Directing: A-
Acting: A-
Writing: B+
Cinematography: B+
Editing: B+
Special effets: A

Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page biography, written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin and published in 2005, called American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. For director and co-writer Christopher Nolan to adapt a book of that length and density, it’s of little surprise that this film is a solid three hours long, and doesn’t feel like it due to its own density.

I have mixed feelings about the editing, which jumps around multiple timelines, albeit with parallel arcs—more than one detailing a hearing. In one, Oppenheimer, expertly played by Cillian Murphy, is being interrogated as someone with “leftist” and communist ties. In another, Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.) is facing a Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of Commerce, and at first it seems like he is being scrutinized for his own associations with Oppenheimer, but the dynamics of that hearing evolve over the film’s run time.

Does any of this sound like a movie that commands being shot entirely in IMAX film stock? The expansive marketing for this movie sure made it seem so, which was easy to assume to be true given Nolan’s filmography. To be clear, I was very impressed by this movie, but I did leave it at the end wondering why it was so essential that it be seen at a legit IMAX theater—which I had gone out of my way to do. I am here to tell you: it is not essential. It does look great that way, but also the vast majority of this movie is just people in rooms talking. That can be just as effective at a standard movie theater, or even, arguably, on a home entertainment system.

There are some visually awe-inspiring moments, to be fair. A great deal of time is spent building up to the test of the first-ever atom bomb, which Oppenheimer was perhaps most instrumental in inventing–that being the very reason this film exists. And, much has been made of this movie having no CGI shots in it, which is impressive indeed. The practically rendered (yet still, thankfully, not a real example of precisely what was being rendered) mushroom cloud, a giant plume of fire steadily expanding into the sky, makes a memorable sight on an IMAX screen. I had to lean forward so I could take the image in in its entirety, from the bottom of the screen past the people in rows ahead of me, to the top.

These moments, though, it really should be noted, are comparatively fleeting. Again, this is a solid three-hour film, and only a small percentage of that time is dedicated to explosions. The rest is dedicated to scientific theory, math equations, moral quandaries, a bit of philandering, and a bit of backstabbing. A memorable line: “The truly vindictive have the patience of a saint.” Having not read the biography, which in all likelihood I never will, I wondered to what extent this protracted personal rivalry between Strauss and Oppenheimer was invented, or embellished, for cinema.

I can say this much: seeing Robert Downey Jr. as any character besides Iron Man is truly a breath of fresh air. The man is 58 years old and he actually looks his age in this movie, something that hasn’t happened in so long, it took me multiple scenes before I even realized it was him I was looking at. Plus, he’s finally been given a role that showcases his genuine talent for the first time in about fifteen years.

Cillian Murphy may be the clear star of this cast, but it’s still a huge ensemble, packed with one recognizable face after the other: Matt Damon (also excellent) as General Leslie Groves; Alden Ehrenreich as a Senate aide; Kenneth Branagh as Danish physicist Niels Bohr; Josh Hartnett as nuclear physicist Ernest Lawrence; Matthew Modine as science administrator Vannevar Bush; Benny Safdie as theoretical physicist Edward Teller; Casey Affleck as military intelligence officer Boris Pash; Dane DeHaan as civil engineer Kenneth Nichols; David Krumholtz as physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi; and Rami Malek as an aide whose testimony provides a critical plot turn. (Malek appears in two scenes with no dialogue at all first, and only later gets the pivotal scene with actual lines.) That’s just a liberal sampling, and doesn’t even mention the only two female parts with any substantiveness: Emily Blunt, excellent in a part that’s easy to feel ambivalent about, as Oppenheimer’s alcoholic wife, Kitty; and Florence Pugh as Jean, Oppenheimer’s mentally unstable mistress. Pugh in particular is kind of wasted here, barely recognizable in a minor role that does nothing whatsoever to showcase her ample talents.

All of these people populate multiple interwoven, cross-cutting narrative threads, and that they are edited together with coherence is an impressive achievement, a big part of what makes the film move along at a steady clip in spite of its length. Oppenheimer is getting astoundingly positive reviews, will likely be on a ton of “best of the year” lists, and all but guaranteed to garner a ton of Oscar nominations, perhaps more than any other film this year. None of this presents as a mystery to me; I get it. I even have a feeling that I would gain deeper appreciation for this movie by seeing it multiple times. But, I mean, who has the time!

Whether I can say I think Oppenheimer is overrated, if only slightly, is something only time can tell. I really enjoyed it, and many others clearly have as well. There’s certainly something to be said for the consistency with which Christopher Nolan can make original films, that are not sequels or reboots or part of broad IP, legitimate event movies. The man is in a class of his own, particularly among filmmakers of his generation.

I still feel compelled to reiterate this film not especially worth the premium pricing of the IMAX experience. It’s great on a big screen, but is likely just as much so in a standard movie theater. I’d have felt my money were better spent seeing this using my AMC subscription rather than shelling out an extra $21 for it.

*Sure it’s illuminating, but is it worth a special trip?*

Overall: B+