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Some people claim that 2023 is the summer of “Barbenheimer.” This “mashup” word was created by studio marketing wizards to express the incredible success that these two movies which were released on the same day have created. Barbie and Oppenheimer are both big-budget films. Both are huge hits. Both are excellent. They represent the best of Hollywood filmmaking and audiences have been moved by both…but for very different reasons.
Barbie
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu and many, many others
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
When Greta Gerwig wrote the script for this movie with her real-life partner, Noah Baumbach, I’m sure neither one of them could have envisioned the success this movie (about a famous doll) would create. Being known and admired writers, they were able to gain a hefty budget for the film that was about $145 million to create. Incredibly, after only a month in the theaters, the movie has already taken in $1.077 BILLION! Why? How?
Having a stellar cast and a good budget, the movie created a lot of hype before it was released which certainly was partly due to its early success. But I think it is more than that. We live in such a serious world. I think we all just need a laugh. Also, something nostalgic from our childhood, like a beloved doll, was certainly a way to capture hearts. And Barbie does just that…at least at first. As the movie progresses, it also reminds us of issues that women (and men) have faced in the past and today. The film is a perfect balance between satire and humanity. There are many laughs to be had as well as points to ponder as Barbie takes a journey from her Barbie World into the very real world we live in today.
Trailer:
Oppenheimer
“Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.”
Rated: R
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh
and many others
Genre: Drama, Biography, History
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan, Kai Bird, Martin Sherwin
The film begins with this ominous quote and sets the tone for this dramatic biography. It is based on the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin who also co-wrote the movie’s script with Christopher Nolan.
The movie focuses on Oppenheimer’s adult life, including his role in the Manhattan Project where he served as director of a clandestine weapons lab built in a near Los Alamos, in New Mexico, where he and many other of the era’s most dazzling scientific minds puzzled through how to harness nuclear reactions for the weapons that killed tens of thousands instantly, and ended the war in the Pacific.
What surprised me when viewing this movie was how much I ended up caring about “The Father of the Atomic Bomb.”
I admit that I knew very little about Oppenheimer, the person, before seeing this film. I only knew the horror he was instrumental in creating. Now I have a very different understanding of him after seeing the personal and external pressures that were placed upon him that were portrayed so skillfully in this movie.
Oppenheimer is three-hours long, so it is difficult to go into great detail about the various topics it covered. However, for me, it was a perfect film. Cillian Murphy, who portrays Oppenheimer deserves special credit. He is amazing in the title role, and not only does he look like Oppenheimer, but he also has the intensity and humanity needed to play the part. The entire movie, including the stellar cast, realistic sets and costumes and effective soundtrack are all as good as it gets. One thing that sets Christopher Nolan apart from most film directors is that he doesn’t rely on special effects. He gets what he wants in camera. His mastery is evident in each frame.
When I think about the striking success Barbie and Oppenheimer have enjoyed, even though they are vastly different from one another, I am struck by the importance of what makes them the same: people need to remember the PAST. Remembering the good and bad that has happened to us can be the best teacher to help us become better humans. Barbenheimer has touched our humanity.
Trailer
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