Oppenheimer

[chips666]

For three hours filled with mostly people talking, I was bored ...

 

[Timcognito]

Just got out of the cinema and boy I'm so glad it's over. Overall, I'm not buying it. Some "hot takes"!

• The novel "mysticism" of quantum physics and then nuclear research, the wonder and awe associated with these topics fell flat for me because there was not enough depth. I absolutely loved the visualizations of atoms and energy waves, and how Oppenheimer was obsessing over those…but it never was truly fleshed out and disappeared after the first act.
• Character development and inter-character conflict were done poorly I thought. IMHO Nolan doesn't know how to portray human emotions*. It's all seen through binoculars or a microscope in his movies. You never feel you're actually close to the human being. Even the most emotional moments and subjective reality scenes felt dishonest.
• Political drama felt heavy handed and cheesy at times. I'd rather watch Oliver Stone, he captures these complexities with grit and way more passion.
• The film is too long and the structure is unnecessarily complicated. I think the whole black-and-white storyline could have been cut out because its conclusion was super cheesy.
• Why was it shot in IMAX? Definitely not for the visual appeal, the film has very little spectacle in it. And despite the technique, I thought the test scene was less impactful than let's say the oil rig explosion in "There will be Blood".
• I loved some performances (Florence Pugh, Casey Affleck) but also felt that many actors played themselves or brought too much flavor from their previous work (Cillian Murphy [although he did his best]; Ben Affleck Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. were pretty unwatchable with their signature smirks).
• I did not enjoy the music and its direction. Music itself was disjointed and without character. And the direction…I felt annoyed and kind of insulted that almost every second of the movie was filled with music telling me how to feel.
• Thankfully dialogue mix was not as bad as in "Tenet".

All in all, it felt like a waste of a big budget and talent pool. It felt like a huge, late baroque painting -- copying styles and themes of the old masters, attempting to show everything and from every angle, but ultimately hollow and shouty. Such a story could have been done in a much more intimate manner. I don't think Nolan has the self-awareness to learn how to get "closer" to humans in his movies…so I hope he goes back to making action or sci-fi films.

* One memorable exception is McConaughey in "Interstellar", although I believe that happened despite Nolan and because of McConaughey's skill and style.

Thanks I'll wait for streaming. Also liked Intersteller, not to be missed by scifi fans with a great soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

 

[Andysu]

For three hours filled with mostly people talking, I was bored ...

i guess all the dialog is centre channel and no dialog pans or even directional dialog panning , i rather watch 3hrs of its mad mad world , at least the dialog moves with the performers or is heard with group in wide angle scene heard from , left to right centre to centre to left centre to right
i get bit restless with nolan movies , the director hasn't discovered gravity even that takes directional dialog in atmos ( only movie of of its kind in ten no years ) way beyond for 90mins way better than oppie

also i was bored with godfather 3 when it opened 1990 , running time less than , dances with wolves , which had few dialog panning and john barry score way better , the only
thing woke me up godfather 3 was the helicopters attacking the gangsters , watched once more vhs rental 1991 not seen since
it does arrive laserdisc AC-3 THX , soon as want to try a THX experiment with it

 

[Joe Smith]

I'm really looking forward to it. (Still.) Nolan has a definite style, I'm expecting this to be not just a straight biopic but something more...

 

[Pe8er]

Thanks I'll wait for streaming. Also liked Intersteller, not to be missed by scifi fans with a great soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

Loved it too. I found Interstellar huge, imaginative and full of realistic people struggling in extraordinary yet intimate situations. The scene where Cooper finally leaves the house for the launch, drives his truck and picks up the rug on the passenger's seat, hoping that Murph is there, along with the crushing crescendo of the music, always makes me cry.

 

[Dialectic]

well, the non-CGI nuke wasn't cheap fo' sure

Did they do an actual nuclear test?

A non-CGI re-creation of the Trinity test was done before, in a film starring the great Dwight Schultz as Oppenheimer.

Fat Man and Little Boy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I didn't think the earlier movie was that bad, although Dwight Schultz was better as Ensign Barclay.

 

[Pe8er]

Did they do an actual nuclear test?

Looks like they didn't:

Van Hoytema says, “We created science experiments. We built aquariums with power in it. We dropped silver particles in it. We had molded metallic balloons which were lit up from the inside. We had things slamming and smashing into one another such as ping-pong balls, or just had objects spinning.”

“We had long shutter speeds, short shutter speeds, wide negative color, negative overexposure, underexposure. It was like a giant playground for all of us,” the D.P. recalls.

How van Hoytema and the team actually pulled off the jaw-droppingly spectacular moment remains a mystery. With each experiment, Nolan and van Hoytema would look at how the combination came across on screen.

“The Trinty Test was something that came together and was cobbled from the miniatures of that science experiment, under the guidance of Chris and my guidance, that we pushed slowly in certain directions in order to serve specific functions in these sequences,” is all he can say.

