Oppenheimer

Just an overwhelming achievement of filmmaking. Nolan in his lauded filmography decided to add a new sort of film for him, a character study, and he creates a film so devastatingly haunting, it might just be amongst his best. Unlike traditional biopics, there is a clear Nolan touch to this film - non-linear storytelling, big twists and a pulsating score that permeates every scene - it's this unique approach to what is slowly becoming a crowded genre that makes Oppenheimer so fascinating.

The film benefits from having such an interesting lead. Oppenheimer himself is such a profound individual. His choices and thought processes alone could be dissected and analysed, but Nolan takes this complexity and perfectly translates it to the screen in a way that leaves audiences in such a conflicted state and leaves you to decide how you should feel.

Supporting this already fascinating human, is an equally nuanced performance from Murphy. How he manages to be in nearly every scene of this long film, and more over have every shot of him be close ups of his face, and still deliver such rawness is unbelievable. It's a far more subdued performance than the typical biopic, but it's what makes it work so well. The complexity is left to his face, not necessarily in what he says.

Equally as powerful is a powerhouse of a performance from RDJ. Having watched the film twice now I really think the film kicks into high gear in the third act. The politics are so interesting and having RDJ's growing unrest and contempt build for Oppenheimer as the film goes on, perfectly exploding in this final act is brilliant. In a film which is a character study and doesn't give much to other characters, to have an equally compelling and complicated person that you are as much interested in as the main character is amazing, and really helps the flow of the film.

So many other performances were brilliant. Emily Blunt has a great standout scene, Alden Ehrenreich is a welcome surprise and Matt Damon was also really good. But this is primarily a character study and I think the film is better for it. Getting to be inside the mind of Oppenheimer and live in his shoes was the best route for the film as it leaves you feeling so heavy.

It's not something I particularly notice in films, which people often say is a good sign, but the editing in this film was unreal. To have a three hour film fly by and dump so much information on you without you feeling lost is an achievement. What an inspired choice as well to have the timelines intercut, as I feel like it really drilled home this fascinating dichotomy between politics and science that is still so pertinent to our world.

Honestly it's hard to nail down specific aspects of the film that are better than others since it's all so beautifully crafted, yet it's obvious that if the film is going to be awarded for something, this should be sound. After the absolute mess of audio mixing that was Tenet and a track record of not always having the best sound, Oppenheimer is an achievement in sound. From the insane sound design of the bomb and the use of other sounds to imitate it, to Göransson’s impeccable score which consumes every scene, it was just amazing.

Powerful filmmaking that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible, Nolan said Oppenheimer might be the most important man who lived and it's hard not to disagree after leaving