I think most of you who read this blog know that I am a huge Christopher Nolan fan. I am also a big physics nerd, so this movie was basically porn for me. It did not disappoint. Not sure where I would rank this in the Nolan filmography. I think it is definitely his best work, the movie is beautiful, and practically perfect in every way. But, it is probably not a rewatchable movie. Like I could sit down and watch it again at some point, maybe when the kids are older if I wanted them to see a well-made movie (or if I need to teach them about the atomic bomb). But it is just not something you pop on some random night to watch. It is three hours long, and the movie takes an emotional toll on your body. I was sweaty from dread, anticipation, anxiety, fear, and even a little joy.
I do not want to spoil too much of the movie (spoiler alert, they manage to build a bomb!), and I went into the movie knowing a decent amount about the Manhattan Project, but not so much about the stuff that happened after with Lewis Strauss. I loved that the confirmation hearings were in black & white, while the security clearance hearing was in color, it helped distinguish the different events.
The cast was phenomenal. I could see Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. winning an Academy Award for their performances. But those were not the only great ones. Florence Pugh and Emily Blunt were both fantastic (I especially loved Blunt’s testimony scene). Matt Damon was perfect. I loved how they hid some actors, like Casey Affleck. When he interrogates Oppenheimer, and the camera slowly reveals his face, I liked that buildup. Also, his character, Boris Pash was a little terrifying. Who else? Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Conti, Benny Safdie, Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Jack Quaid,and David Krumholtz…all spectacular. Hell, we even got Matthew Modine!
I recommend seeing this movie. I do not need to tell you about how amazing the Trinity test scene is, I think you all know Christopher Nolan enough to know that he would deliver something amazing. But here is what I also recommend…
Go to this Wikipedia page and click on any of the people who worked on the Manhattan Project. Especially any of the scientists. Reading their pages can be fascinating. When people joke that this is like the Avengers for science nerds, they are not kidding. We assembled the most brilliant people alive and let them just…figure it out. Most scientists would be well-regarded for contributing one thing during the lifetime, and some of these guys, they just figured shit out. One of my favorites is John von Neumann. So yeah, take a minute and read about some of these people.
