54143: Oppenheimer

The "Demon Core" was a small sphere of plutonium. It wasn't much to look at, just a round, smooth lump of metal. But when handled improperly, it became lethal, killing two men in two separate incidents during the Manhattan Project. It's funny how such a seemingly anodyne thing can harbor such danger and power. I found Oppenheimer, much like the Demon Core, to be surprisingly powerful, and I am grateful that I was able to see it on the big screen.

I will admit to a certain indifference toward Christopher Nolan's films. While they are always a thrilling ride, he has a tendency toward pedantry that makes repeated viewings something of a chore. Once you've seen Inception, for instance, all the scenes of patient explanation of the technology are kind of boring. His films are often built around intricate, thrilling plots within the narrative, and while they provide great tension and dynamism, the holes can become distracting once you re-visit the films. However, Oppenheimer took those weaknesses and turned them into strengths. Of course the film is pedantic. It tells the story of an arrogant genius who reinvented our universe and spent his entire life telling people how and why they were so wrong about the way they saw the world. Weird how Nolan was able to tap into that energy, huh?

On the other hand, Oppenheimer tells the story of one of the world's biggest and most unbelievable conspiracies: the construction of the atomic bomb. Despite the fact that so many of the characters in this tale are huge nerds, and that you've gotta be a pretty poor student of history to not know how it turned out, this story is exciting and tense and thoroughly enjoyable. And, unsurprisingly, these real-world events hang together in a narrative that actually makes sense. Kudos to Nolan for overseeing this venture, and for "encouraging" audiences to come back to the cinema for it. Like all his films, it's a spectacle, and benefits from a spectacular setting.

Oppenheimer is not without its problems, of course. As with any Nolan film, it did run long. He gives his scenes plenty of room to breathe when, perhaps, a little less oxygen is in order. His treatment of women is a bit thin, though less so than in some of his earlier works. Overall, Oppenheimer is a great film, powered by Nolan's adept understanding of the craft. Much like the real Oppenheimer, Nolan relies on his own exacting (controlling?) nature to carefully construct this film, like the physicists and engineers gingerly building bombs around plutonium cores in the New Mexico desert 80 years ago.