My dear reader(s), if you have been with me for any length of time, you will know that I’ve gone from a twice-a-week movie-goer to a twice-a-year movie-goer, and my reviews these days are mostly limited to streaming options. If ever there were a person who could get me to face the talkers, the seat-kickers, the popcorn-bag-rattlers, and the straw-slurpers at the cinema again, that person is Christopher Nolan, who last week presented us with yet another masterpiece, Oppenheimer.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn’t know from the trailers, possibly from real life, and from the paragraph above, wherein I pretty much spoiled my entire review. D’oh!
Yes, Oppenheimer is a masterpiece, among Christopher Nolan’s best work, and that’s a very high bar. It’s early goings yet, but people are already throwing around the “O” word (no, not *that* O-word, though Florence Pugh is pretty hot), and, with half the year behind us, I’d say that’s probably going to stick. Nolan makes a three-hour movie seem like three minutes, with mesmerizing storytelling, sharp dialogue, and a glorious visual landscape. Robert Oppenheimer is painted neither hero nor villain, but rather a man so consumed by whether a thing *could* be done, he failed to consider whether it *should* be done…until it was too late. While there are some gruesome images in Oppenheimer, there’s nothing over-the-top or gratuitous, and the movie never takes lightly the grave ramifications of the choices it depicts.
Cillian Murphy, of course, is brilliant in the title role. He’s never been less, and if anyone didn’t know that by now, this is their education. The whole cast really couldn’t be more perfect, and it’s a testament to the Power of Nolan how many big people took little roles just to be part of this project. Expect awards season to be lucrative for at least Murphy, Robert Downey, Jr., Emily Blunt, and (depending on the field) Ms. Flo, although her role is comparatively small. Exceptional work to a person, Oppenheimer left me breathless.
Oppenheimer clocks in at 180 minutes and is rated R for “some sexuality, nudity, and language.”
Oppenheimer is a masterclass in storytelling and performing, making fascinating work of a grim tale. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Oppenheimer gets all nine.
A feature biography from director Christopher Nolan, explores how one man's brilliance, hubris, and relentless drive changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and unleashed mass hysteria.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh
Release Date: July 21, 2023
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Rated R for some sexuality, nudity and language
Runtime: 3h 0m
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a heady, engrossing biopic that makes a series of conversations feel just as thrilling as any large scale action set piece. Nolan's meticulous eye is laser focused throughout as he unveils a bendy narrative that jumps from two separate time periods and view points. His sweeping visual style is more focused here, taking plenty of time on faces and subtle ruminations from the main characters as they tackle some truly world changing concepts and the repercussions they bring. Cillian Murphy leads the film with a nuanced measured performance that maybe the best of his career. Murphy's hundred yard stare conveys a bevy of emotions as the character carries the weight of the world as his mind juggles through the countless challenges and ultimate ramifications of what his work creates after the fact Nolan uses his faces and expressions on more than a few occasions to communicate a slew of information occasionally without a single line of dialogue being uttered. He's the driving force in the film but he benefits from some truly impressive turns from a stellar supporting cast. Robert Downey Jr. gets the meatiest role as Oppenheimer's post war rival who is trying to secure a cabinet position. Downey Jr. sinks his teeth into the role with impressive ease as he reveals the character's duplicitous nature. His scenes play well in contrast against Murphy's more subdued, internalized sequences. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt have smaller supporting roles with each doing the most with their screen time with the latter playing against time with great effect. Florence Pugh is equally solid as Oppenheimer's mistress even if she is a bit young for the role. A slew of other familiar faces pepper the film giving it a rich textured quality, Tom Conti, in particular, is fascinating in his limited screen time as Albert Einstein. Their conversation revealed near the end of the film is particularly revelatory and devastating in its implications. Its these kind of moments that Oppenheimer revels and delivers in a steady stream throughout with the cast and crew all working in top form.
Following
the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the
outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to
venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by
sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Rated
PG-13 for terror, violence and bloody/disturbing images.
