The Odyssey is Truly Epic Filmmaking
Defy the Gods
4.5/5 stars
After conquering both the box office and the Academy Awards with Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan was given carte blanche for his next project. He chose to adapt Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, but in typical Nolan fashion, he was far more ambitious than expected. Filmed entirely in IMAX (the first narrative film to ever do so) and using as many real locations and practical effects as possible, the film is truly larger than life. The result is a visual and technical marvel that will keep audiences enraptured from beginning to end.
After a decade at war, Odysseus (Matt Damon) has concocted a plan to finally defeat the Kingdom of Troy and now sets sail for home, where his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) are waiting for his return. However, after offending the gods, Odysseus and his men spend years lost at sea, fighting giants, monsters and witches, while back at home, a group of suitors led by the conniving Antinous (Robert Pattinson) plot to marry his wife, kill his son, and take over his kingdom.
Nolan faithfully adapts Homer's story while also adding modern sensibilities to it that should feel out of place (Homer's Odysseus is more braggadocious than remorseful), but instead successfully updates the tale. The film is full of compelling performances and flawlessly executed setpieces that make the nearly three-hour runtime fly by. While it is a little more chaste than a Greek epic should be, and I wish he could have found a way to incorporate the "Nobody" plan against the Cyclops into the story, The Odyssey proves to be one of the best adaptations in years.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan // Based on the epic poem by Homer // Starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Travis Scott, Corey Hawkins, Lupita Nyong'o, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Jarreth J. Merz, Niko Nicotera, Elliot Page, Mia Goth, Benny Safdie, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron // Universal Pictures // 173 minutes // Rated R
