Rami Malek has proven to be a scene-stealer in "Oppenheimer" -- something his biggest fans are ecstatic about ... especially considering his mixed-bag journey in Hollywood.
The Oscar-winning actor is one of several stars with a smaller role in Nolan's latest feature -- which is getting rave reviews. Ditto for a lot of the supporting performances, including RM ... who shows up for an impactful monologue at a critical moment in the movie.
Towards the end I said to myself;
— M45 (@xzfrsyfq) July 23, 2023
“Wow Devon Bostick, the guy from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, got more lines than Josh Peck and Rami Malek combined.”
And then this scene came on. Malek only needed two minutes to drop the audience’s jaw all the way down to the floor. https://t.co/jZNufxkhLB
SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ... Rami's big scene comes toward the end, when Robert Downey Jr. is revealed to be the bad guy -- who's trying to smear Cillian Murphy/Oppenheimer. Rami sits in as a witness in front of Congress, and he backs Oppenheimer in emphatic terms.
Essentially, his character -- who only had a couple of lines up until this point -- turns out to be a major game-changer in the trajectory of the film ... and it happens at the drop of a dime.
christopher nolan really helped us retired rami malek stans win the war with his Oppenheimer performance like thank YOU pic.twitter.com/MhgpmXSoSt
— paul (also ken) (@paulswhtn) July 21, 2023
While brief, his work is getting hailed as a standout in a flick packed with talent -- especially on Twitter, where folks are (jokingly) saying they were right to hold onto their Rami Malek stock ... 'cause he's great. His resume of late hasn't always reflected that, unfortunately.
Fact is ... Rami's ascension in showbiz has, at times, felt stunted -- even after he won Best Actor for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody" ... which was controversial. Some felt he didn't deserve the win that year ... of course, others disagreed.
Point is -- since then, he hasn't really blown up the way people thought he would, or should ... instead getting sprinkled into movies here and there, somewhat unremarkably.
However, now ... a lot of his supporters feel vindicated by what he did in 'Oppenheimer,' and are hoping he'll be put back on the leading man trajectory that they feel he deserves.
Funny enough, Rami is far from the only actor receiving attention for their part in "Oppenheimer." Frankly, there are several actors who did stellar jobs -- and there are rumblings Cillian, RDJ and maybe even Matt Damon are in for Oscar noms come Spring.