Oppenheimer

Barbenheimer was a storm that was unprecedented, at least in my lifetime. Two blockbuster movies being released simultaneously would otherwise have been considered a self-destructive move, but this has become an exception simply because a major studio is pissed at an award-winning director. I don't mind watching Barbie, but Oppenheimer attracts me more, although the entire premise of Barbenheimer was to encourage people to go out in droves to watch both in support of the cinema that's been shattered by online streaming services and Covid-19. 

Oppenheimer was quite different from other movies that I've watched. It's a biographic movie that's set in the World War era, which is markedly different from the genres I usually go for - superheroes and horror. But it's by Christopher Nolan and it stars Cillian Murphy (Thomas fooking Shelby) and thus I must witness what the media called a magnificent piece of creation.

The beginning of Oppenheimer was boring, to be truthful. I've no interest in history and I've no knowledge of the World War II other than the brief texts that were covered in school. But things picked up very quickly after the successful test of the atomic bomb (which occurs more than half-mark of the movie) and the pace picked up considerably. 

My main critique is that the beginning was too slow, but the storytelling was dense enough for a moviegoer to enjoy. Notably, a few patrons left the hall and never came back in the cinema I was in (I sat in the last row, and I saw). But Christopher Nolan's ability to mess with your mind was particularly pronounced during Oppenheimer's interrogation and Strauss's public hearing.

I would say that Oppenheimer isn't for everyone. Its content is mature both in its depth and appeal. If you're not someone who likes a story-telling with no mark tones, I would suggest you skip it and watch Barbie. To me, Oppenheimer is great for its dedication to the late Oppenheimer and for the actors' (especially Murphy and Downey Jr) superb commitments and portrayal, but otherwise it would be a movie I would pass if it were filmed by other directors.

My rating: 8/10.