Oppenheimer (2023) - Nolan treats aficionados of history, politics, science - and cinema

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Cillian Murphy as the titular haunted nuclear physicist before his horrific invention on this fiery poster for Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

 

J. Robert Oppenheimer studied nuclear physics in Europe before planting the new scientific discipline in America. With WWII underway and the nuclear race on to create the mightiest bomb the world had ever seen, the US government instructed him to invent and make them said weapon first.

 

Oppenheimer is written, co-produced and directed by English master filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Following (1998)), whose 12th feature it is. It is based on the real life Oppenheimer and the biography American Prometheus (2005) by Kai Bird (The Outlier (2021)) and Martin J. Sherwin (Gambling with Armageddon (2020)).

The film tells the awe-inspiring tale of the creation of the atomic bombs that ravaged Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, effectively ending the last open tangent of the war, forcing the Japanese to surrender. It is focused on the scientific race, the many strong and opinionated minds involved; in the personal costs for Oppenheimer and his family for the 'greater cause', the mammoth undertaking and the haunting and world-changing result of all their efforts. A large portion of the film is also dedicated to understanding the detrimental aftermath of the invention and specifically the way in which the overwhelmingly leftist (Socialist and Communist) scientists became chains around Oppenheimer's feet in the following Cold War era.

Cillian Murphy (The Party (2017)) does a bang-up job as Oppenheimer, appearing emaciated and troubled, apparently lost in the role. Robert Downey Jr. (Wonder Boys (2000)) gives arguably the best performance of his career SPOILER as the chameleon-like admiral Lewis Strauss, a formidable portrayal of a paradoxical, vindictive man. The cast is a very long chain of notable talents, as most every actor in the world today dreams of working with Nolan. Especially worth highlighting are Benny Safdie (Good Time (2017)), Josh Hartnett (Inherit the Viper (2019)) and Tom Conti (StreetDance 2 (2012)) in the very small but pivotal role as Albert Einstein. Excellence is all around, and the film is also a thrilling work from a production standpoint, and the 70 mm IMAX color and B/W (the latter is a first) photography (by Hoyte Van Hoytema (Spectre (2015))) is uniquely cinematic. The film is gorgeous and piercing. 

The story is told in appropriate epic length with only appropriate flourishes, and the perspectives of the bomb in 1945 as well as today reverberate clearly for all who see Oppenheimer. It is a frightful (but great) historical and biographical film.  

 

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Interstellar (2014) - Nolan heads to space in opulent, exciting epic
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) or, Batman and the Storm, Darkness, Anarchy, Evil, Depression
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Inception (2010) - Nolan's best is a grand piece of action sci-fi, perfectly awesome nonsense 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight (2008) - Nolan's best Batman 

The Prestige (2006) - Nolan's overrated magician picture 
Batman Begins (2005) or, Modern, Dark, Smooth Batman 
Memento (2000) - Nolan's overrated amnesia mindfuck   
Following (1998) - Nolan's ineffectual debut

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 400.3 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say (but already a big hit)

[Oppenheimer premiered 11 July (Paris) and runs 180 minutes. Nolan shopped his Oppenheimer script around to the big Hollywood studios due to his split from Warner Bros. after his anger at their streaming strategy for films during the China Virus pandemic, hurting the release of his Tenet (2020). Universal Pictures gave him an extraordinary deal that he took: A 100 mil. $ budget, another 100 mil. $ for the marketing of the finished film, a 90-120 day exclusive theatrical release 'window', a three week space before and after the film with no films released from the company, and a 20 % first-dollar gross payment. The film's 3 biggest name stars Matt Damon (All the Pretty Horses (2000)), Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt (Jungle Cruise (2021)) all accepted 4 mil. $ salaries and undisclosed back-end percentage deals. Shooting took place from September 2022 - February 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland, New Mexico, California, including in Los Angeles, and in New Jersey. The film's release alongside new offering Barbie inspired a viral social media meme, 'Barbenheimer', which increased interest for both films: Oppenheimer opened #2, behind Barbie, to a 82.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it still ranks #2 in its 2nd weekend and has grossed 174 mil. $ at time of publishing. The film has yet to open in 5 markets in August, including South Korea, Italy and China. IMDb's users have rated the film in at #28 on the site's Top 250 list, sitting between Life Is Beautiful (1997) and The Green Mile (1999). Nolan does not have his next film announced yet. Murphy returns in Small Things Like These. Oppenheimer is certified fresh at 94 % with a 8.60/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Oppenheimer? 

