Barbenheimer

BARB/ENHEIMERPre-shownotes note: CJ sounds bad because he was recording on his airpods like a complete rube.Actual shownotes:* CJ does not complain about the giant corporation he works for* Why #barbenheimer? (the marketing phenomenon)* BARB/* Disclaimer: we’re dudes, talking about a movie made maybe not for dudes* Unsurprisingly, we loved Ryan G* Big hits (production design, cast, some humor), big misses (…the rest?)* What we should expect from a movie about a Mattel toy sponsored by Mattel* You can’t speak truth to power when the power is funding your movie* The third act culminates in an unearned sermon* A token zoomer in a movie made by and for millennials * Absurdism spins out of control without something to consistently ground it* CJ mic drops on the haters* /ENHEIMER* On the merits of seeing a Christopher Nolan movie twice* Jordan responds to CJ’s response to Jordan’s invitation to go see it with him for the 2nd time* Masterclass in filmmaking, but…* It’s too long, and too “important,” and not nearly entertaining enough* Whole first hour feels like a montage* Nolan loves his nonlinear storytelling, but his best films are his most linear* What kinds of movies earn rewatches?* A discussion of the film’s most unironically important scene* The emotional core of the film is Robert Oppenheimer being cursed with existential guilt* Special shoutout to Florence Pugh, who accomplishes a lot with a little* Also Casey Affleck* The visual conceits deployed to keep the audience oriented in space and time* Nolan is a great, very fallible director* An example of a director who understands how to conjure a truly great script: Denis Villeneuve* Where does Oppenheimer fall in the pantheon of Nolan films?If you want the fullest and bestest experience, head on over to nerdcritic.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nerdcritic.substack.com