Written And Directed by Christopher Nolan
Odysseus: "Don't look for gods in men; you'll always be disappointed."
I intended to watch this movie opening day but things took a turn and in the last few days, I completed my Christopher Nolan rewatch of movies. Now, I've actually caught up with this one, was it worth it? I'd like to think so.
Having Christopher Nolan do an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey wasn't something that I expected and like many, I was concerned that he'd ground some elements too much fof his own good. He kind of did but not really. Perhaps Nolan has realised a little fantastical can be a good thing.
If you're familiar with the story, you've got Odysseus (Matt Damon) who left his kingdom Ithaca abandoned for twenty years, following the Fall of Troy. This left his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) fighting off unwanted admirers such as Antinous (Robert Pattinson) while refusing to accept the possibility of her husband being dead.
Then therss Odysseus's son, Telemachus (Tom Holland). Both him and blind servant, Eamaeus (John Leguizamo) believe in Odysseus being still alive and both were desperate to keep Penelope's unwanted admirers at bay. Telemachus even sought out Sparta King Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) and Helen (Lupita Nyong'o) during the film.
Of course the film largely focused on Odysseus and his men. There's a good deal of focus on the Fall of Troy and the consequences of that particular action. The death of a soldier named Sinon (Elliot Page) would have quite the impact on Odysseus as would encountering at least three prominent women during his journey to get back home.
Athena (Zendaya) would show up to give Odysseus sage advice that would of course end up becoming true. Circe (Samantha Morton) would take delight in turning Odysseus's men into pigs until Odysseus could persuade her to reverse it and help him. Both Zendaya and Samantha Morton gave some great performances here.
Then there's Calypso (Charlize Theron). She fell in love with Odysseus and kept him tethered to her for seven years. It was her realising they Odysseus loved Penelope more that had her let him go. Add in some stuff with sirens and a Cyclops and Odysseus had one hell of a journey in getting home.
Having Odysseus taking so long to get home also meant that the movie almost had to wrap up the unwanted admirers and reuniting with Penelope and Telemachus a bit quickly. Antinous was a delightfully snivelling baddie who got one hell of a deserved comeuppance. I really loved Robert Pattinson in this role.
As for the family reunion, it's a very beautiful moment throughout with Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland playing out their respective scenes wonderfully. Ithaca ended up with a new ruler and there was a mission of redemption that ended things on a powerful note.
- There's so many support performances to also note from the likes of Mia Goth, Himesh Patel, Corey Hawkins, Travis Scott, Logan Marshall-Green and so on. Lupita Nyong'o also played Helen's sister, Clytemnestra. The latter also murdered her husband, Agamemnon (Benny Safdie).
- I loved the practical effects for the use of the Cyclops. That scene along with the Circe plot really leaned into pure horror.
- Calypso used the lotus flower in order to keep Odysseus around. Then she helped him get back on his journey to go home.
- The idea of Odysseus's dog waiting for him to return home before dying was one of the most touching moments in the movie.
- Standout music: Ludwig Göransson's score was beautiful. James Blake and Travis Scott's When I'm Home was good.
- Chronology: Odysseus was missing for twenty years before he finally returned to Ithaca.
The Odyssey (2026) might be the best summer blockbuster this year. It's by no means perfect but there are so many Standout performances, character moments, showing the power of the gods and of course, the battle sequences themselves. Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Samantha Morton and John Leguizamo were the standouts here.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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