2 October 2023
Writing: Divit Kelmani (Year 12)
Editing: Arran Dhanda (Year 12)
Creating a biographical film about the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ was never going to be an easy task, but leave it to Christopher Nolan to make Oppenheimer one of the most critically acclaimed movies of this year.
The incredibly huge and talented cast, including Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr., to name a few, deliver outstanding performances in each of their roles, no matter how small - Rami Malek delivers an impeccable execution of his character David Hill despite having under 10 minutes of screentime in the movie.
The titular character, Oppenheimer, is played by Cillian Murphy and his acting in the film is, without a doubt, one of the most prominent highlights, alongside the masterful cinematography used in combination with Ludwig Göransson’s soundtrack.
Although the movie runs for three hours and has a non-linear structure, which may make it somewhat difficult to follow on first viewing, Nolan still manages to squeeze every ounce of talent from every actor into their respective roles, no matter how large or small.
Some may argue that the movie’s dialogue was too long-winded or uninteresting to someone not interested in the science behind Oppenheimer, but I would disagree - the film manages to find a good balance between chaotic blackboard scribbling that obviously indicates Oppenheimer’s intellectual prowess and the more cinematic shots that make you feel like you are delving deeper into the atomic bomb.
I had a very enjoyable experience watching Oppenheimer and would rate it 4.5 shields out of 5.
