Even as Hollywood is in a deadlock with the screenwriters of the Writers Guild of America & the actors union on strike to curb the influence of AI & the pay inequality in the industry, the box office was witness to some of the biggest releases of the year. To be frank, it was a rewarding feel to watch quality entertainment & that's what I felt about the two flicks that I have penned my opinion about.
Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1: "Continues to thrill as always"
The seventh installment of the hugely popular Mission Impossible series hit the screens last week & the response has been reasonably encouraging as they are expected to break even this weekend. Since it is made at a whopping cost of $300 million, the makers certainly require a sustained footfall at the theatre which unfortunately hasn't been the case for most of the other biggies that released earlier this year. To add to that Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" & Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" have released this week & that should add to the competition even more.
This project is the first of a two part series and is helmed by Chrisopher McQuarrie, a person with whom Tom Cruise has collaborated for most of his movies in the past decade or so. Incidentally, this is not Christopher's first work in this spy action series as he had called the shots in Mission Impossible-Fallout as well. Over here, he was also involved in the screenplay along with Erik Jendresen where the duo decided to focus on the havoc that AI can cause if it goes rogue. The Russians had launched their latest submarine, Sevastopol whose computer housed a high end AI for its navigation purposes. However, the AI became rogue and sabotaged the submarine before it went on to infiltrate the military and intelligence networks of many nations. As expected, the world powers were trying to figure out means to control it & the answer to that seemed to be a cruciform key to the chamber of the computer that housed the AI or otherwise known as 'the Entity'. Ethan (Tom Cruise) & his team were entrusted with the task of retrieving the key, but they knew the only solution to the problem was to destroy it. But can Ethan out-think the Entity which was a master in deception and can twist the truths such that it ceases to exist.
It is undoubtedly an engaging story and keeps us hooked to the plot, not to mention the jaw dropping action sequences which has always been the USP of this series. I presume most of you would have seen the behind the scenes of the stunt done at the Alps which was just sensational to say the least. All the technical aspects are top notch be it Fraser Taggart's cinematography, Lorne Balfe's music etc. Coming to performances, Tom Cruise has always been the heart and soul of this franchise and he continues to push the envelope with his charismatic screen presence and awe inspiring stunts. Even the rest of the cast such as Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson etc. have also done their parts admirably
Verdict: For people who might not be fans of the franchise, it will seem like the usual formula of exhilarating action packed in a thriller mode. It is indeed that, but if it has to go strong even after seven installments then obviously the makers are doing something right to appeal to the audience. In short, do check it out!!!
Rating: 3.5/5
Oppenheimer: "BRILLIANT"!!!
For a self confessed fan of Christopher Nolan & as a movie aficionado who also loves historical biographies, "Oppenheimer" is a movie that I have been eagerly waiting like million others ever since it was announced. Based on 'American Prometheus' by Kai Bird & Martin Sherwin, it is about the life of Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who was the director of the Los Alamos laboratory during WWII that led to the development of the nuclear weapons and hence credited as the 'father of the atom bomb'.
Nolan had also worked on the screenplay and he chose to narrate the story alternating between colour and black and white whereby Oppenhiemer's subjective version was chosen for the former. In typical Nolan style, we are introduced to two different timelines with one section focusing on the politically motivated security clearance drama that unfolded in 1954 to crucify Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) & the other in 1959 at the Senate meeting convened to confirm the elevation of Admiral Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr), the former US Atomic Energy Commission to the cabinet. Through each section we are introduced to the various events that unfolded in his life beginning with his career at Cambridge, development of the atom bomb, the Trinity blast, aftermath of the devastation unfurled at Hiroshima & Nagasaki & the witch hunt to paint him a traitor in a kangaroo court. Essentially, the price that Oppenheimer had to pay for what he had created.
Unlike what most people would have expected, the focus is not on the visual depiction of the massacre that unfolded in Japan but rather the drama that unfolds & the discussions that happen between the greatest intellectual minds of that time. Einstein appears only in a couple of sequences but boy, the impact that he creates is something that we would have least expected early on. At the heart of all this, it is essentially about the greed for power irrespective at whatever cost it comes which could even mean the end of the world as the probability for that was only 'near' zero (& not zero). The world remembers Hitler for the Jewish genocide that he orchestrated, but the truth is anti-semitism was also prevalent in the US & even Oppenheimer despite his service to his nation couldn't escape from it. Hats off to the brilliance of Nolan in the way he captivates with the way he narrated the story & also for his conscious decision not to showcase the Hiroshima tragedy lest it ends up glorifying the invention unintentionally. He emphatically makes the point clear that in the bid to end the war, the world chose to indulge in an arms race and that is evident when the protagonist chant the words from the Gita 'Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds'.
Nolan well & truly deserves every accolade that comes his way but it wouldn't have been possible without the brilliant cast and crew that he had at his disposal. The first aspect that blew me off was the music which was magnificent & which I presumed was created by Hans Zimmer, only to realize later on that it was Ludwig Goransson. The Academy Award winner already has an impressive body of work at just 38 years of age & I would definitely be surprised if he doesnt win his second Oscar for this one. When it came to camera work, we expect only the best from Hoyte van Hoytema & he has done just that as with his last three previous collaborations with Nolan. The same goes for Richard King who has been a constant presence in Nolan's ventures as sound designer. Actually aspect of the movie was top notch & hence it is beyond the scope of this review to mention about everyone.
For anyone who has followed Nolan's filmography, apart from Michael Caine; another artist that has constantly featured in his movies was Cillian Murphy. As 'Oppenheimer', he was exceptional to the extent that we cannot imagine anyone else in that role. It's been a while since Robert Downey Jr had bid adieu to his Iron Man avatar & what a way to comeback. He was magnificent as Admiral Strauss & could very much be in the running for the Oscar along with Cillian. Emily Blunt (as Katherine) was awesome as the firebrand partner while Matt Damon (as General Groves) & Florence Pugh (as Jean Tatlock) was impressive as well. As a matter of fact, each & every artist have done complete justice to their roles.
Verdict: Hats down one of the best movie that I have ever seen and should sweep the Academy awards. Just don't miss it & definitely watch it in theatres so as to have the full feel of the experience!!!
Rating: 4.75/5
Regards...Ben
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