Christopher Nolan has never been one for linear narratives. If Memento, Interstellar, Inception, Dunkirk and Tenet have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. What’s that, you want a straightforward narrative following a single character with no mind-bending storylines? Look elsewhere. In Nolan we trust.
Oppenheimer makes no exception to his time-bending trends, with the opening titles already preparing the audience for multiple timelines with its transitions from colour to black and white film. This is the first time that Nolan has used the tones since Memento and damn, it works incredibly effectively. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to experience my first viewing of Oppenheimer in IMAX, Nolan’s filmmaking dojo medium of choice, but every image on screen is nonetheless strikingly composed. The editing work is pristine to a fault, and no shot seems wasted despite the epic running time.
While the narrative switches back and forth between Oppenheimer’s past and present in terms of his experiences leading up to being employed on the Manhattan Project and the subsequent political trials to dirty his name, the main dramatic tension focuses around the nuclear mission itself. Huge amounts of tension are crafted through some truly inspired moments of sound design and uses of silence, particularly when it comes to the big blast itself. Despite knowing the general context and the bleak conclusion to Oppenheimer’s journey, these moments fill the screen with awe and intrigue. One particular use of silence reminded me just how much I love Nolan’s use of the device, taking me back to one of my all-time favourite bits of filmmaking when a liberated Joker sticks his head out of a stolen police car and shakes his hair in savage joy. With a cinematic world that’s often dominated by thoughtless sound, it’s a privilege to see a master at work using noise (and the lack of it) so thoughtfully. One particular use of subtle, painful violin strains in the final section seemed like a precise sonic reference to Tenet’s heart-breaking composition ‘Betrayal’, itself evoking the tragic song ‘528491’ that plays as a distraught Robert Fisher experiences a final emotional confrontation with his father in Inception.
Speaking of which, as Cillian Murphy’s tortured figure happened to be the beating heart of Nolan’s time-twisting heist, it’s a relief to finally see him take the major role after so many bit parts in the director’s previous works, delivering a career best performance as the tortured creator of the atomic bomb. I’ve always been a fan of actors who prefer the ‘show don’t tell’ method, and while Murphy’s character has a fair bit of dialogue to dish out, it’s moments when he says nothing at all that exhibit some of the finest, most poignant moments of frailty and doubt. Hoyte van Hoytema also delivers his usual outstanding work in the cinematography department. The constant images of swirling, mesmerising explosions aren’t always subtle, but they neatly imitate the looming terror and dread about the nuclear project as well as Oppenheimer’s warring mind.
The surrounding cast are all on solid form too. I was still amazed that, despite having followed all the trailers and marketing campaign in detail, there were still some big names in there I wasn’t expecting at all. Unlike a couple of Wes Anderson’s recent efforts, advertising a big starry cast on all your advertising posters doesn’t equate to the film’s quality. Here, each extra player acts their part with little eccentricity and nonetheless makes an impact.
Aside from all of the wonderful sights and sounds on the screen itself, it was joyous to sit in a nearly packed audience of film lovers, easily the most packed one I’ve seen in years. All in all, Oppenheimer was a sublime reminder of why I love cinema. Watch it on the biggest screen possible.
After a few hours of darkness, it was time to enter the world of light entertainment with Barbie. I’d had a brief intermission to try and organise my horrifically scrawled excuse for film notes on Oppenheimer into a vaguely decipherable list of words (note to self: trying to write film notes in a darkened cinema never really ends well. Even though I keep doing it. And I do technically have a pen with a light on the back, but audience members are usually sitting too close to me so I feel too self-conscious and antisocial to put the light on. Anyway, I digress). I made some notes on Barbie too, but as I sit here trying to work out what on earth is going on that vandalised, unapproving piece of paper, I’ll just give that writing session a miss.
Like Oppenheimer, another packed cinema, except this time mostly filled with children. I never had much connection with the dolls when I was younger (Sylvanian Families ftw), but when you’ve got a name like Greta Gerwig’s attached to the directorial position, you know you’re in for something a bit different and experimental. And Helen Mirren’s droll, frequently fourth wall busting narrative delivers that difference in spades. While the film begins with Barbie’s (Margot Robbie ftw) journey of self-discovery in the fashion of a Truman Show sequel, it’s nice that the filmmakers dedicate a decent bit of screentime to the oft-neglected Ken (Ryan Gosling ftw). After discovering a Ken doll in the dirt next to a lemon in his back yard (true story), it’s only natural that Gosling would want to step up and do this dude some justice. The scene where Ken enters the real world, receiving attention from male onlookers and discovering his passion for flamboyant clothing, is comedy gold. Gosling manages to merge the stoic cool of his later career roles with the more boisterous characters of earlier career, even reviving the stylish song and dance skills that he utilised during his early days in The Mickey Mouse Club. Groovy.
While the film appeals to its younger target audience with its subject matter, it still manages to get in sneaky double entendres and a moral message about feminism. It also served as a welcome bit of light relief after the darkness of Oppenheimer. Both films still seem to be doing the rounds in terms of trending, with a lot of other people apparently having seen both films on the release day too. While Barbenheimer seems to be the popular name smash (presumably you’re seeing the light bubbly film before the much darker depressing film? Radical), I’ll stick with Oppenbie since I watched’ em the other way round. Ingenious, no?
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