If there’s one thing to count on from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan, is his dialogue and writing for his films always have the weight of the world being focused in a maelstrom, spouted off by its main characters. Yes, your title character and lead protagonist in the show is the most important to anchor and carry the film, but Nolan does take it a few steps beyond to over-the-top heights to the point where characters feel more like grandiose caricatures than actually human.

This isn’t a dig at the director’s writing, far from it. But you do tend to see that pattern pop up to excessive amounts, and nowhere is this more apparent than in his dramatic biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer (from Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin’s book American Prometheus). Simply titled Oppenheimer, the story of the man who created a world-changing invention -the atomic bomb- and the repercussions that follow, is definitely one for the books, assuming you’re fine with the director’s tropes that can make the show quite an ordeal to watch.

Splitting Theory

Oppenheimer’s focus on the renowned theory physicist with little to no biopic film adaptations around is a little bit in his early years, his time opening up classes on teaching the then-unknown quantum field theory, working on the Manhattan Project and leading the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, his dealings with the AEC, and his appeal for his security clearance that eventually made him an outcast. The bigger focus is the New Mexico lab/community portions, the first nuclear bomb test, and the fallout Oppenheimer received, with a lot of his past dealings and anecdotes, along with other characters spliced in for the full picture. Is it cohesive and incredibly detailed? Yes, even with the choice of using greyscale and colour (clear to washed out) to highlight these dramatized bits of history, it’s still riveting to follow due to Nolan’s direction and use of jump cuts just to highlight Oppenheimer’s atom and quantum theories back and forth.

The man of the hour himself is played by Cillian Murphy, who portrays the flawed but high-conviction scientist with a mix of arrogance and earnestness. He may be selfish and doesn’t think highly of others, and clearly doesn’t take the practical route most of the time when it comes to important decisions, but he is focused and smart. An actor who has to play someone as damaged as Oppenheimer -a role that requires it to carry the majority of the film- needs to stay in that fine line between being likeable and not-so-loved despite the best of intentions. Cillian Murphy does that well in that regard.

My favourite performance and scenes apart from the title character include Robert Downey Jr. as AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss. He starts off classy and dignified but soon becomes a force of vindictiveness through the events that follow Oppenheimer’s clearance denied. Matt Damon’s officer Leslie Groves commands some semblance of camaraderie and presence, while Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock serves her role just fine as one of Oppenheimer’s object of affection. The other one, Kitty, is also worth mentioning due to Emily Blunt’s portrayal as she ends up holding her side of being Oppenheimer’s wife, especially in the latter half where she does tell her husband off in his time of self-pitying. It’s also nice to see Jason Clark portray the aggressive special counsel, showing no remorse in doing his job to put Oppenheimer and his friends on the spot during the scientist’s re-appeal for his security clearance.

The major issue? Like I said at the start of this piece, half of Oppenheimer’s runtime is characters being nothing more than talking exposition pieces to move the plot forward rather than be actual characters. I actually remember more bits of the good doctor being a neglectful husband and completely focused leader of a project than the parts where he moved the story along. Granted, these talking bits are still enticing and captivating, and it is a tough balancing act writing-wise to flesh out people more while keeping in theme with the story of the first nuclear weapon being made. Still, it does need to be said that some parts could be scaled back.

Atomic, Baby

Christopher Nolan’s latest does impress, all due to the narrative surrounding Oppenheimer himself. It’s compelling, it’s insightful, and it shows that the smartest of men may not exactly be all they seem. It’s also a very extensive look at a man who has hubris but actually backs it up with his intelligence and stubbornness, as well as his high convictions on the gravity of his work. Yet at the same time, that same hubris led to his downfall post-world-changing invention. He’s certainly not perfect and is selfish as well as narcissistic, but that’s what makes Cillian Murphy’s portrayal all the more compelling to sit through in the film’s 2 hours and 40 minutes runtime.

I do wonder why the hype on it being screened on IMAX is a thing, considering that jump cuts of isotopes and chemical chain reaction, as well as the heavily-advertised first nuclear bomb detonation are the only reasons it needs all that clear screen and sound. Having said that, I’m not complaining considering all of the show’s key moments are accentuated by the filming tech, particular in one scene where Oppenheimer gives a speech to the Los Alamo crowd after the successful nuclear test. The audiowork and imagery in that scene are definitely a standout to complement the literal big bang of the film. Perhaps the scenes that follow after could be trimmed a bit, but it does offer more insight as to why the titular scientist chooses to be on the defensive and play martyr to his part in his contribution. And while this goes without saying, Ludwig Göransson’s score just nails it and will be the subject of many debates involving Best Movie Score of 2023.

If you’re expecting past works of Nolan that involve major theatrics, you’ll get those though not in the explosive and action-heavy blockbuster method you’re hoping for like with Inception, Tenet, and Interstellar. This IS a dramatic biopic with a lot of dialogue and exposition, albeit of someone who isn’t portrayed much in film in this glorious fashion. If you wish for Nolan’s historical style of work like with Dunkirk but with more cerebral work and weight (without padding and filler, mind you), you’ll want to steel yourself for this ride.

Final Score: 80/100