Oppenheimer, the film

[kenny]

WOW!
Just frigging, WOW!

He actually strikes me as a pacifist, an honest and good man.
He had to beat Hitler to the bomb to save the world from a worse fate.

But this good man worked for a government polluted with evil, corrupt, self-serving politicians, during our shamefully embarrassing McCarthy era.

I'm thrilled for this film's correction to Oppie's legacy.

It was long, hard to follow, complex; lots of important dialog is shot at you as if fired from a machine gun.
My brain's good at some things, but terrible at following films this complex.
I could not have absorbed it if I saw it at the theater, with no pause and rewind functions.

It's now streaming on Peacock; three hours long.
It's three hours long, but it took me four, BOTH times that I had to watch it.

Anyone else see it?

 

[LilAlex]

^ Agree with this. Like seemingly every movie now, it is self-consciously non-linear and jarring in content, editing, music, etc., etc. You need a quick finger on the volume control (in both directions)! But overall we thought it was very worthwhile. We started out last night saying "let's do an hour each night" like it was gonna be homework and then it pulls you in -- gradually but genuinely.

 

[dk168]

I saw it in a cinema and thought it was very good.

DK

 

[Avondale]

Same as DK, saw it in cinema as soon as it hit the theatres. It is complex, indeed. Following multiple timelines simultaneously is confusing, there's not enough information and one spends a good deal of time not sure what exactly is happening.

But to me, that's what shapes the experience. It's a journey, and a carefully curated one, feeding you just enough information to shape your perceptions in just the right way as the story unfolds. While I understand the benefits of pausing and rewinding to help with understanding of the story, I wouldn't, even if I could. Because this isn't just about the contents of the story. It's about the way it is told, and that way is purposeful and shaped by the director's vision. So far I have never regretted trusting Nolan's vision.

There's nothing quite like experiencing such a story for the first time. The added bonus is you can then proceed to watch it again, this time "armed" with more knowledge, and enjoy all the little details and intricacies of the story you couldn't have noticed or paid attention to the first time.

I will say, though, I imagine the movie might be a bit less understandable and possibly enjoyable to someone who isn't at least somewhat well acquainted with the history of Oppenheimer and the science behind the atomic bomb.

 

[Austina]

So good I’ve watched it twice!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Haven’t seen it yet but it is on my list.

 

[AprilBaby]

I saw it the day at premiered at the theater. It was a fabulous film, but difficult to understand because of the way they filmed it, meaning the dialogue not the acting. I love Cillian Murphy. He did an interview last week for 60 minutes and he said he doesn’t see himself as a movie star, he just sees himself as an ordinary person. I would love to see him win the Oscar. He was fabulous as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders.

 

[tyty333]

Spoiler Alert...maybe don't read if you haven't seen it yet.


Funny story...I went to see it with my 3 adult kids. On the way home I asked them what their favorite part was. My 22-year-old son
who always likes to yank my chain says the naked lady scenes. He asked me what my favorite part was...I said when the lady died so I
wouldn't have to see any more naked lady scenes (with my adult sons)! But, alas, he kept having flashbacks

 

[kenny]

There were naked lady scenes?

Really?
I didn't notice.

 

[kenny]

... It was a fabulous film, but difficult to understand because of the way they filmed it, meaning the dialogue not the acting. ...

Yeah, besides the machine-gun-pace of some of the dialog ... many of those dialog-bullets were, unfortunately, essential to following the plot.

... the editing itself was also machine-gun fast, too fast to "really get" what they just showed you.
But that's the style now, which I HATE!
It reminds me of looking at a strobe light.
I wouldn't surprise me if this has triggered epileptic seizures in some people.

But these days that's what passes for cool.

But really, overall, I consider this film to be a masterpiece!

 

[kenny]

I suspect they edit scenes down to the length of today's shrinking attention span.

If a 'cool' person has to look at something longer than 1/10th of a second, they'll get bored and turn to their phone.

Am I a grumpy old man, or what?

