🍿71: Oppenheimer

This week: A word (and vote) on Barbenheimer and the biggest explosion in movie history 💥

“Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines.”

~ Dr. Strangelove, 1964

Barbenheimer…

A friend asked the other day: “Will you be reviewing Barbie for Salty Popcorn?”

When I replied that it doesn’t quite fit SP’s readership, they asked why. Since then, I’ve been trying to think of how I can articulate what it is about Oppenheimer and Barbie that makes one of them right — and the other not quite right — for SP, without sounding like just another film snob.

I saw Barbie at the weekend, and like a lot of people, I went to see Oppenheimer a few hours later. Both are great films, but there’s only one that works for this newsletter — especially when I have to choose one or the other.

It’s the same reason why Marvel films don’t feature on SP. The big Hollywood blockbusters are entertaining, but formulaic stories at best. At worst, they’re over-hyped and farfetched CGI joyrides. And most of the time, I don’t enjoy them.

What I do enjoy are films that tell original stories, or tell stories in an original way. I like to be surprised by plots and be shown new perspectives. I like watching great actors embody the characters they portray. I like to marvel at the craft of great filmmakers. And, more than anything else, I like to be moved.

I enjoyed Barbie, but I can’t say it completely ticks off any of those boxes. That’s not to say every film has to be a cinematic masterpiece for it to be “good”, because Barbie is more than just good. But it’s still a pretty typical blockbuster. It’s funny, but it’s not that original. It has an important message, but it’s not moving. And while Greta Gerwig is a brilliant filmmaker, I’d rather rewatch Lady Bird.

Oppenheimer on the other hand is a drama that carries gravitas and explores the stories of much more complex characters. And, as a newsletter that celebrates and explores cinema, Oppenheimer is the more cinematic film of the two. It just is.

Still, I’m interested to know which film you either preferred, or are most excited to see. So let us know by casting your vote below.

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Now for the headlines:

• Having made $155.5m and $80.5m respectively, Barbie and Oppenheimer made the fourth-biggest box office opening in US history. Read more.

• Following the success of Barbie, toymaker Mattel is working on a Barney movie. And, once again, they’re promising it won’t be what you expect. Read more.

• Meanwhile, rumours are circulating that Alex Garland and Danny Boyle are working on a sequel to 28 Days Later. Cillian Murphy has already expressed his interest in being involved. Read more.

• The indy action-drama Sound of Freedom has taken the North American box office by storm, making $125m (from a $14.5m budget) and is set for international release. Read more.

• And finally, Paramount’s co-president revealed that Paul Mescal taking off his shirt in ‘A Street Car Named Desire’ was the deciding moment for casting him in The Gladiator sequel. Read more.

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Upcoming Releases

The Exorcist Believer

UK: 13 October // USA: 13 October

If any more proof was needed that Hollywood is scraping every IP for a new movie, here’s a sequel being released 50 years after the first film. This time, however, it’s double trouble as two parents seek help when their respective daughters show signs of demonic possession.

Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose

UK: 1 September // USA: 1 September

Don’t let the title fool you, this is not a children’s film. Based on a supposedly true story, Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose is a curious and quirky dark comedy. Nandor Fodor (Simon Pegg) was a real person and the case of the talking mongoose has its own Wikipedia page.

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Fact of the week

This week, we had planned to talk about how Greta Gerwig caused a global shortage of pink pigment while making Barbie, but that’s been reported a lot already. And the 2005 news story accusing Christopher Nolan’s brother, Matthew Nolan, of being a hitman — with the alias “Oppenheimer” — is doing the rounds again.

So rather than tell you something you might already know, let’s talk about explosions.

While Nolan wasn’t given the go-ahead to detonate an atom bomb on the set of Oppenheimer, he did blow an actual bomb in favour of using CGI — it just wasn’t a nuke. It also wasn’t the biggest explosion in cinema, that accolade was given to Spectre, which holds the Guinness World Record for having the biggest explosion in film. The stunt used 2223 gallons of fuel and 72lbs of explosives, and was all captured in one take. Here’s the scene:

If you’ve seen Oppenheimer already, you may well agree that despite this being the biggest movie explosion, it’s nowhere near as climactic as that of Nolan’s Trinity Test — another reason why some films are just better.

But, for all you wannabe pyrotechnics, here’s how the Bond production team pulled it off.

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Review: Oppenheimer

Star rating:

5 (out of 5)

Where to watch: 

USA: Only in cinemas

UK: Only in cinemas

Runtime:

3hr

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Blurb: 

Christopher Nolan’s first biopic centres on J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). Known as ‘The Father of the Atom Bomb’, Oppenheimer’s work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as he and his team witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, changing the course of history, forever.

The review (NO spoilers):

While Oppenheimer is not the kind of explosive thriller we’ve come to expect from Christopher Nolan, this dialogue-driven drama still matches the pace of his previous work. It’s nothing like Inception, Tenet, or even Dunkirk, and yet it is entirely a Nolan film.

Nolan has employed many of his signature trademarks, including nonlinear storytelling, practical effects, large format cinematography (and conflicted men in suits) to create a work that’s instantly recognisable as his own. And while he may have moved in a direction different from his previous films, Oppenheimer does not disappoint.

The score, written by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (who won an Oscar for his work on Black Panther) is just as epic as the story being told. But aside from the music itself, the general use of sound works to incredible effect. It doesn’t just set the tone, it puts you in Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) head.

This only adds to the film’s suspense and gravitas, because there is a ton of emotional weight here. In fact, the inspiration for this film comes from the very fact that Oppenheimer’s team couldn’t eliminate the possibility that a nuclear explosion could end the world (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s in the trailer). You feel that weight when watching the scene. Despite humanity still existing today — almost 80 years later — it does feel like the moment that could end it all.

Something should also be said of Robert Downey Jr., who plays a bigger role (as Lewis Strauss) than I expected. While there’s no doubt that Murphy will be getting most of the praise for his portrayal of Oppenheimer, I felt Downey Jr.’s performance outshone that of his co-stars. I’m absolutely certain he’ll be nominated for Best Supporting Actor in next year’s Oscars — and I’ve got a feeling he’ll win.

Scroll down to see what’s in the next issue.

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If you liked Oppenheimer…

The Imitation Game

2014 | UK: Netflix // USA: Netflix

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, The Imitation Game also follows the efforts of a genius mind racing to invent a machine that will aid the war effort against Hitler.

It doesn’t quite hold the same cinematic weight as Oppenheimer, but it’s still a good story about an incredible man who was greatly underappreciated in his own time.

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In the next issue:

Talk To Me

UK: 28 July // USA: 28 July | Watch the Trailer

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