HOLLYWOOD—I think Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest directors of my lifetime, easily in my top 5. Why? He takes his time when making a movie and his level of precision with filmmaking is so pristine it actually scares me in a good way. After his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” dominated a few years ago, Nolan might have another masterpiece on his hand with “The Odyssey.”
If you learned anything in school, you learned about “The Illiad” and the tale of Homer and Greek mythology, at least I did in high school. I will admit I have always been a fan of Greek mythology because it’s interesting to see how the Greek Gods were perceived and the so-called powers, they had as well. “The Odyssey” tells the story of Odysseus (Matt Damon), who never returns to Ithaca after the Trojan War, nearly 20 years later.
Yes, that lure is something that draws the spectator in, but there is so much more to the story that unfolds. His wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), is longing for her king to return, but she is losing hope. Hathaway is stellar in the role, and I suspect she has some scene-stealing moments that could land her an Oscar-nomination. Odysseus and Penelope’s son, Telemachus (Tom Holland) is concerned that very soon someone else might try to claim the throne.
That leads to Telemachus to travel to Sparta to chat to Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) to learn about the whereabouts of his father. Reminder, Telemachus doesn’t remember much about his father because he was literally a baby when his father went off to the Trojan War. Nolan does a great approach with this movie that jumps between moments of the past, present and from different perspectives, but it is done in a way where things stay linear and do not become confusing for the viewer.
This is a long movie and if you blink you could miss vital information that is unfolding, so having a smart narrative tether works well where the pacing doesn’t feel too slow or too fast. We see epic creatures like Polyphemus, the cyclops whose movement is felt in the theater. I mean when this creature first dawned on the screen it was amazing to watch. Visually stunning, sound wise incredible. That is just a first for this movie, as we also see encounters with Laestrygonians that attack Odysseus and his man as they travel those treacherous waters.
Nolan crafts these water scenes where you feel immersed in the water with these characters. I can only imagine the experience watching this movie in IMAX and the 4D experience. I was concerned rather Robert Pattinson could pull off the villainous role of Antinous, who wants to take the throne of Ithaca. It works though, the actor taps into his villainy, and I enjoyed what I was witnessing. Other stellar standouts include Lupita Nyongo’ as Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra, Samantha Morton, as the witch and goddess Circe, John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, Zendaya as Athena and Charlize Theron as Calypso.
This is an all-star cast, and each get their opportunity to shine with small and big moments that are impactful in the movie. I will not spoil the big climax, but I loved Nolan’s tactic of delaying the inevitable. You would think you can’t have suspense in an epic, action-adventure like “The Odyssey,” but he does it in an incredible way where the payoff is so satisfying that I felt like cheering in the movie theater.
Yes, “The Odyssey” is a nearly 3-hour movie and it is worth every single minute of it. I will say, maybe 15-20 minutes could have been trimmed off and that would have made the pacing near perfection not to mention would take a movie I consider a A- to an A+. Not only is this movie entertaining, but it’s a teaching lesson about the Greek Gods, mythology, the Trojan War and a bit of history that most of us should know, but if you don’t you learn it with an entertaining result.
Nolan proves yet again, as a filmmaker his technical approach, writing capability and directorial approach excels leaps and bounds over so many others.
Written By LaDale Anderson
