Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Oppenheimer review says this is a film for the ages- an explosive film that will instill reverence for the wonders of cinema.

About fifteen minutes into Oppenheimer, I knew this would be an epic film for the ages. This is one that will be taught in advanced college classes. This is one that will win many awards for 2023, yes, but it will also be considered one of the best films of the decade, perhaps the century.

Director Christopher Nolan tells a story that has been told before—That of J. Robert Oppenheimer, whom most people know as “The Father of the Atomic Bomb.” But it takes a brilliant, complicated man to come up with an invention so powerful, so revelatory, and Nolan does a remarkable job of showing his many facets, which are often conflicting.

For maximum enjoyment of this deliciously layered film, read a little about Oppenheimer before you enter the theater. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy biography, like the Pulitzer Prize winning American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, upon which the movie is based.

It could be as simple as the Wikipedia entry, which, I found after perusing it, is not all that simple either. This will help you enjoy the film’s many intricate nuances, without being overly invested in keeping up with the details of the plot.

And there are many, just as you would expect from a three-hour Christopher Nolan film. Don’t let that run time intimidate you. The cinematography Hoyte van Hoytema, Ludwig Göransson’s compelling score, Jennifer Lame’s remarkable editing and the Herculean efforts of writer/director Nolan, will keep you riveted.

As will the acting. Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer, Robert Downy Jr. who is unrecognizable as “Oppie’s” colleague Lewis Strauss, Florence Pugh as his lover Jean Tatlock and Emily Blunt as his wife Kitty are shoo-ins for Oscar noms, but the work of Matt Damon, Bennie Safde, Alden Ehrenreich and Dane Dehaan should not go unnoticed either.

This is a film that requires your full attention—an exercise for the for the mind and heart, that will doubtless be followed by one of the most erudite conversations you’ve had in ages. It does everything all the best films do, it makes you feel, makes you think, makes you wonder. What more could you ask for in a movie? Even popcorn is optional.

Rated R

3 Hours

If this Oppenheimer review encourages you to hurry out to the theater, get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Oppenheimer review says this is a film for the ages- an explosive film that will instill reverence for the wonders of cinema.