Oppenheimer – Film Review

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Alden Ehrenreich, Benny Safdie, Jason Clarke, Dane DeHaan, David Dastmalchian

Director: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis: Telling the story of the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and how he helped to develop the atomic bomb during World War II…

Review: The filmography of Christopher Nolan has always had a fascination with science and the impact advances in science could have on society. Interstellar travel, a globe-trotting time-bending/inverting mission, the exploration of a fierce rivalry between a pair of magicians blowing minds with their impressive tricks, and of course, a certain caped crusader fighting crime with an array of scientific gadgets. Therefore, given the direct namecheck in Tenet, it felt inevitable that Nolan would sooner or later turn his attention to the story of the scientist regarded as one of the most influential people to have ever lived, during one of the most defining moments of the 20th century. A man known as the father of the atomic bomb, one of the deadliest scientific creations in human history, J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Nolan’s screenplay is extensive in its scope and ambition in how it chooses to depict the life of its eponymous theoretical physicist. Though in typical Nolan fashion, he doesn’t do things by the book regarding what one might expect from a biopic. Split between two perspectives, “Fission” depicts how events were seen from Oppenheimer’s point-of-view, while “Fusion” opts for a black-and-white colour palette and depicts the latter stages of Oppenenheimer’s career, specifically when his security clearance was up for renewal and the intense scrutiny which surrounded him and his Communist links. Links, given the USA at the time was entering the Cold War with the Soviet Union and at the height of McCarthyism, are of enormous concern to the government, which became of particular interest to Lewis Strauss (Downey Jr.), the former chair of the Atomic Energy Commission, who later sought a top position in the US government.

As one would expect from Nolan, the film takes a non-linear approach to the story by continuously jumping between the two timelines throughout. However, what follows over the course of the next three hours is a fascinating exploration of a pivotal moment in history, a complex character study of the man at the centre of the creation of this deadly weapon and the impact it had on his conscience, the immediate and far-reaching consequences of the bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki bringing World War II to an end. Yet, in doing so, ignited the arms race between the world’s two superpowers which would define global politics for the next several decades and still has an effect on world politics to this very day. It is unquestionably a very dialogue-driven film, but Nolan’s screenplay never fails to keep events on screen engaging with the dialogue every so often interjected with scenes of atoms colliding, and Jennifer Lame’s editing ensures the film’s pacing remains brisk.

Having worked with Nolan numerous times across his career in supporting roles, Cillian Murphy finally gets his chance in the leading role and he seizes it with both hands. Through those piercing blue eyes, Murphy’s extraordinary performance takes us deep into the mind of this man and allows him to fully exhibit a range of emotions. From a brief look at his academic life, his early days as a university professor teaching quantum physics, a triumphant moment following the end of World War II, to his haunting guilt over creating a deadly weapon that has wrought unspeakable horror and devastation on countless lives. Alongside Murphy’s incredible leading performance, Nolan has arguably assembled the all-star cast to end all-star casts, with everyone giving an excellent performance. In a cast this stacked, it is hard to stand out from the crowd, but the one who shines brightest is Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss. For years, he charmed audiences as the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist Tony Stark. This is a very different role, but as he did throughout his tenure in the MCU, Downey shows off his incredible talents and portrays Strauss as a very driven individual who is at the forefront of the pushback against Oppenheimer following the conclusion of WWII and will find anything he can to discredit the physicist.

On the subject of the Manhatten Project, which dominates the second act of the film and is where Nolan’s renowned technical wizardry comes to the fore. Through Hoyte van Hoyetma’s stunning cinematography and incredible sound work, the recreation of the testing of atomic devices ensures the audience feels the effects of these blasts. It all acts as a prelude to the nerve-shredding Trinity Test sequence, which Oppenheimer feared could cause a chain reaction that would destroy the world. The audience knows it won’t have that effect, but Ludwig Gorannsson’s score masterfully captures that nerve-shredding tension that would have undoubtedly raced through the minds of these scientists until the explosion. An explosion which, incredulously, is fully captured in camera without the assistance of special effects, a mind-blowing cinematic accomplishment.

However, while the technical mastery on display cannot be denied, what has been Nolan’s Achilles heel throughout his career has been writing female characters. Unfortunately, the female characters leave much to be desired. Florence Pugh makes the most of her limited screen time as Communist Party member Jean Tatlock, Oppenheimer’s mistress. Though, while they serve the narrative to an extent, a handful of her scenes feature full-frontal nudity and they ultimately come across as gratuitous. Emily Blunt’s turn as Kitty Oppenheimer could have very easily gone in a similar direction in which she is barely utilised and falls into the stereotype of the supporting housewife, but she avoids that with a memorable and fiery exchange with lawyer Roger Robb (Jason Clarke) during her husband’s security clearance hearings. While Nolan’s fascination with science in his previous films gave him theoretical scientific premises to explore, what he put under his cinematic microscope here is a world away from what he has previously accomplished in his career. The impact of this scientific breakthrough, the psychological effect it had on the man who developed it, and the long-lasting consequences of what can happen when one man, and indeed a whole country choose to play God, consequences which are still reverberating on the world stage today.

