His first post-Iron Man role was the wretched flop of Dolittle but Oppenheimer and the actor’s quotes while doing press on the film, hint hopefully at this being the first step towards a later career stint doing exciting character work with storied directors.ĭowney Jr. More widely, it poses the question of where Downey Jr.’s future lies. a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work on the film, which really is a career best. It’s part Kendall Roy, part Daniel Plainview, and one of the most astounding bits of acting he’s ever done.Īs social media does, it is already getting carried away in anointing Downey Jr. His face threatens to break into a smug smile. He’s giving a speech about how power exists in the shadows as he postures limp pride like an unkillable vulture.
There’s a scene where Strauss is having an exchange with Alden Ehrenreich’s nameless aide that exemplifies the character’s slipperiness. is subtle but strikingly clear in his contempt for Oppenheimer. Nolan shoots a great deal of Strauss in close-up – especially in the black and white sequences – and it feels as if we are intimately inside his head. Near the film’s end, when he realises the crowning moment of his life – to be appointed to the President’s cabinet – has been scuppered by lasting ill-feeling from the science community, his cheekbones seem to rise with hate, his jaw tighten with defeat. – uncharacteristically restrained – communicates so much emotion with a flicker of the cheek or dart of the eye. They are actions driven by a level of insecurity only politicians possess, phallic envy, and pure vindictiveness - and the real life Strauss was said to view those who disagreed with him as traitors.ĭowney Jr. Downey Jr.’s Strauss is a not very smart man surrounded by very smart men, and the Judas of the Atomic Age as the driving force behind Oppenheimer losing his security clearance and influence over nuclear matters in the US. In a broad sense, he’s the villain of Oppenheimer.
The wannabe Secretary of Commerce – like many powerful men – is in thrall to his own voice and righteousness, aware of his position in the world and happy to wield it. Strauss is maybe the quietest role of his career.
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