Summary
- Oppenheimer has received rave reviews and could potentially earn nominations in categories like best actor, supporting actor, and adapted screenplay, among others.
- The film follows Christopher Nolan's pattern of creative storytelling and delivers a psychological character study wrapped in a historical and epic thriller.
- The performances, particularly Cillian Murphy's portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer, are raw and emotionally powerful, while the supporting cast adds substance to the tragic story without overshadowing the overall premise.
Oppenheimer has received rave reviews from critics and audiences. Many have said that it is one of Christopher Nolan’s best films to date. The positive reviews have made its Oscar chances start to rise. Oppenheimer could have nominations in categories like best actor, supporting actor, and adapted screenplay, to name a few. There is one category that is more of a curious choice for the filmmaker to obtain.
Is Oppenheimer a future Best Picture Nominee? Nolan’s filmography has earned five nominations over the years. But only two of his films (Inception and Dunkirk) have earned Best Picture nominations. Both films explore deep concepts but are delivered in entirely different ways. Inception was an original Sci-Fi film with a thought-provoking premise (and ending) for audiences to ponder. Dunkirk was a narratively complex piece of history, told in an inventive way. Oppenheimer is a combination of those films' biggest and most effective strengths.
Oppenheimer Is the Culmination of Nolan's Cinematic Ideology
Nolan is a filmmaker who remains creative with the structure of his films. Oppenheimer follows this pattern within the story. The film narratively shifts perspectives throughout its massive three-hour running time. His movies always crescendo into an ending that makes viewers think. It is not until the ending of Oppenheimer that the film’s true ambitions become clear. The film is a psychological character study coated in the realm of a historical and epic thriller.
This culmination of ideas can be best discussed via the structure of the film. Each hour tackles a different aspect of Oppenheimer’s life story. The only difference is that it does not start in the expected place. Starting out, the film tackles “Oppy” (the nickname his friends give him) at Cavendish University.
The second chapter follows Oppy’s recruitment by Leslie Groves to create the Manhattan Project. This is arguably the most “horrific” and tense chapter, dealing with the creation of the Atomic Bomb. The final chapter follows Oppenheimer as he becomes an advocate against nuclear weapons. This also starts the process of Oppenheimer during the Cold War, where he was accused of being a communist. Each chapter has a lot to unpack but remains key to Nolan’s filmmaking practices.
Oppenheimer gets a lot of details right about the true story. That is thanks to the performances, which help portray how the real-life figures might have felt. The film’s dialogue-heavy style works best, thanks to the structure of the story. Audiences might know the history, but how Nolan creates it keeps the viewers on edge from the first scene. Even knowing the outcome makes the film remain a tense experience.
That tension is something that keeps the film consistently surprising. It is unpredictable, but at the same time honors the real-life history around the events. This deconstruction of the typical narrative is not the only reason it deserves the best picture nomination.
The Performances Connect With Audiences
Oppenheimer has one of the biggest casts assembled in recent memory. Cillian Murphy delivers an absolute show-stopping lead performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer. His portrayal has a difficult balancing act to accomplish. He has to equally portray his genius but also the pain of his genius. Murphy’s eyes convey all those feelings without him having to stop and tell audiences that very thing. It’s a raw performance that academy voters will most definitely respond to.
Robert Downey Jr.’s performance of Lewis Strauss is equally challenging as Murphy’s. In the film, Strauss is a character with shifting allegiances throughout. Early on, it is believed he is Oppenheimer’s biggest advocate. Whereas in actuality, Strauss was one of Oppenheimer's biggest enemies.
Downey Jr. conveys this character's “turn” in a way that will surprise viewers if they don’t know the history. It’s the sort of chameleon-like performance that the Academy should take notice of. He’s completely subverting audience expectations from his portrayal of Tony Stark but not overshadowing the film's ensemble.
Even the supporting roles like Kitty (Emily Blunt), Leslie Groves (Matt Damon), and Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) have substance. Each has to serve a purpose in the tragedy of Oppenheimer’s story. They all have moments but never overshadow the premise or leading performance. Each role works to benefit the next in ways that scream for a “best picture” nomination. Telling this story in this inventive way creates tension but also respects this man’s legacy.
The film tells Oppenheimer’s story without giving obvious “title cards” to explain his final fate. What ultimately became of Oppenheimer was the tragic illness of throat cancer. The film doesn’t cover this but instead respects and ends on his accomplishments. Not showing his eventual death keeps the film as something more positive than history conveyed.
It honors his fate and dedication to his country in a story that consistently challenges his values and beliefs. Telling this story respectfully without the tragedy, combined with his cinematic style, make it a special Christopher Nolan film. These facts and details prove why Oppenheimer is a future best-picture nominee.