Runtime:
1 h 37 min
Review:
A Quiet Place Part II is a solid if flawed follow up to beloved original. John Krasinski turns in another impressive directorial effort with this well constructed exercise in a tension building. The pretense of not seeing the monsters being exhausted in the original leave the door open for more monster action. Smartly, Krasinski doesn't go totally overboard by forgoing tension for all out action. The set pieces are impeccably constructed with a smart use of setting and sound to deliver jump scares that feel anything but cheap. The cast is equally strong with Millicent Simmonds taking a more central role in this entry. Simmonds displays some impressive acting chops even when she's onscreen with actors like Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy. Blunt's character takes more of a secondary role here but she still manages to shine in her limited screen time. Cillian Murphy is appropriately intense even though his character feels terribly underwritten. Murphy does what he can with the role but the character is simply there to advance the story and little more even though there are nuggets of backstory which are never expanded on. Djimon Hounsou is just as underused in what amounts to a throw away role, written with little to no depth. Ultimately, the script is this sequels biggest drawback by delivering thinly written supporting characters and character who simply do incredibly stupid things for no good reason. The original benefited from Krasinki's strong direction, excellent central performances and a simple but efficient script with some logical leaps you could overlook. A Quiet Place Part II works on most of the same levels but the script and story here are far more lacking.
Acclaimed auteur Christopher Nolan directs
this World War II thriller about the evacuation of Allied troops from the
French city of Dunkirk before Nazi forces can take hold. Tom Hardy, Kenneth
Branagh and Mark Rylance co-star, with longtime Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer
providing the score. ~ Daniel Gelb, Rovi
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth
Branagh, Cillian Murphy, James D'Arcy
Release Date: Jul 21, 2017
Rated PG-13 for intense war experience and
some language
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama
Review:
Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is an impressive achievement, a sprawling war epic
taken from multiple viewpoints.After
Interstellar, a rare misstep from Nolan, it’s good to see the director try something
new.What he delivers an interesting and
engaging non liner story told from different viewpoints and perspectives.As such it gives you a well rounded
viewpoint, from the ground, air and sea, of the events as they unfold.The characters are fairly simplistic but they
serve the story well with Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and Fionn Whitehead all
deliver strong performances even though their scenes are about as bare bones as
they come.Nolan’s film is more about
the event than the actual people so they’re not really a huge emphasis on
unearned dramatics.It’s a big sweeping
film which shows off Nolan’s technical prowess throughout.Is it the greatest war film ever made, probably
not, it’s probably not Nolan’s best film, The Prestige still holds that honor,
but it’s a impressive none the less.
Dearest Blog: By now I'm sure everyone's familiar with that big-budget bore of a World War II flick that's gracing US cinemas this week, but what you may not know is there's also a really good World War II flick right at your fingertips via On Demand, digital download, and DVD. I give you: Anthropoid.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers if you saw one (which I didn't).
Anthropoid is the true story of a World War II mission to assasinate Hitler's third in command, Reinhard Heydrich.
Two WWII movies in a span of three days probably seems like a true test of endurance, and, if not for Cillian Murphy, I admit this one might have passed me right on by. I'm very glad it didn't.
While Hacksaw Ridge dwells on gunfights, explosions, and the gore of war, Anthropoid is a quiet exercise in strategy all the way to its final act; only then are we thrown into the bloody firestorm, and by then we're so invested in every character that it is utterly devastating. Cillian Murphy (the surly one) and Jamie Dornan (the dreamy one) are outstanding as the leaders of the dangerous mission. Murphy is never less, but if you only know Dornan from his unfortunate 50 Shades fame, be prepared to be surprised.
Supporting players include the terrific Harry Lloyd, and the always-reliable Toby Jones. Anthropoid takes its time getting to the actual assasination attempt, maintaining tension throughout as the rebels make their plans and attempt to avoid discovery.
Fear is so palpable as to be almost another character in a film that feels very intimate and personal, in much the same way as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Anthropoid clocks in at a deliberate 120 minutes and is rated R for "violence and some disturbing images."
It may not be loud or flashy enough to have earned wide release in the USA, but Anthropoid is a thoughtful World War II picture that's well worth your time.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Anthropoid gets six and a half.
Dearest Blog: yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a double-feature of Suffragette and In the Heart of the Sea, or, as I like to call it, the Ben Whishaw Film Festival.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
Yesterday's opening act: Suffragette.
The war for equal voting rights has a great personal cost for the women fighting it.
Regular reader(s) will be well aware that Suffragette is hardly my kind of movie.
It's about women. It stars Carey Mulligan, whom I loathe. No cities get crushed by aliens or giant robots...and I don't even know what the filmmakers were thinking there, as surely giant robots could have facilitated voting rights much more quickly than a few rocks through windows!
