The first review of Oppenheimer surfaced on the internet a few days back and it praised the film as Nolan’s best. Granted, the review was from Benny Safdie, an actor who appears in the film but a review is a review. Barbie movie also had its a few days back and the amount of praise that the film received is unsurmountable. Given that Oppenheimer is already lagging behind the box office projections in comparison to Barbie, can Nolan’s biographical drama trump Greta Gerwig’s rom-com in critical reception? Well, there is an easy way to find that out. Oppenheimer had its premiere last night in Paris and the critics who witnessed this spectacle have shared their first thoughts regarding the film. So, without any further ado, let’s see if Oppenheimer is really Nolan’s Best.
Oppenheimer Early Reviews And Reactions: A Dark And Intense Character Study!
Matt Maytum (Total Film) – “‘Oppenheimer’ left me stunned: a character study on the grandest scale, with a sublime central performance by Cillian Murphy. An epic historical drama but with a distinctly Nolan sensibility: the tension, structure, sense of scale, startling sound design, remarkable visuals. Wow.”
Romain Cheyron (French Journalist) – “‘Oppenheimer’ is, for me, the best Nolan. Striking, dense, intense. The film, via the main character, doesn’t let go of you, from the first to the last second. A powerful rise and an incredible last hour. Cillian Murphy is absolutely stunning.” He added in a follow-up tweet, “The sound, the music, the dialogues, the emotions never stop. There is (almost) no moment of respite, we are totally transported in the spirit of Oppenheimer during the three hours that we do not see pass.”
Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press) – “Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ is truly a spectacular achievement, in its truthful, concise adaptation, inventive storytelling and nuanced performances from Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon and the many, many others involved —- some just for a scene.” She joked that it is, “It’s hard to talk about something as dense as this in something as silly as a tweet or thread but ‘Oppenheimer’ really is a serious, philosophical, adult drama that’s as tense and exciting as ‘Dunkirk.’ And the big moment – THAT MOMENT – is awe inspiring.” Bahr closed with, “So many years after seeing that opening shot of ‘The Dark Knight’ in IMAX at CityWalk and not understanding what I was seeing on a technical level but feeling it, I feel very lucky to have seen ‘Oppenheimer’ in 70mm IMAX. A once in a lifetime experience.”
Jonathan Dean (The Sunday Times’) – “Totally absorbed in ‘OPPENHEIMER,’ a dense, talkie, tense film partly about the bomb, mostly about how doomed we are. Happy summer! Murphy is good, but the support essential: Damon, Downey Jr & Ehrenreich even bring gags. An audacious, inventive, complex film to rattle its audience.”He continued, “The downside? The women are badly served – Emily Blunt only once gets out of her stressed mother role. But it’s straight into my Nolan top three, alongside ‘Memento’ & ‘The Prestige'”
Bilge Ebiri (Writer) – “‘OPPENHEIMER’ is…incredible. The word that keeps coming to mind is ‘fearsome.’ A relentlessly paced, insanely detailed, intricate historical drama that builds and builds and builds until Nolan brings the hammer down in the most astonishing, shattering way.”
Simon Thompson (Journalist) – “‘Oppenheimer’ is powerful stuff. Cillian Murphy’s flawless awards worthy performance is next level. Every player in this rich ensemble cast is at the top of their game. Christopher Nolan’s haunting opus is remarkable and Hoyte van Hoytema‘s execution of his vision is breathtaking.” Thompson carried on with, “There’s no fat on ‘Oppenheimer’ at all. It’s a long one but the pace of the rich narrative is perfect. It’s hard to single people out but Downey Jr. and Ehrenreich are insanely good and pure alchemy together. The sound and production design, as well as the score, are impeccable.”
The story of Oppenheimer is adapted from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer will be the first film to be shot in B/W and IMAX. The film is made on a hefty budget of $100 Million. The film basically has half of Hollywood in it including Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Casey Affleck, Michael Angarano and without a doubt Michael Caine.
Oppenheimer will release in theatres near you on 21st July 2023.
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