Some films are so entrenched in our culture that they remain talking points long after their initial release. Think Schindler’s List, The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, The Dark Knight – the list goes on.
Christopher Nolan is no stranger to creating films like that. His filmography makes incredible reading and, to allow this reviewer to be bold for one moment, he’s probably the most talented and consistent director working today.
His latest epic, The Odyssey, is potentially his most hyped film to date. Based on the book of the same name by Homer (no, not that one…), it’s been marketed incredibly well. So, the hype is certainly real, but is the finished product one of Nolan’s best, or one to skip?
Odysseus (Matt Damon), King of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey home after the Trojan War. Crossing the Mediterranean Sea with his fellow soldiers, they soon find themselves battling not only the elements, but an array of deadly obstacles and mythical creatures along the way.
A cast most directors could only dream of
The Odyssey is a veritable smorgasbord of talent. The fact that this cast has been assembled together shows the pulling power Christopher Nolan has in Tinseltown. It really is quite extraordinary. We’ve got Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson – honestly, I could go on and on, but then that’d make the review far too long. The only missing name is Meryl Streep, for goodness’ sake (obviously I’m being obtuse here, but you get the point).
Naturally, the performances are exceptional. Matt Damon, a regular Nolan collaborator, is excellent as Odysseus, while Robert Pattinson adds yet another incredible role to his ever-growing résumé. And while I had my doubts about Tom Holland’s ability to play a character outside of the MCU, this feels like a very smart career move. It stops him from being typecast in the future, and he proves he’s more than capable. He is very, very good.
While each of them appears for varying amounts of screen time, every member of the cast has an integral role to play in keeping the story moving and the film feeling so well paced.
An epic that never feels bloated
Yes, despite its gargantuan length – 173 minutes, to be precise – The Odyssey doesn’t feel too long. Don’t get me wrong, you know you’re sat there for almost three hours, but the pacing and non-linear story structure allow the film to feel surprisingly light-footed as we move between different facets of the story. It’s a decision that works well and stops the film from ever feeling bloated.
Perhaps the film’s only real flaw lies in the script. The ancient Greek setting occasionally sits at odds with the dialogue. Hearing Tom Holland call Anne Hathaway “Mom” is a little jarring given the historical context, and it’s not really something I ever got used to throughout the film.
As a technical achievement, however, The Odyssey is right up there with the all-time greats. While CGI is used liberally to embellish rather than distract, the overwhelming feeling is one of authenticity. That’s because Nolan has used practical effects and real locations wherever possible.
Where some big-budget movies bizarrely overlay stunning landscapes with CGI, Nolan instead films much of The Odyssey on location. Nowhere is that more obvious – or more welcome – than during the Cyclops sequence. Shot in Greece using incredible animatronics and puppetry to bring the creature to life, it’s an astonishing piece of filmmaking. The scene is both exquisite in its execution and genuinely harrowing in its nature.
Overall, The Odyssey is a film that will be discussed and debated for decades, perhaps even centuries, joining the likes of those films I mentioned at the beginning of this review. Did I love it? I’d say no, I didn’t, and it’s not a film I’ll often find myself rewatching. But that’s okay. I would probably say the same about most of the films at the top of this review.
As a showcase of technical filmmaking, though, The Odyssey is incredibly difficult to beat, and it further cements Christopher Nolan’s place as one of cinema’s all-time greats.
