I’m working my way through the Best Picture nominees for the Academy Awards. In full disclosure, I’m only watching as they become available for streaming. This weekend we watched Oppenheimer.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is a biographical drama regarding the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist behind the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Nolan weaves the story that explores Oppenheimer’s moral dilemmas, his own personal struggles, and the consequences of his work.
Cillian Murphy is nominated for the Best Actor Award for his brilliant portrayal of Oppenheimer. The film navigates Oppenheimer’s relationships with colleagues, his inner circle, and the broader historical context of the Manhattan Project.
Presented in the challenges of war time necessities, nonetheless, the film leaves you asking the question “what have we done?”
Oppenheimer is well deserving of the 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, Robert Downey, Jr. for his portrayal of Rear Admiral Lewis Strauss.
I’d like to see Ironman take home the prize.
Of the nominees I’ve seen so far, I’d rank them in this order.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
The Holdovers
Maestro
Barbie
I still need to see: American Fiction, The Zones of Interest, Poor Things, Past Lives, and Anatomy of a Fall. Odds are I’m not going to make it before the Awards.
Oppenheimer will probably sweep many of the categories. My personal favorite for Best Actor remains Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers.
The 96th Academy Awards will be presented on March 10, 2024 on ABC.
Available on Amazon.