The summer movie season has been dragging a bit, so the world looked to director Christopher Nolan to give us the season’s first true movie event, after Disclosure Day and Supergirl failed to deliver.
While The Odyssey is not one of Nolan’s best movies, it is worth a trip to the theater—to see on as big of a screen as possible. The film is a monumental achievement when it comes to visuals.
I’ve been experiencing a bit of Nolan fatigue since the masterpiece that was Interstellar (2014). After a steady stream of films that gave your whole brain a workout, not just the eyes, Nolan’s films since Interstellar have emphasized style over substance—and The Odyssey, although generally entertaining, has a lot of flat and boring stretches.
I was one of the people over in the corner grumbling that Oppenheimer, while OK, was way overrated. The Odyssey is definitely more entertaining than Oppenheimer, but it still ranks as one of Nolan’s weaker films. It’s good and even great in parts—but it could’ve been a masterpiece.
Matt Damon is a spectacle as Odysseus, the Greek legend who is just trying to get his ass home after war—looking like a badass in everything from those furry Greek battle helmets to a big, shaggy gray beard. He’s like Griffin Dunne in Martin Scorsese’s After Hours, minus the cab rides, plus a cyclops and a witch.
That cyclops is one of the better film treats you will see this year. He’s a creepy, head-chomping, nasty bugger. The sight of masticated flesh falling from this thing’s lips is scarier than anything in a horror film this year.
The Sirens, the giant warriors, and the Trojan Horse all make appearances, each with a unique twist. Nolan really emphasizes the cramped nature of the Trojan Horse “soldiers hiding in a statue” stunt, right down to the mention that everybody was pissing and shitting a lot in there.
Robert Pattinson delivers another great performance as the villainous Antinous, while Anne Hathaway is wonderful as Queen Penelope. John Leguizamo might be the film’s best actor as the blind servant Eumaeus, while Tom Holland holds his own as Telemachus, son of Odysseus. The supporting cast does good work.
And then there is Damon, who is put through Nolan’s ringer and manages to keep the film centered and, for the most part, captivating. There are stretches in the film’s final act where he’s forced to drone on a bit, and the film threatens to wear out its welcome. But Nolan and Damon ultimately keep things on track with a satisfying conclusion.
Project Hail Mary and The Invite are better all around, but The Odyssey has some of the year’s better movie moments in it; I’m grateful it came along and kicked the summer season in the ass. Nolan has officially taken over the mantle of Big Budget Visual Extravaganza Blockbuster Guy from James Cameron, who has been stuck in Avatar land making crap movies for the entire 21st century.
The table has been set for Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31.
I have just returned from seeing The Odyssey. My main feeling upon leaving the cinema was an overpowering need to find a loo and a desperate need for food. This film is far from being a masterpiece.