Well-crafted, it holds your attention, an all-star cast, an effective film. But, ultimately, while previous efforts may not have primarily focused on Oppenheimer, movies about the Manhattan Project-- which this film ultimately is --have been done before. There really isn't a whole lot new here, and I was surprised, at the film's conclusion, despite all of the considerable skill behind this film, that for me at least, I would probably only rate it a 6 out of 10.

One of my favorite people to read on the TMDB discussion boards, whose moniker rhymes with DVD and who has an obsession with Musing with numbers [ ;) ], has previously stated that he doesn't think he'd like this movie because it would be too "pro-Bomb", with all the attendant 'Murica! 'Murica! 'Murica! rah-rah-rahing.

Well, like him perhaps, I was looking for a film that was a bit more nuanced; sadly, this film ain't that. There is a lot of fun, excited music as we see scientists, led by Oppenheimer, busily scribbling notations as they get ever closer to developing a weapon. When it finally happens, everyone is ultimately ecstatic, complete with (literal!) flag-waving. The film does delve into, somewhat, Oppenheimer's misgivings about the Bomb, but he ultimately supports it, and at the very end of the film, when he seems to condemn himself for what he has done, it seems more tacked-on by the director, Christopher Nolan, to absolve himself from any accusations that the film is one-sided.

From a technical standpoint, the film is brilliant. An accomplished filmmaker like Nolan clearly knows his way around a camera, and how to get the best from his actors. Some will probably not like the film simply because it is extremely "talky"; there is very little in the way of action. You have to really not mind that if you are going to sit through a three-hour film. In my case, it held my interest.

I must remark on Florence Pugh's performance in this film, as the ill-fated mistress of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Jean Tatlock. I have said before, when I first saw her in 2016's Lady Macbeth, that she had all the makings of a new Kate Winslet: not only physically attractive, she is a capable actor, and is not afraid-- like Winslet --to take both large and small roles. Pugh's scenes in Oppenheimer, already oft-remarked upon in the media, are excellent. Her nudity is effective but not gratuitous.

!!! SPOILER !!!

The scene where Oppenheimer's wife, Kitty-- played by the fantastic Emily Blunt --is imagining a nude Tatlock having sex with her husband (Cillian Murphy is also nude in this scene) while he testifies about his affair with Tatlock to a room full of men, while the imaginary Tatlock STARES RIGHT AT KITTY, WITH A GRIN ON HER FACE (!!!), is one of the most cutting scenes in the entire film.

There have been many, many films throughout the years where male characters have bragged about bagging another man's wife or girlfriend, but rarely do we see such devastating scenes in film between two women. Florence Pugh is BRUTAL in her performance, and we equally feel the pain of Blunt's character. Two actresses at the top of their game.

Oppenheimer:

Superior filmmaking, but the story has been done before, and the great moral dilemma of using the Bomb is not gone into in any significant way.