After having seen it, there are some scenes where it is difficult to follow the dialog which I’m sure is intentional. I haven’t seen Tenet but I think Oppenheimer is not as bad in this regard, in part because there’s less exposition – this is all based on real events in the real world and there aren’t a lot of mechanics to have to explain, and also because the story isn’t as plot-driven as many of Nolan’s thrillers. No MacGuffins, no car chases, shootouts or real twists; it’s more about the man, his relationships and how his career plays out. That said, for example there is a scene where he’s talking to his wife outdoors, it’s windy and they’re not facing camera and the fact that I couldn’t follow what they were saying did take me out… instead of being engaged in the conversation I was more aware I was sitting there watching Chris Nolan dialogue, waiting for it to be over.
Bite my shiny metal ass!