The Odyssey
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
After Oppenheimer, there was no doubt that Christopher Nolan was one of the best directors working today. However, at the same time, we were all both nervous and excited to see what the next film he would craft, hoping it would live up to the success and greatness of his Best Picture winning film. For me, when it was announced that The Odyssey was his next movie, I was nervous. Nolan was going to take Homer's legendary tale and try to craft it on the screen in this modern-day blockbuster climate. Seeing it last night in 70mm at Directors Village was an experience I will never forget. I'm delighted to say that Nolan delivered the best movie of the year with The Odyssey, and I highly doubt anything else coming out this year will knock it out of the top spot for me.
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, the iconic hero who will stop at nothing to get home. The entire film follows his journey during the Trojan War and after, with him facing numerous challenges and deadly obstacles that are preventing him from getting back to his wife and son. At the same time, Odysseus's son Telemachus (Tom Holland) is trying to find out what happened to his dad and if he is coming home or not, especially for the sake of his mother Penelope (Anne Hathaway), who is being forced to pick a suitor to marry since her husband hasn't returned.
Nolan has proven time and time again that he is able to craft such complex and beautifully moving epics, and I think The Odyssey could perhaps be his best yet. Nolan does a brilliant job of crafting this story in a non-linear fashion, allowing the viewer to understand the motives behind the characters' actions and why certain things are taking place throughout the film. At the same time, Nolan also does a fantastic job of crafting these high-octane action sequences and tense moments between characters, allowing for the viewer's blood to start pumping and making it hard for them to resist getting out of their seats. There were numerous times throughout this movie that had me sit up straight in my seat and had me stressed for what was going to happen to Odysseus and his men.
Consider the various challenges and moments where Odysseus looked death right in the face. What I adore so much about this film is that Nolan really gets right out of his comfort zone and crafts full-on horror sequences throughout this movie. This entire picture has such a horror tone to it, making the audience feel frightened and stressed about what they are going to witness next. I love the fact that Nolan decided to take the picture this direction, and he really utilizes these terrifying horror elements to elicit an emotional and physical reaction out of the viewer. The cyclops scene and the moment with Circe (Samantha Morton) will definitely haunt my dreams.
At the same time, I think the cinematography from Hoyte Van Hoytema matches perfectly with the tone and stylistic decisions Nolan decided to make throughout this picture. Shot entirely on IMAX cameras, which is the first major film to do so, the shots are simply breathtaking and really immerse the viewer into the Trojan War and this journey Odysseus is going on. The shots throughout this movie highlight what Nolan is trying to create, while also detailing the emotional journeys these characters are going on. Working hand-in-hand with the awe-inspiring cinematography is Ludwig Göransson's brilliant score, going from musical pieces that show the beauty of the Greek Gods and the mythology to pounding drums and heart-pumping musical pieces that perfectly highlight the scenes that are taking place.
While Nolan is simply a master at crafting large-scale epics like this, the actors here do a wonderful job of bringing this story to the screen. Damon gives perhaps one of the best performances of his career here as Odysseus, and he is both grounded and electrifying at the same time. His performance feels so incredibly human, even though he is considered this epic myth throughout the movie. Damon does a fantastic job balancing those two sides of Odysseus, making him such a relatable and very human character. I want to highlight the scene where they encounter the Sirens on their journey home; Damon's performance in that scene alone should easily win him the Oscar this year.
While he gives the biggest performance here, it is hard to deny the rest of the supporting cast are just as amazing. This is easily Tom Holland's best performance, and Anne Hathaway is spectacular as Penelope. Robert Pattinson is so evil and conniving that is so much fun to hate him throughout this picture. I also want to highlight John Leguizamo's brilliant performance as Eumaeus, and I hope this performance gains him so many younger fans that will bring him back into the spotlight as he truly deserves it. Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, and so many other incredibly talented actors here are all so wonderful, and you can easily write a whole novel about the fantastic performances in this picture.
I had incredibly high hopes for The Odyssey, and I was scared that I would be let down because my hopes were way too high. However, Nolan delivers perhaps one of his best films yet with this iconic story, and this movie needs to be seen on the biggest screen possible and multiple times. While Oppenheimer may have cemented him as one of this generation's best filmmakers, I think The Odyssey just proved why he simply might just be the best.
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