Frida (2002) - Hayek, Molina shine in Taymor's excellent biopic

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+ Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Biopic of the Year + Best Poster of the Year + Breakthrough of the Year: Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek looks stunning on this invitingly colored and balanced poster for Julie Taymor's Frida, which mirrors the painting style of the title character

During the first half of the 20th century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is made an invalid in a bus accident at age 18, meets the love of her life, the unfaithful Diego, and becomes a great artist.

Frida is written by Clancy Sigal (In Love and War (1996)), Diane Lake, Gregory Nava (Selena (1997)) and Anna Thomas (The End of August (1981)), based on the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo (1983) by Hayden Herrera, and directed by great Massachuetts-born filmmaker Julie Taymor (Titus (1999)).
It is a sensually dense, bubbling, inspired film with fantastic photography by Rodrigo Prieto (A Study in Gravity (2013)). It is impressively staged and scored with wonderful, often painful music by Elliot Goldenthal (Heat (1995)).
Centrally stands two major dramatic performances: Salma Hayek (No One Writes to the Colonel/El Coronel no Tiene quien le Escriba (1999)) arguably in the best role of her career, and Alfred Molina (Return to Zero (2014)), perhaps also in his best. Kahlo's art is utilized most inventively in the storytelling of Frida. It is a splendid film.

 

Related post:

 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 12 mil. $
Box office: 56.2 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.68 times its cost)
[Frida premiered 29 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 123 minutes. Herrera's book was optioned in 1988, and the film was thus underway for more than a decade, before it reached fruition. Molina gained 35 pounds for his role in the film. Shooting took place in Mexico, including Mexico City, in and around March 2001. The film opened #31 to a 205k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 794 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 25.8 mil. $ (45.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 6 mil. $ (10.7 %) and Mexico with 3.5 mil. $ (6.2 %). The film was nominated for 6 Oscars, winning 2, for Best Score and Makeup. It lost Best Actress to Nicole Kidman in The Hours, Art/set Direction to Chicago, Costume Design to Chicago, and Song (Burn It Blue by Goldenthal and Taymor) to Lose Yourself from 8 Mile. The film also won 1/2 Golden Globe nominations, 1/4 BAFTAs, an AFI award, a National Board of Review award and many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal to its rating here. During the #MeToo hullaballoo, Hayek came forth in 2017 and accused distributing executive producer Harvey Weinstein of trying to get sexual favors from her during production of Frida, as well as pressuring her into accepting performing in a 'gratuitous' sex scene. Taymor returned with Across the Universe (2007)). Hayek returned in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Molina in Undertaking Betty/Plots with a View (2002). Frida is certified fresh at 75 % with a 6.87/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Frida?

Ed Wood (1994) - Burton's sticky biopic with strenuous Depp

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This attractive poster for Tim Burton's Ed Wood lacks its priceless (but essentially ridiculing) American tagline: 'Movies were his passion. Women were his inspiration. Angora sweaters were his weakness.'

QUICK REVIEW:

Ed Wood (Glen or Glenda (1953)) was the world's arguably worst filmmaker, who wrote, directed, often also acted in, produced and edited some rather incredible films in the 1950s and 1960s, while befriending ailing horror movie icon Bela Lugosi (Dracula (1931)).

As a tribute to someone recognized as the worst filmmaker ever, (although he hardly was, in fact, because his films do have something infectious and human to them), I suppose it is really almost fitting that master filmmaker Tim Burton (Batman Returns (1992)) has made a sub-par biopic about him.
Ed Wood does have some good elements: Martin Landau (Edtv (1999)) is eminent as Lugosi, a deservedly Oscar-winning performance. SPOILER The fight with the plastic octopus and the baptism scene with Bill Murray (The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)) are also fun. 
But apart from these things, Ed Wood is a sticky, melodramatic, pathetic plate of dribble. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski's (The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), both) script, based on Rudolph Grey's Wood biography Nightmares of Ecstasy (1992), certainly carries its share of the blame. The biggest problem, though, must be Johnny Depp (The Rum Diary (2011)), who is awful in the title role, treading water throughout with an accent as irksome as the strange grimace he insists on carrying throughout. 
Most of the scenes of Ed Wood are simply too shallow and light-weight. Burton loves society's outsiders, and as such Wood should have been a prime source of material for him, but this one regrettably doesn't work.

