Recently Seen Movie #13 - Page 19

TLDR

and more joy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCpjgl2baLs

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Oppenheimer

One of my biggest fears for Oppenheimer was that it would celebrate the Manhattan Project but gloss over Oppenheimer's haunting guilt or his harrowing experiences defending his integrity during the red scare. Fortunately, the film is holistic. The entire narrative is framed around Oppenheimer, a man crushed by the weight of his accomplishments, defending himself against insidious accusations.

The result is a good movie, but not an enjoyable one. And perhaps some people genuinely appreciate Nolan or filmmaking in general who will find it enjoyable. But I doubt the average Joe can enjoy the film.

This is in no way a criticism of the film. Technically it's brilliant. Each person in the stellar ensemble cast gives a beautiful performance. Cillian Murphy, in particular, is brilliant as Oppenheimer, perfectly capturing his hubris and insecurities through various life phases. Emily Blunt's role isn't meaty, but she steals the show as Kitty, Oppenheimer's alcoholic and unstable wife. Matt Damon is formidable as Groves, Oppenheimer's commander and often sparring partner at the Manhattan Project. But the show stealer is Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss, who has wholly shed his Iron Man persona for something else.

The direction and camera work are also brilliant. The sequence of the Trinity explosion is just stunning. The way the audio goes into counterintuitive silence before the climactic booms is a stroke of genius. The portrayal of Oppenheimer's doubt through hallucinations and camera close-ups of his face is also something.

But it is also true that the entire exercise feels tedious. There is an element of thrill and exhilaration in most Nolan movies. Even the bleak retreat from Dunkirk has your heart racing - I saw it on a small screen and was enthralled. But instead of excitement or immersive experiences, every frame of Oppenheimer is filled with this vague sense of existential dread. The nonlinear and languid narrative shuttling sporadically between Oppenheimer's and Strauss' points of view creates both a sudden whiplash and a sense of slow lurching to nowhere - it's uncomfortable.

I waited for it to be over because I wasn't enjoying myself. And I think perhaps this is what Nolan intended. I don't think he wanted us to enjoy the film. I mean, think of the story. It's about the creation of the atomic bomb that has irrevocably spiraled mankind into a dark era where the threat of nuclear holocaust looms over us every second of the day. The entire purpose of this movie is to sink that in. I think Nolan intentionally built existential dread into a cinematic experience.

My only criticism was the treatment of Jean Tatlock. I completely get why she was included the way she was. The case against Oppenheimer hinged mainly on his deeply complicated and highly sexual relationship with Jean Tatlock. They both had an unhealthy hold on each other. But Jean was more than a torrid affair that shook Oppenheimer's life. She was also a brilliant mind who went to Stanford Medical School when few women studied that far. Oppenheimer was 32 and a professor at Berkley when he started his affair with Jean, a 22-year-old grad student at Berkley, albeit in a different department. She was clinically depressed and appeared to suffer from internalized homophobia, leading her to be sexually promiscuous with men to cure herself. Her peers and professors believed that she had a promising future if it wasn't cut short by her untimely suicide. I wish she had been fleshed out more. Right now, so many are reducing her to a gratuitous sex scene, which is unfair to the whole person she was.

Overall it's cool that Nolan made Oppenheimer. These are physicists like Sheldon and Leonard, and their hero Feynman has a small role.

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Unauthorized sequel

The best thing Oppenheimer unintentionally created. All hail the King. The world belongs to the King.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOO8Um_jmLI

History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man.

Barbie

*Spoilers Ahead*

Copying what I wrote to Betty.

I thought it'll be more about Barbie not about Barbie Vs Ken or Men Vs Female. I expected Barbie will have an identity crisis and will go explore the real world, and she will realize that women they just don't wake up, do makeup, act like dolls, go for jobs, and sleep, they're doing more than that in real world. They're working, struggling, fighting to be in the same job position as men and also looking after their family at the same time cause they have roles like a daughter, wife, mother etc. In the barbie world it's easy they're just waking up, doing their jobs and going back to sleep. But in real world it's totally different. The little girls who play with barbie dolls think that thier life is just like Barbie but as they grow up they realize it's not true. I wanted the Mom to share the experience of her womanhood (her childhood, her motherhood, her dreams as a woman) and not go to the Barbie land and save the barbies from the Mojo Dojo Kens 🤔

Same for Ken, I thought he will understand that he just not exist only for Barbie but he also has a role to play. I expected him to find out who he was, other than being Barbie's Ken, by himself. But they made him a villain by doing what he did in the barbie land after he returned. All that "patriarchy" part was true but I feel it doesn't go well in a movie like Barbie. The whole Barbie Vs Ken was unnecessary to me. I wanted it be more about Barbie and the mother. Also felt the movie was rushed, wanted it to be longer. First half was good, but the second half I don't know how I feel about it.

I saw mission impossible 7, nice action and suspense

So I saw Pathan. It was average. Some nice sequences and Salmans entry was fun. I’m glad I got it out of the way so I can get more spy universe films. The climax was good imho. I’d give it like 6 out of 10

Barbie

This was such a fun movie. It packaged very serious topics like patriarchy and self-identity into such a clever and hilarious package. Everything was all so quirky and whimsical - I didn't think I would ever get immersed in a pink Barbieland like this ever. The movie really highlights the paradoxes of human existence.

The cast and the acting were top-notch. Margot Robbie has come such a long way as an actor. Ryan Gosling was a hoot and a half as Ken. He played Ken's vulnerable and douchey moments so well.

I personally didn't find the movie preachy or painting men was villains. It just showed how being human is complex. Whether it is men or women, when society starts dictating your identity - people are bound to have an existential crisis.

Highly worth a watch. And I think its a fun movie that will hold up to multiple watches.

Web series counts? Recently saw Do Gubbare on jio cinema. Such a heartwarming show.

One more recommendation is Genelia's Trial Period. Waiting to watch

American born Chinese

7/10

Fun ride. I liked the mythology that was woven into the show. I really dig The Scott Pilgrim Vs The World kinda vibe the show had. The graphics could've been better. It was Star War-ish with Chewbacca like visuals and costumes. Just didn't feel it. The whole cast of EEATO with pivotal roles was nicely integrated.

No idea why Marvel fanboys were so pressed about this. This was a great watch.

I’ve been watching a lot of Empire

https://youtu.be/SmnI1VVulqU

I watched Purge and Evil Dead.

Does anyone even make good horror movies? I get excited about the genre,watch few movies based on other people's choices and end up disappointed.

Best Man Final Chapters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBKckidprks

Pure Excellence