Oppenheimer (2023)

 Pros: This screenplay was incredibly complex, but J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was a complex individual, not just professionally but also his love life was bizarre. While his was in love with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), he ends up impregnating the married Kitty (Emily Blunt) and marrying her, though I doubt it's a happy marriage. While she's supportive of his career, she's also a wretched alcoholic and neglectful mother and previously dabbled with the Communist party, which is a capitol offense in 1950s America. 

In his professional life, he's a hero for developing the bomb, but everything surrounding the circumstances for which it was created changed. It started as the Nazis were developing a bomb so the Americans needed to develop one as well. But then, Germany surrenders and it is used in Japan, to catastrophic effects. Oppenheimer later regrets his involvement, only to find himself fighting for his reputation.

While the screenplay is complicated, the cast is superb, filled with surprise actors in surprise roles, hidden cameos and great acting, and great casting. The mechanics are great, brilliant score, flawless editing and cinematography not to mention the detailed the set. Everything was truly solid about this film and the attention to detail paid off.

Cons: Minor but they need to be mentioned. There are a ton of white guys in this film and honestly, they needed name tags as it was confusing because there were just so many. Also, sometimes the score was so overpowering, lines of dialogue were missed, which cannot happen in a film as complex and multi-layered as this one was.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The brilliant supporting cast includes Robert Downey, Jr, Josh Hartnett (he's still alive!), Casey Affleck (surprise role #1), Jason Clarke, Tony Goldwyn (the man does not age), Rami Malek (surprise role #2), Kenneth Branagh (surprise role #2-scientist Niels Bohr), Tom Conti, Dane DeHaan, Ahren Ehrenreich, David Krumholz, Michael Angrano, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, Alex Wolff, Gary Oldman (surprise role #4, President Harry Truman) and the always delightful and solid Matt Damon.

-Truman believes Oppenheimer to be a cry-baby.

-The actual reason for Jean's suicide is left up in the air. Perhaps it wasn't suicide after all but murder at the hands of the US government given her communist ties.

-Robert Downey Jr. is the unexpected villain of this film.

-Despite Oppenheimer's hope, the creation of the bomb did not end all wars. Wars remains raging, unfortunately. 

-The last line is haunting. 

-If you liked this film, I would recommend the TV show Manhattan, about the scientists and families who did the work, it's a great show, with a pre-Mrs. Maisel Rachel Broshanan and John Benjamin Hickey.

-I still don't fully understand the science behind the bomb's creation, that's probably a good thing.