FILM REVIEW: THE ODYSSEY (15) ESP RATING: 4/5
- Gavin Miller
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Just because a movie is an absolute masterclass – doesn’t mean that it will necessarily appeal to everyone.
There’s no doubt in any way shape or form, this is sensational cinema, and is even better viewed in IMAX – the way generational filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight Trilogy) intended.
But at nearly three hours, the only negative – and this will only be a ‘negative’ from a certain perspective – is if you’re not somewhat a fan of the source material, it could be a bit of a ‘slog’, despite the production values working wonders around you.
Bar that, this is exceptional filmmaking that hasn’t been witnessed in quite some time. Harking back to the fifties/sixties where epic biblical movies like Spartacus graced the big screen. It’s that poignant.
One of the best ways to sum this up, is a glorious ‘slow burn’ that is probably comparable – in its pacing at least – to film’s like Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line, or Nolan’s own Oppenheimer.
From the beautiful cinematography and lavish attention-to-detail, to the forboding musical score and intensely-dedicated acting, this is a (sometimes bloody) fantasy sword and sandals drama that deserves people’s attention – even if it is more suited to film aficionados than casuals.
Based on Homer’s ancient epic Greek myth – that explores magical times among real-world geographical locations – it follows Matt Damon’s legendary King of Ithaca, Odysseus, on his perilous journey home following the Trojan War.
Told in a non-linear narrative – yo-yoing between past and present – it follows Odysseus after his infamous exploits to overthrow the Trojans – alongside Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) to retrieve Helen (Lupita Nyongo’o) – and sack Troy, after masterminding the iconic plan of him and his warriors hiding inside a large wooden horse.
But that’s just a small part of the tale, as the main body chronicles his attempted voyage home with his army, tackling such mythological creatures/beings, like the giant Cyclops, super-sized warriors Laestrygonians, sea monsters Charybdis and Scylla – and Emily Mortimer’s witch Circe. Which eventually leads to Odysseus – who is intermittently visited by the goddess of wisdom, Athena (Zendaya) – being washed up ashore on the island of Ogyphia, where Charlize Theron’s nymph Calypso – infatuated with him – drugs him with forgetfulness-inducing Lotus flowers.
In the meantime, his wife Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland), unaware of their husband and father’s whereabouts after the siege of Troy ended eight years ago, are having to keep nobleman – including Robert Pattinson’s sleazy Antinous – at bay from attempting to take the throne in Odysseus’ absence.
This leads to Telemachus voyaging to try and locate his father, as these suitors plot against him, and look to eventually take Penelope as their bride.
And with so much going on, Nolan does a simply awe-inspiring job of piecing all of these elements together to forge a generally coherent storyline, that does Homer’s Odyssey justice, alongside his meticulously-devised production.
That alone makes this a truly essential watch – even if you’re not familiar with Greek mythology – with the only caveat being the plotline won’t be universally accessible to everybody.
Beyond that, this is stellar cinema, laden with Nolan’s ingenious craftmanship – and is a simply breathtaking film odyssey in itself.
ESP Rating: 4/5
Gavin Miller
Odeon Luxe Peterborough & Showcase Cinema De Lux Peterborough, Out Now
Cast: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Lupita Nyongo’o, Jon Bernthal, Charlize Theron, Mia Goth, Himesh Patel, Ryan Hurst, Elliot Page, Benny Safdie, Corey Hawkins & Zendaya
Running Time: 2 Hrs 53 Mins
Director: Christopher Nolan
Film Review Venue: Odeon Luxe Imax Peterborough
For all the latest film information & showtimes at Peterborough’s Odeon Luxe & Showcase Cinema De Lux Cinemas go to www.odeon.co.uk and www.showcasecinemas.co.uk
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