Related poss:

Tim Burton: Dark Shadows (2012) - Fun, flamboyant vampire romp is a celebration of culture
Corpse Bride (2005) - Impressive, loud, hollow, dark doll fairytale 

1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

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Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters
Batman (1989) - A huge, glitzy, empty joker
Beetle Juice (1988) - Burton and team serve one of the best horror comedies ever  

Here's a teaser for the film, ripped from a VHS

Cost: 18 mil. $
Box office: 5.8 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertainty (likely at least a big flop)
[Ed Wood premiered September 23 (New York Film Festival) and runs 127 minutes. Alexander and Karaszewski devised the script after being tired of writing family movies, and Michael Lehmann was supposed to direct. Other obligations brought Burton to the project, who was a Wood fan. Columbia set the project in turnaround, because Burton insisted on shooting it in B/W. It was picked up by Disney, who gave Burton, who took no salary for the film, his budget and total creative freedom. The film was shot in 72 days in and around LA. Burton worked with Howard Shore on the score, after he had fallen out with his regular composer Danny Elfman during Batman Returns. Ed Wood contains several inaccuracies concerning Lugosi, Wood's relationship with Dolores Fuller and time distortions, (read about them here.) The film opened wide (in just 623 theaters) #9 to a 1.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America. 357k paid admission in France and Spain, but other than that, world numbers aren't known, and so its theatrical status cannot be made up, although it was almost certainly at least a big flop. Ed Wood was shown in competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, where it lost to Emir Kusturica's great Underground. Landau won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and the film also won the Best Makeup Oscar. At the Golden Globes, Depp and Landau were nominated, with Landau winning. Ed Wood is certified fresh at 92 % with an 8 average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ed Wood?

Trumbo (2015) - Good actors and a thrilling true story make this biopic work

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Bryan Cranston looks dejectedly if stern out over his typewriter on the poster for Jay Roach's Trumbo

QUICK REVIEW:

Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Roman Holiday (1953)) gets into trouble due to his Communist ideals in post WWII America, where a fear-fueled distrustfulness also sweep movie workers, who get blacklisted by the hundreds.

Trumbo, arguably one of the great screenwriters of all time, has a personal story that merits a movie, and great New Mexican filmmaker Jay Roach (Meet the Parents (2000)) has made a good film on this basis here.
At the center is Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad (2008-13)), who fills out the title role very well. Helen Mirren (The Prince of Egypt (1998)) is rather the heavy of the film as slanderous society journalist Hedda Hoopper, and Diane Lane (Jumper (2008)) is good as Trumbo's more than a little wonderful wife Cleo. Roger Bart (Hostel: Part II (2007)) is great as Trumbo's faltering agent, and John Goodman (Monsters, Inc. (2001)) provides some of the film's fun as a Poverty Row producer, who among other things wants the master screenwriter to produce a 'gorilla movie' script. His role is reminiscent of his Hollywood producer part in Argo (2012). Here he is well partnered with the also funny Stephen Root (Selma (2014)).
As part of the film's plot, super stars of the time John Wayne (The Searchers (1956)), Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar (1931)) and Kirk Douglas (Spartacus (1960)) figure prominently in the film. David James Elliott (Mad Men (2014), TV-series), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man (2009)) and Dean O'Gorman (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)), who play the respective parts, can't be blamed, but if one is familiar with the larger-than-life people they play, then it is hard to imagine that they are them.
TV writer John McNamara (Aquarius (2015-16)) has written the screenplay, adapted from the late Bruce Alexander Cook's (The Beat Generation (1971)) Dalton Trumbo (1977). While the film at times moves forward in a bit of a pedestrian fashion, it also carries many good cards on its hand. It shines a light on a dismal time in American history, in which personal freedom was under attack by fearful and hysterical Americans. - A part of history that is also relevant to us as a reminder today of the liberties that we hold sacred, and that we don't risk crushing them in our quest for the best and safest world possible.
It is reported online that Trumbo's making Robinson name names for the HUAC hearings is falsification. If this is really so, then it is a serious blemish on an otherwise good film, for it is unacceptable to tarnish one formidable star's name in the process of reestablishing another's.

Related review:

Jay Roach: Dinner for Schmucks/Dinner with Schmucks (2010) - Carell carries Roach's flawed but utterly hilarious comedy

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 8.1 mil. $
= Huge flop
[Trumbo premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and had its American release in November. The film received mixed reviews with Armond White of National Review criticizing its "whitewashing the dark history of communist ideologies." However, as a non-communist myself, I don't think that Trumbo needed to portray that dark history, as it wasn't its story really. Cranston is nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Trumbo. The film has grossed 7.7 mil. $ (95 % of the total gross) in North America, with the 2nd and 3rd biggest markets being the UK with 0.2 mil. $ (2.5 %) and Brazil with 0.1 mil. $ (1.2 %). The film has only been released in 8 countries outside of North America. Trumbo is fresh at 73 % with a 6.6 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Trumbo?