This summer was a very tumultuous time for the film industry. With several high profile flops and a duel strike between the WGA and Sag-Aftra (something not seen since the day of Ronald Reagan), it was definitely in quite a bad place. But fortunately, the Barbenhimer phenomenon was a shining exception. With both films doing quite well at the box office, almost synergistic in their performance despite their fundamental plots. I have reviewed both films down below, so please enjoy!
Oppenheimer (2023)
“Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to Man… For this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity”.
J. Robert Oppenheimer has been described by some as one of the most important people to ever live. He created the first atomic bombs and subsequently regretted their creation for the rest of his life. The plot of Oppenheimer is told from two differing perspectives, from the subjective view of Oppenhimer during the 1940’s shot in color, and from the objective and monochromatic lens of the Acting Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss, played phenomenally by Robert Downey Jr.
Cillian Murphy gives a powerhouse performance as Oppenheimer and I am rooting for him to win the Oscar. The rest of the performances are all equally excellent, with Alden Ehrenreich, Rami Malik, Matt Damon, and Gary Oldmen all having standout moments.
The sound is used phenomenally in the movie and will leave you breathless. The detonation scene in Los Alamos is shot in a way that is both beautiful and profoundly disturbing.
Christopher Nolan has created a true masterpiece and one of the most important movies of the year.
Erik’s rating: 10/10
Barbie (2023)
It’s so… Pink, and I kind of love it?
As is abundantly apparent, I’m not exactly the most familiar with the Barbie brand as a whole, with my limited experience coming from my sister who occasionally watched a few straight to DVD films. So I was not expecting much, but my interest was soon piqued. I had heard of the works of Greta Gerwig previously, so I was confident that the film would be in good hands.
The plot follows Barbie who must leave Barbie-Land to go to the real world, and is followed by Beach Ken who is looking for meaning in his life, and ends up finding it in quite a humorous way.
The writing is sharp and hilarious which leads to there being no dull moments in the plot. The acting is surprisingly solid with Ryan Gosling’s character of Beach Ken being the standout and delivering a hilarious and powerful performance.
The production design is truly top notch, with a look of authentic artificiality that really makes you feel like you are in Barbie-Land. In short, Barbie has managed to be a great film and I feel that it is truly Kenough.
Erik’s rating: 9/10
–Barbie is currently available for purchase and rental on demand.
