It was funny to read Jim Jarmusch coming out against Star Wars movies. He resents the way these movies get into your head and there is no way to escape them. Can't say that I really blame him. I quit watching them after the first three installments and would never watch them again. I feel that way about franchises in general which is why I have no intention of watching Mission Impossible.
Instead we went to see Oppenheimer yesterday and I have to say that is one of the best movie experiences I have had in a long time. We purposely went to an early showing so that we could see the film on the largest screen in the multiplex. I didn't take a cola as I didn't want to have to go to the bathroom halfway through this epic story. How Christopher Nolan was able to pack so much information into three hours and make it entertaining to watch is beyond me?
I had read American Prometheus some years ago so could follow along easily enough but I don't think that was the case for a lot of persons in the audience. Still, most persons were held spellbound as Nolan crafted a beautiful film that held your attention throughout. Daina said there was only one moment that she kind of lost interest, the scene where Oppenheimer was being questioned by Boris Pasch, which would play a pivotal role later in the film. Casey Affleck was his typical laconic self so it was hard to sense the menacing tone. Otherwise the actors were very convincing in projecting their historic roles, especially Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt.
Most importantly, Nolan built tension so that when you finally see the Trinity project detonate near the end of the film it literally blows you away. The explosion was followed by several seconds of silence so that you actually feel like you witness the event like the characters in the movie. A stunning theatrical achievement!
Nolan fused multiple storylines that came together quite neatly in the end. One that stands out is the brief conversation Oppenheimer had with Einstein at Princeton. All we see is Einstein's reaction at first, later it is alluded to and only at film end do we actually hear the conversation and how it related to the overall story.
The best part about Oppenheimer is that it makes you think about it long after you watched it. The performances are so compelling that you want to learn more about the characters, especially Kitty Oppenheimer, which Nolan invested with a lot of subtle strength in what was essentially a mans' movie. You can almost say Emily Blunt steals the show with her interrogation scene late in the movie. I don't remember a lot about Kitty in the book other than she and "Opi" were both heavy drinkers and would host parties where there would be nothing but booze as neither she nor Opi were very good in the kitchen. However, Kitty was a biologist and could hold her own against her husband's enormous intellect. Nolan makes sure this comes through in the movie.
We also get a good sense of how Oppenheimer's stunning achievement had a deep impact on his psyche as Nolan projects the fever dreams he might have had especially when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Oppenheimer never won a Nobel prize, I supposed because he was considered too much of a controversial figure at the time. He honestly thought that a bomb of such magnitude would end all wars but sadly it just ended up fueling the Cold War, which still resonates today.
It is great to see Oppenheimer doing so well at the box office. It has passed Mission Impossible and I'm sure will blow Meg 2 out of the water this weekend. It just shows that people are craving something more complex than your typical Hollywood action film.
However, this Barbenheimer phenomenon is in large part responsible for so many people watching Oppenheimer. I don't think they would have done so otherwise. It seemed that some of the younger persons in the audience were left dumbstruck. A teenager looked dazed coming out of the film, probably far more than she expected. I suppose this is why one reviewer says you need time to digest Oppenheimer and not just hop over to the next theater to catch Barbie.
Oppenheimer has done so well at IMAX cinemas in the US that Mission Impossible got bumped as a result. I really loved that! This is the way Nolan intended the film to be watched but we all aren't so lucky to have an IMAX or 70 mm screen in our city. A movie like this could only be done with Hollywood backing as it required an enormous budget to pull off a production on this scale. Warner Brothers used to make films like this on a fairly regular basis and I'm sure will do all it can to keep Nolan working in their studio.
Jarmusch finances most of his films independently. Coffee and Cigarettes will be showing next week in the courtyard of the Grand Dukes Palace. Might just have to go see it again.
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