Under the vision of its masterful director, with a packed all-star cast led by an incredible awards-worthy performance from Cillian Murphy, gives Nolan the requisite materials required to craft a riveting and forensic character study of a man whose work changed the course of human history forever.

Pieces of a Woman – Film Review

Cast: Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBoeuf, Ellen Burstyn, Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Shlesinger, Benny Safdie, Jimmie Fails

Director: Kornél Mundruczó

Synopsis: After a young couple experience unimaginable tragedy following a home birth, the devastation and grief of their loss begins to fracture their own relationship, as well as the relationship between their friends and family, in the days and months afterwards…

Review: There are no two ways about it, pregnancy is an incredible, yet simultaneously lengthy and arduous process, especially for the pregnant woman who is heroically bearing the heaviest of burdens. If everything has proceeded as expected after nine months, there will be brand new life at the end of it. Yet, sometimes tragedy can strike, and devastating heartbreak for the couple and their families ensues. For all the trauma that would follow in these particular circumstances, it seems incomprehensible that there’s a stigma/taboo that comes with such unimaginable heartache and tragedy, yet as two high profile examples from last year demonstrate, that stigma is very much apparent.

Therefore, it is to the great credit of writer Kata Wéber, and her partner Kornél Mundruczó, that they’ve made a film that shines a light on this difficult subject that is rarely touched upon in film. Martha (Kirby) and Sean (LaBoeuf) are an expectant couple, eagerly excited about becoming parents for the very first time. Within the first few establishing shots of the film, it’s established that Martha is heavily pregnant, expecting to give birth at any given moment. When the time comes for Martha to go into labour, the couple are dismayed when their midwife is unavailable, but are comforted when an assured and professional replacement midwife arrives. All appears to be going well for the couple, until the joy that they’re experiencing soon turns to devastation and unbearable sorrow.

Playing the woman at the centre of this devastating drama, Vanessa Kirby’s performance is nothing short of absolutely phenomenal. She embodies the incomprehensible feeling of anguish that continues to linger even many months after what was meant to be one of the best days of her life, but ultimately ended in devastating heartbreak. Initially, as she tries to return to her day-to-day life, Martha finds herself completely shut off and detached from her family and co-workers, and the relationship between her and her partner Sean (LaBeouf) is no exception. Yet as the months go by, the feelings of loss and anguish are just as raw, but the difference is that Martha is no longer cold and grief-stricken. Instead, she channels that heartache into fury against certain family members that try to goad her into things she has absolutely zero interest in wanting to be a part of.

LaBoeuf’s Sean, self-described as “boorish”, is definitely not the most likeable of presences. Like Martha, he finds himself stricken by the agony that his character finds himself in. Despite some questionable life choices in the aftermath of the tragedy, it is hard to not feel sympathetic towards his character in this situation. Through everything that’s going on, the presence of Martha’s domineering mother Elizabeth (Burstyn) looms over them both. The dynamic between mother and daughter in this situation is a crucial aspect of the film in the months following the tragedy, and alongside Kirby’s stunning work, Burstyn’s performance is equally phenomenal.

The film’s crowning directorial achievement however, is unquestionably, the birth sequence. Taking place in one, uninterrupted 24 minute take, the scene is undeniably tense, and extremely harrowing to watch, especially for anyone who will have found themselves in this situation. The camerawork, Mundruczó’s direction are both exceptional. Through the extraordinary performances of the three actors involved, the sequence captures the range of emotions that these characters experience throughout. As this is undoubtedly the most tense scene in the film, the film struggles to maintain the momentum that is built during the opening sequence, and as such, the rest of the film’s pacing does suffer at a handful of moments.

Yet, it is a credit to all concerned that a film exists that has taken on these topics with unflinching honesty. No matter how many months or years pass, the pain for those that have been through this situation will never subside. The couples that experience this go through unspeakable trauma, and they do not for one moment deserve stigma and or abuse. Hopefully, through films like this, we can as a society initiate a conversation with the goal of hopefully one day ensuring that that the frankly ridiculous stigma that surrounds miscarriage and child loss is eradicated once and for all.

Presenting its heavy subject matter with raw honesty, Pieces of a Woman is a powerful and unflinching analysis of unbearable grief and loss, anchored by an exceptional leading performance from Vanessa Kirby.