The Odyssey
Rating: 3/5
For the past year, just about every cinephile has been obsessed with The Odyssey. It’s the nature of a Christopher Nolan release. Everyone wants to see what he’s going to release and how he is going to do it. It also boasts a popular cast. A-listers including Charlize Theron, Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway were announced to be joined by new up-and-coming darlings Zendaya, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson.
With so many tongues wagging, it has been the most anticipated recent release, and I will be one of many to say it was worth the hype.
Greek mythology is so proliferated in pop culture, it’s quite often you will come across some version of the tales and similar ones like that of Hercules or Medea.
For the uninitiated, this tale follows Odysseus’ 10-year trek back home after the Trojan War. The tumultuous journey back sees him face many foes, and Nolan’s approach cleans up the sillier parts of the original tale to make its message about hospitality, or ubuntu as we know it, a lot more palpable.
Today’s audiences are used to picking apart movies, searching for easter eggs and even reacting to every single frame on screen. The Odyssey isn’t built to be watched this way, it’s simple storytelling built to celebrate the art of creating a cinematic release. From his unorthodox methods of shooting with IMAX cameras to the sets built to bring this world alive, Nolan’s eye invites audiences in on the journey.
It also goes without saying that this is Damon’s magnum opus. Forget about his cult following from EuroTrip or the forgettable performance in The Bourne trilogy, this performance will forever define him as a star. Other than the physical transformation that might make Russell Crowe’s Spartans blush, he brings the understated approach he usually takes with serious roles. Sure, he is stellar when he puts on his comedic pants or goes the immersive route as with The Talented Mr Ripley or Ford vs Ferrari, but he successfully carries a cast that almost has to keep up with the tone he sets in his performance. Perhaps that’s why their Argemennon falls flat when he makes a posthumous speech.
Ultimately, The Odyssey is for the nerds. Lovers of technique, fans of Nolan and ultimately anyone who is a little more well-versed in the world of Greek myths. For a movie challenging fans to sit through a 170-minute cruise, it takes quite a while to paint a concise picture for noobs. It’s easier to follow Clytemnestra and Helen’s (both played by Lupita Nyong’o) roles in the movie, but a first-time watch might leave many confused about the decisions that characters make.
It will still be a fun ride if you are well-versed in the retellings of Argememnon’s life or Circe’s isolation, but if you are limited to the famous demigods or Zeus’ pantheon, you definitely need to catch up on Odysseus’ adventures to truly get this one.
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