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Oppenheimer (2023)
Imitation Game Gone Wrong
"Oppenheimer" endeavors to shed light on the fascinating life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his involvement in the creation of the atomic bomb. While the film does have its informative moments, it falls short in various aspects, leaving audiences with mixed feelings and a sense of missed potential.
One of the film's strengths lies in its exceptional cast and great acting performances. Cillian Murphy, who portrays J. Robert Oppenheimer, delivers a commendable performance, capturing the complexities and inner conflicts of the renowned physicist. The supporting cast also shines in their respective roles, bringing life to the historical figures they portray.
Furthermore, the film's documentary-like approach provides historical context and insights into Oppenheimer's life and achievements. The incorporation of real archival footage and interviews with experts adds credibility to the narrative, making it an informative experience for those interested in the historical events and the people involved.
However, "Oppenheimer" struggles to find a balanced narrative between its documentary style and a conventional biopic format. The constant shifts between these two approaches create a disjointed viewing experience, making it difficult for the audience to fully engage with the story and its characters.
The dialogue is another critical aspect that hindered the film's potential. The high-paced, technical jargon-heavy conversations about scientific concepts might have worked for an academic audience, but for the general moviegoer, it often felt overwhelming and alienating. This made it challenging to relate to the characters, as their personal interactions and relationships were overshadowed by these technical aspects.
As a result, the character development in "Oppenheimer" suffered. Moments that were meant to be personal and emotionally impactful felt rushed and underdeveloped. The film's tendency to focus on the highlights of Oppenheimer's life rather than providing a more nuanced portrayal prevented the audience from connecting with him and other characters on a deeper level.
Furthermore, the film's soundtrack became more of a hindrance than an asset. The attempt to create tension through overwhelming and deafening noise was not worth sacrificing the viewers' comfort. Instead of enhancing the viewing experience, the excessive use of the soundtrack became a distraction that took away from the film's potential emotional impact.
Regarding the plot and historical context, "Oppenheimer" suffers from a lack of clear focus. The inclusion of both the bomb story and the persecution initiated by Strauss creates an unnecessarily lengthy and convoluted narrative. The prolonged subplot takes up a significant portion of the film, further detracting from the emotional resonance and leaving the audience wondering about the film's core message.
Additionally, the movie's handling of the aftermath of the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan is problematic. The lack of empathy and portrayal of the devastating consequences of these weapons of mass destruction is deeply disappointing. One brief, imaginary image of a burnt corpse falls short of capturing the immense human tragedy, and the film misses an opportunity to explore the ethical implications of these events.
In many ways, "Oppenheimer" feels like a missed opportunity, resembling a flawed version of "The Imitation Game." While both films deal with complex historical figures and their contributions, "Oppenheimer" struggles to strike the right balance, resulting in a fragmented and unsatisfying narrative.
In conclusion, "Oppenheimer" offers valuable historical information and, at times, feels like an educational documentary. The great cast and commendable acting performances are notable highlights. However, its failure to maintain a consistent narrative style, coupled with the overwhelming technical dialogue, underdeveloped character arcs, and problematic handling of historical events, hinder its potential to be a truly engaging and emotionally resonant biopic. For those seeking a comprehensive and immersive depiction of J. Robert Oppenheimer's life, "Oppenheimer" might leave them wanting more.
Sakasama no Patema (2013)
Misleading Hype
A friend of mine recommended the film to me, so I had quite high hopes. Especially the concept of it seemed very promising. Sadly, this basic idea about reversed gravity was about the interesting thing about the movie, except the animation and music, which were quite beautiful at times. However, depth and congruity of plot were very disapointing.
The villain is too plain, Patema's and Age's "love" rushed and over the top, Porta's too predictable - not a single character is really interesting. Congruity is violated several times, e.g. when they semi-discover the secret behind the stars; they don't even seem to care and head right back, without a plan, unarmed into the hands of the army of the villain..I mean, comon. The theory behind the setup is also merely scratched upon, barely explained, hardly congruent - wasted potential.
All in all, I really don't understand the overall score of 7.4 out of 10, the top 1000 voter's rating (6.0) seems more realistic. Since I was actually pretty annoyed by the films flaws and wasted potential, I will swim against the stream giving 4/10.