How ‘Oppenheimer’ Pulled Off an Atomic Bomb Explosion Without CGI: A Giant Aquarium, Balloons and More

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema on how he and Christopher Nolan pulled off the Trinity Test sequence.

variety.com

 

[JustJones]

Missed blooper on the cutting floor.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/entertainment/oppenheimer-flag-mistake-intl-scli/index.html

 

[mhardy6647]

Huge Nolan fan here, with the exception of Tenet. He reached too far there and between the insane sound mixing and story, it wasn't enjoyable. On to Oppenheimer, I thought it was really well done. The sound mix wasn't bad to my ears, I've heard lots of people complaining but it wasn't like Dunkirk, Tenet or even Dark Knight Rises where it was unintelligible at times. I think there are viewers who would prefer not to have the constant soundtrack going throughout the film but if you want to give a 3 hour movie pacing, this is a way to achieve it; I was okay with directorial decision there.

The casting is tremendous and they all give top performances. For three hours filled with mostly people talking, I was never bored or even came close to it. I avoided trailers and promos for the movie since I like to go into my blockbuster films with a clean slate. Because of that I don't know how to respond to criticism of trailers/marketing not lining up with the actual film itself.

I watched it on a 70mm film projection screen (not the 70mm IMAX) and hearing the projector wheel spin in the back of the theater was really nostalgic. The picture quality was phenomenal, colors were graded really well. If you have a chance to see it on 70mm it is worth it. I almost went digital IMAX but glad I went with the film screening.

A cool memento was given out to the 70mm viewers on opening night:
View attachment 301534

That is cool.

 

[Andysu]

pyrotechnics comes to mind , of course a real one wasn't otherwise the movie will major bomb at the box office no one will put up with that
just look at how it was done with stock footage and other footage and figure it out and once figured out has to be filmed at high speed cameras so captures all the detail and can be later slowed down , otherwise its so sudden

how its depicted in , shadow makers for little over 1 min until low end of it all settles down to silence then slow eerie crowd applauding in low level then looking at two men general and oppie and face expression , one shows maybe relief or maybe regret as now the military owns that weapon to do as they please with it

the nutcracker suite builds up the tension in THX sound system

 

[RayDunzl]

I'll watch the film someday.

I'll suggest a read for those interested:

The Making of the Atomic Bomb, by Richard Rhodes.

There's a continuation of sorts, Dark Sun, looking at the thermonuclear bomb, but I didn't find it as compelling.

 

[ta240]

• The film is too long and the structure is unnecessarily complicated.

That is how you tell that is is a Nolan film. A bit like Nyquil was served on the set.

... dunkrik was dreadful muffled mumbling dialog

Made even worse by the fact that the actual event was an amazing evacuation that should have been impossible. People overcoming huge odds and the bravery of the French soldiers making a final stand.

 

[Andysu]

That is how you tell that is is a Nolan film. A bit like Nyquil was served on the set.


Made even worse by the fact that the actual event was an amazing evacuation that should have been impossible. People overcoming huge odds and the bravery of the French soldiers making a final stand.

english channel is few miles 15 mins down the road , sound of ocean in that movie sounded nothing like english channel didn't sound nothing like it , been out on boat in no decades ago and the sound mix again dreadful didn't immerse me in sound of the ocean , not played that 4k again since it was released 2018

sound of ocean on headphones may sound sort of realistic but hardly immersive which is just a dolby labs marketing word to trick and fool masses into thinking its actual acoustical life like , its sort of near but simple the sound is placed in wrong mixing positions of where typical LCR or surrounds are placed on sidewall/back , doesn't fool me , actually its frustratingly depressing to listen to , that's my take on it , dolby labs there wrong , oh , it was delivery released in dtshdma to bs with its a studio master , tissue of lies its a near field mix

 

[restorer-john]

I'd rather see Barbie. Margot Robbie is a local Gold Coast girl, went to school around the corner and her mum and my partner are old friends and colleagues.

 

[Andysu]

I'd rather see Barbie. Margot Robbie is a local Gold Coast girl, went to school around the corner and her mum and my partner are old friends and colleagues.

well better see it to no day , it if not moved into smaller screen atlossmoss no atmos otherwise queensland event cinemas , catch it will still in dolby pinkmos

 

[restorer-john]

well better see it to no day , it if not moved into smaller screen atlossmoss no atmos otherwise queensland event cinemas , catch it will still in dolby pinkmos

My local cinema times for Barbie:

 

[JSmith]

I'd rather see Barbie.

Don't drive to the cinema though in any cars made by VAG...


JSmith

 

[mhardy6647]

There's a continuation of sorts, Dark Sun, looking at the thermonuclear bomb, but I didn't find it as compelling.

Ditto, FWIW. The Making of the Atomic Bomb is superb but I found the H-bomb sequel way less interesting.

 

[Andysu]

My local cinema times for Barbie:

View attachment 301566

i nominate you see it to no day , no excuses also have to do short landscape video to prove you was there and what it sounds like be enough , there that is your audio mission assessment for to no day , as always if caught the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions , good luck resistorjohn

 

[Prana Ferox]

Teller was always the more interesting character