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I can't sit STILL for 3 hours anywhere! LOL. My family saw it in the theaters and raved about it. I said I'd have to wait until it came to PPV.

When it came out, rented it immediately. I watched it over 2 days. It was stunning/acting sublime. And I didn't need to know the history (but I do) to have enjoyed it. It didn't feel it was disjointed. Then I watched it again until my rental/PPV had expired. I will watch it again sometime.

cheers--Sharon

 

[Bonfire]

We just watched it last week. I would do well to watch it again. Some of the dialogue was so rapid fire, it was like drinking out of a fire hose. I had trouble deciphering some of the dialogue between Cillian Murphy’s and Emily Blunt’s characters because they spoke so softly. I kept turning the volume up and back down again for the louder scenes.

Still, what a brilliant man, and fascinating story. Just think, what if Germany (Hitler) had beaten the US in the race to the atom bomb!

 

[kenny]

... Just think, what if Germany (Hitler) had beaten the US in the race to the atom bomb!

Wir würden jetzt auf Deutsch tippen.

 

[Matata]

Just think, what if Germany (Hitler) had beaten the US in the race to the atom bomb!

There's this guy whose last name begins with a P and he lives in the largest country in the world....

 

[tyty333]

There were naked lady scenes?

Really?
I didn't notice.

Too busy staring at Cillian Murphy??? I know I was! He is a cutey!

Edit...just thinking back he's probably not your type!

 

[Mreader]

I saw it the day at premiered at the theater. It was a fabulous film, but difficult to understand because of the way they filmed it, meaning the dialogue not the acting. I love Cillian Murphy. He did an interview last week for 60 minutes and he said he doesn’t see himself as a movie star, he just sees himself as an ordinary person. I would love to see him win the Oscar. He was fabulous as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders.

I have not yet seen it but just a chuckle about Cillian Murphy. I kept seeing the camera on him at an award show I was watching; I believe it was the Globes, and I was like "how do I know this guy?! WHERE have I seen him?!" bc I had not seen Oppenheimer. I was racking my brain about it and I started googling him and nope, haven't seen that movie, haven't seen that one - nope - not that one either. Then it finally dawned on me. He's in all those hilarious memes!! LMAO that's how I know who this fantastic actor is. Memes like these are everywhere:

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7237834335196318981

And it turns out it's because yes, he is really uncomfortable and awkward with the spotlight and does not embrace the movie star persona whatsoever; hence all those events where he has those facial expressions.

 

[AprilBaby]

Spoiler Alert...maybe don't read if you haven't seen it yet.


Funny story...I went to see it with my 3 adult kids. On the way home I asked them what their favorite part was. My 22-year-old son
who always likes to yank my chain says the naked lady scenes. He asked me what my favorite part was...I said when the lady died so I
wouldn't have to see any more naked lady scenes (with my adult sons)! But, alas, he kept having flashbacks

The lady died? Why do I not remember that?

 

[kenny]

The lady died? Why do I not remember that?

She was found dead with her head underwater in a bathtub.

 

[AprilBaby]

She was found dead with her head underwater in a bathtub.

Oh right! Thanks!

 

[kenny]

Too busy staring at Cillian Murphy??? I know I was! He is a cutey!

Edit...just thinking back he's probably not your type!

Righto.
He's way way too skinny and hairless to catch my eye.
But that dude can really act!

 

[GemHunter369]

We did not go to the cinema for the movie because we were worried about sitting for too long. We decided to wait and see it at home when it was available online. It surely was worthwhile to wait, and the film is among the few enjoyable ones we have watched recently.

 

[Piper70]

I just watched it yesterday! My girlfriends group has an Oscar party so I’m trying to watch as many as I can before the show.
I also found the dialogue tricky in some spots and would like to see it again. It was excellent and I really enjoyed it. I think Cillian Murphy was fantastic but I’m a huge Paul Giamatti fan so I’ll probably vote for him on my ballot.

 

[Bonfire]

I’m a huge Paul Giamatti fan so I’ll probably vote for him on my ballot

He was really good in The Holdovers. I really liked that movie.