” with Strauss was a nice curve. I was wondering if Rami Malek really was not going to have any lines when he showed up earlier, but he delivered.

A couple of lingering questions:

So was Josh Hartnett a friend or not? It seemed like he didn’t agree with Oppenheimer’s political views and I couldn’t tell if he testified in support of him like Damon did.

Why was so Alden so in the dark with what happened between Strauss and Opp? As Strauss’s aide, you’d think he already know that stuff while preparing for the confirmation.

And why was JFK teased like Gordon flipping over the Joker card at the end of Batman Begins?

While it wasn’t as bad as his other movies, the score is still too loud in some scenes. I don’t know why Nolan feels the need to have such a loud booming score punctuate every scene with dialogue

 

[BatLobster]

While it wasn’t as bad as his other movies, the score is still too loud in some scenes. I don’t know why Nolan feels the need to have such a loud booming score punctuate every scene with dialogue

I love *feeling* movies. To me, they're meant to be a visceral experience. I mean I personally didn't have trouble hearing much dialogue (the real challenge was how FAST it is), but when you have a score as great and impactful as this....I personally love having it take a prominent role in the mix. Seeing and hearing this film in 70mm IMAX was an experience I won't soon forget.

The way it was used in some dialogue scenes like the hearings reminded me a lot of JFK though.

 

[Snow Queen]

Spoiler

There was one scene with Strauss coming to a meeting at a table with Oppenheimer that started in black and white. Then we cut back to it later and it’s in color. So a bit confusing about the choice there because I thought it was to signal we would be going in a single linear narrative the rest of the movie but that wasn’t the case.

Spoiler

The black and white/colour distinction is not meant to define time but perspective. Nolan referred to it as objective vs subjective, but it could perhaps be easier understood as from Oppenheimer's perspective and from that of those around him. Our initial view of the scene is from the outside looking in, as Strauss would see it, while our return to the scene is seeing it from his perspective and experiencing what's going through his head in that moment.

 

[samsnee]

Spoiler

The black and white/colour distinction is not meant to define time but perspective. Nolan referred to it as objective vs subjective, but it could perhaps be easier understood as from Oppenheimer's perspective and from that of those around him. Our initial view of the scene is from the outside looking in, as Strauss would see it, while our return to the scene is seeing it from his perspective and experiencing what's going through his head in that moment.

Spoiler

That makes some sense I guess. But there are definitely scenes Oppenheimer isn’t in that are in color

 

[Man in the Suit]