Oppenheimer

Sean has been looking forward to Oppenheimer for months so we absolutely had to go to an early access screening in 35mm at the Broadway last night!  Even though it is three hours long with lots of dialogue and very heavy themes, we both found it to be riveting and we loved it!  J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) is a brilliant but highly-strung scientist who conducts theoretical research on quantum physics while teaching at U.C. Berkeley, dabbling in unionization, and beginning relationships with women (Florence Pugh and Emily Blunt) who have ties to the communist party.  Despite his dubious extracurricular activities, he is approached by General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to head the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Oppenheimer assembles a team of scientists and they succeed in creating a bomb but he is conflicted because he knows that it is needed as a deterrent but is horrified by the prospect of using it.  Once the bombs are dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he is devastated and becomes a vocal opponent against the proliferation of nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union.  Oppenheimer's position angers Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey, Jr.), the head of the Atomic Energy Commission, and he surreptitiously convenes a hearing to revoke Oppenheimer's security clearance because of his perceived ties to communism.  This hearing and Strauss' Senate confirmation hearing for a cabinet position in the Eisenhower administration are interspersed with the events leading to the so-called Trinity test of the bomb and I honestly can't decide which scenes were more fraught with tension!  This is in large part due to the brilliant sound design and the intense score by Ludwig Goransson (the ticking sound that mimics a clock is especially effective is creating an anxious atmosphere).  The visuals are striking, particularly those used to portray the quantum realm, and give the audience access to the cataclysmic visions inside Oppenheimer's mind.  Murphy gives the performance of his career (which will undoubtedly be rewarded during awards season) and the scenes where Oppenheimer envisions the consequences of his actions are some of the most powerful I have ever seen (the closeups on Murphy's blue eyes are haunting).  Downey, Jr. also give a powerhouse performance!  I have always believed him to be a great actor but he is next-level here and I had goosebumps in a scene filled with his character's righteous anger.  In addition, I was very impressed with Blunt when her character goes toe-to-toe with the special prosecutor (Jason Clarke).  The narrative is incredibly dense with lots characters and many actors make a big impact in relatively small roles (my favorites include Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie, Dane DeHaan, Kenneth Branagh, Alden Ehrenreich, David Dastmalchian, Tony Goldwyn, Rami Malek, Casey Affleck, and Gary Oldman).  This movie is a masterpiece and I think what intrigued me the most is that the exploration of power and accountability is morally complex and thought provoking.  Much has been made about the release of Oppenheimer and Barbie on the same weekend (Sean and I are seeing Barbie tonight) with many opting for double features but I think the tonal shifts will be too much and recommend seeing them on different days.

Note:  Sean and I were both dressed in black and we ended up in an elevator at the theater filled with people wearing pink.  Someone said, "I guess you can tell which movies we are all going to!"