At any rate, it's awards season and we all must make sacrifices, so, Suffragette it was. I'm pleased to report I didn't hate it.
The bad news is, obviously, Carey Mulligan. If the woman were any more bland she'd be invisible, and, since she's the primary star of the film, it's a little hard to get around that.
The good news is, she's surrounded by people who do a pretty good job of getting around it, including Helena Bonham-Carter, my beloved Ben Whishaw, the brilliant Brendan Gleeson, Romola Garai, and Meryl Streep, doing her very best impersonation of Mother Nature in A Year Without a Santa Claus.
All in all, it's pretty easy to forget about Mulligan, which is probably not what the "star" of any movie wants to hear. In typical British fashion, Suffragette understatedly tackles an epic story; no one will be unaware that this fight was eventually won, but the movie plays out the victory sans the fireworks and trumpet fanfare that surely would have concluded an American telling of the tale.
Finally, though it's mostly talkey rather than actioney, the film moves at a good clip and is smart enough not to bog down and wear out its welcome.
Suffragette runs 106 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some intense violence, thematic elements, brief strong language, and partial nudity."
Suffragette is a well-paced, finely-acted reminder of the cost of standing up for what matters, and why it's worth it.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Suffragette gets five and a half.
Yesterday's headliner: In the Heart of the Sea.
The kinda-sorta true story of the kinda-sorta true story that inspired the classic novel Moby Dick.
By now anyone reading this likely will have heard that In the Heart of the Sea is being pummeled by critics and sinking at the box office (see what I did there?), the second "serious" project fronted by Chris Hemsworth to achieve these dubious honors.
Hemsworth isn't a terrible actor, though his accent is all over the place, but I think perception of him is a big part of In the Heart of the Sea's biggest problem, that is: the movie just doesn't know what it's supposed to be. Inspired by a literary legend and dropped smack-dab into the middle of awards season, the supporting cast is littered with some of moviedom's most talented actors, but in the end it can't help itself being a big-budget actioner with a Marvel hero front and center.
It's a little like that Benghazi trailer, which looks serious as a heart attack until it says "Directed by Michael Bay," and then you chuckle quietly and check your phone one last time before the feature begins. Brendan Gleeson, who deserved an Oscar last year for Calvary (still holding a grudge, thank you), is (again) nothing short of brilliant, as is the always-stellar Cillian Murphy.
Ben Whishaw is terrific, because Ben Whishaw is always terrific, though this role hardly stretches his abilities. I'm also delighted to see that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (which, for the record, I loved) hasn't killed Benjamin Walker's career, though it looks like he's gonna give career-suicide another go with that Nicholas Sparks movie next year.
*sigh* I saw In the Heart of the Sea in 2D, and, outside of a bit of wonky green screen, it looks great, but I didn't notice anything that would be appreciably better for seeing it in 3D. In the Heart of the Sea isn’t short on superficial assets--great water and disaster effects, nice cinematography, stupidly handsome principals--but under the surface there's little to get or hold your attention.
The unfortunate truth is the film is rather dull.
In the Heart of the Sea clocks in at 121 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of action and peril, brief startling violence, and thematic material."
If there's one thing a movie about a boatload of hot dudes getting attacked by a giant whale should never be, it's boring; sadly, that's exactly what In the Heart of the Sea is.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, In the Heart of the Sea gets five.
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy,
Ben Whishaw, Tom Holland
Release Date: Dec
11, 2015 RealD 3D
Rated PG-13 for intense Sequences of Peril, Intense
Sequences of Action, Brief Startling Violence
and Thematic Material.
Runtime: 2 hr. 2 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
In the Heart of the Sea is a serviceable film that sadly
never achieves the epic scope it aspires to.Ron Howard, workman as always, diligently directs his film with a clear
earnestness which shines through the filming.It’s a fine looking film, occasionally bogged down by some shoddy
looking CGI, that does nearly everything we ask from our films but it just
seems to be missing something.The characters
and tension is poorly drawn with little to no depth on either end.Chris Hemsworth looks the part but his
character, the proto Ahab, isn’t very compelling or interesting.The supporting characters is a venerable
whose who of strong actors and all of them end up in thankless roles,
particularly Brendan Gleeson and Cillian Murphy.The film does perk up a bit during the
pivotal whale act which is much more thrilling than the rest of the film
combined.
