Paul Newman was in the twilight of his career, when he did this film as an aging General Leslie R. Groves, the man who is assigned to supervise the creation of the atomic bomb, that was dropped on Japan, ending WWII. Along with talent like, John Cusack, Laura Dern and John C. McGinley in the supporting cast, it was the odd gamble of casting Dwight Schultz as the main star of the film, portraying scientist Robert Oppenheimer, that really makes this an interesting film to see. Seeing the lesser known actor from the A-Team and Star Trek TNG, tackling a serious moment in our history, contrasted against Newman's mega-star character is a sight to see.
Directed by British director Roland Joffe, the film's biggest highlight is the soundtrack by legendary film composer Ennio Morricone. Morricone was responsible for the great soundtracks from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1968) and the Untouchables (1987). The film isn't without its issues, mostly stemming from historical inaccuracies. I also did see a couple of questionable editing and pacing issues, but you should never really rely on Hollywood to tell accurate depictions of our history. Their job is to entertain and make money. By taking the need for accuracy out of the equation, it is much easier to enjoy the artist's interpretation better. I mean, this was a moment in our history, that was under major secrecy anyway, so who is to say what really happened. It also is a dark moment in our history, that Joffe manages to capture in a very grim light.
6.9 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB.
Directed by British director Roland Joffe, the film's biggest highlight is the soundtrack by legendary film composer Ennio Morricone. Morricone was responsible for the great soundtracks from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1968) and the Untouchables (1987). The film isn't without its issues, mostly stemming from historical inaccuracies. I also did see a couple of questionable editing and pacing issues, but you should never really rely on Hollywood to tell accurate depictions of our history. Their job is to entertain and make money. By taking the need for accuracy out of the equation, it is much easier to enjoy the artist's interpretation better. I mean, this was a moment in our history, that was under major secrecy anyway, so who is to say what really happened. It also is a dark moment in our history, that Joffe manages to capture in a very grim light.
6.9 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB.