The July 21st box office showdown between Oppenheimer and Barbie is easily one of the greatest things to happen to cinema in quite some time.
This summer has seen most of the big blockbusters struggle to break even financially, and news broke recently that The Flash has become one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.
Between the ongoing writer strikes and diminishing returns for multiplexes means the industry is currently in disarray, but having two of the most hotly anticipated releases of the entire year dropping on the same day gave me the feeling that cinema… might just be back.
The phenomenon that the internet has dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’ has everyone talking and reeling with excitement. These are two films aimed towards completely different demographics, yet they are still accessible to the masses and everyone has been asking, which are you going to see opening weekend? For my partner and I, we decided to do a monster back-to-back double bill on opening night. Barbenheimer here we come.
Oppenheimer:
Christopher Nolan is one of the only directors in the game right now that can sell a film on his name brand alone.
Oppenheimer has assembled one of the strongest casts ever put on screen, but the hype around this film stems from a filmmaker working at the peak of his powers.
The genius behind classics such as Interstellar, Dunkirk, Inception, and The Dark Knight Trilogy, Nolan is renowned for big blockbuster movies but maintaining a strong focus on practical set-pieces and minimal CGI influence.
For his latest, a three-hour biopic on the development of the atomic bomb, Nolan has revealed that Oppenheimer contains ZERO CGI.
Playing the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is Nolan regular Cillian Murphy, starring in his sixth collaboration with the filmmaker, but it’s his first as a leading man. It’s a role the highly talented actor deserves and one that he absolutely cherishes here, with a tour de force turn that is sure to put him right in the race for Oscar glory next year. This is an intense, at times gruelling picture, and Murphy has you in a trance throughout with his captivating turn and the level of emotion he is able to accomplish even through just his eyes is mesmerising.
This film will not be for everyone. This is a dialogue-heavy, 180-minute character study, that does not spoon-feed you any historic information that you may need to know going in. But it’s riveting viewing, with a pulsating score from Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson (Tenet, The Mandalorian) and excellent performances from a stacked cast.
Beyond Murphy in the lead, you have faultless turns from Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett, Jason Clarke and so many more. A minor criticism is the lack of screen time for female stars Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh, but they nevertheless shine and are involved in some of the most important sequences in the film.
Whilst Damon’s character occasionally provides the audience with some much-needed comedic value, the majority of the film plays out like a terrifying horror. There is a sequence in an auditorium with cheering Americans and it is Nolan’s most frightening scene to date. Then you have the Holy Trinity Test of the atomic bomb. It is truly one of the most breathtaking sequences you will see this year. Absolutely spectacular.
As was the case with Nolan’s previous film Tenet, I found that the incredible score did sometimes drown out some of the dialogue, making some moments hard to understand what they were actually saying. The final hour is mostly the aftermath of the atomic bomb and it does go on longer than I would’ve liked, but it’s never boring and the film ends with a chilling climax.
An incredible achievement from Nolan, who continues to blow me away with his near-flawless filmography. Like the bomb itself, this film bangs.
Verdict: Far from an easy watch and will be too talky for some, but this is a mature and mesmerising biopic of one of the most significant moments in history. See it on the big screen.
Best Moment: Testing the bomb
Rating: 8.5/10
Barbie
For most, this felt like a needless live-action reboot of the beloved children’s doll and a cash grab at best. But when you look deeper and realise who is behind the project, there is a lot more than meets the eye. Directed and co-written by acclaimed filmmaker Greta Gerwig, the 3-time Academy Award nominee has a lot more to say than most might think. The film not only looks at the history and impact of the iconic doll, but the screenplay from Gerwig & co-writer/ husband Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story) delves deep into current world issues of gender equality and the plight of modern society. This is far more than a simple toy come-to-life tale.
I knew very little going in, which definitely added to my enjoyment. But the simple premise is that Barbie (Margot Robbie) begins to question her perfect world of Barbieland and goes on a quest to find out the truth about her existence.
Margot Robbie provides depth and likeability to the titular role which I was not expecting. She’s hilarious throughout, but also manages to add a layer of emotion to her character and Robbie truly shines. Equally excellent is Ryan Gosling as Ken. In a role he was destined to play, Gosling once again shows off his range as a comedic actor (see also The Nice Guys & The Big Short) and his comedic timing here is perfect and he had me in hysterics throughout. I might sound insane to say it, but I can see both actors getting Oscar nominations for their turns here.
The production design is absolutely staggering too. Barbieland is colourful and inspired, so it’s refreshing in today’s era of green screens and cheap visual tricks to see a real set created and be this visually dazzling. My showing was filled with children, and whilst the writing and humour are almost all aimed at adults, you can tell they were nevertheless in awe of this toy world coming to life.
With a toe-tapping soundtrack, wonderfully choreographed dance sequences and even a Ryan Gosling solo, this is a film that leaves you with a smile on your face throughout. Despite clocking in at under 2 hours, it does feel like it could’ve been shorter, but you’re never bored and the central message of finding yourself and never giving up should resonate with us all.
Verdict: An hilarious and surprisingly deep film about gender and the world as we know it, with perfect performances from Robbie and Gosling. This will not be for everyone but I had an absolute blast.
Best Moment: “I’m Just Ken” song and dance number
Rating: 8/10
Somehow, both these films lived up to the hype. Both my screenings were sold out, pink was everywhere and there was a genuine buzz at the cinema which I had not seen for a non-superhero film in a very long time.
With rumours now circulating that studios are going to delay some of their big upcoming releases to 2024 due to the strikes, we need to savour films like these.
Two highly ambitious projects with distinct voices that are being seen and talked about all around the world.
