One of the most captivating films of the decade by Christopher Nolan has arrived, and the whole world is shocked by how experimental and ambitious the film is. The Odyssey is Christopher Nolan’s retelling of Homer’s epic, following Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, the King of Ithaca, as he embarks on a journey to return home after the Trojan War.
The Odyssey tells three narratives across its nearly three-hour runtime: Telemachus’s search for his father, Odysseus’s wanderings, and the return to Ithaca. Nolan balances these storylines perfectly without confusing viewers who aren’t familiar with Greek mythology. At its core, the plot is actually very simple. It’s the story of a hero trying to find his way home while facing countless trials and obstacles along the journey.
The film was heavily marketed as the first movie ever shot entirely on IMAX film using newly developed cameras and technology created specifically for the production. Combined with its stacked cast of A-list actors, it quickly became one of the most anticipated films in years. With a reported budget of $250 million, it also became Nolan’s most expensive film, tying The Dark Knight Rises.
Christopher Nolan and the cast traveled to six countries to capture the full journey of Odysseus, often putting both the actors and crew through extreme conditions to recreate the realism of the voyage and the hardships the soldiers endured. Nolan makes the film feel truly epic through its color grading, cinematography, clever shot composition, and raw editing, constantly pushing himself to make each of his projects as ambitious and passionate as possible.
The Greek monsters and battle sequences are easily the highlights of the film, particularly the Cyclops encounter, where Christopher Nolan used a real 60-foot puppet. Watching Odysseus and his men encounter these mythical creatures and find ways to escape them becomes one of the most exciting parts of the entire movie.
However, despite the epic story, beautiful cinematography, and ambitious scope, the film still has its flaws, and it definitely isn’t the greatest movie ever made nor is it Nolan’s best. For one, much of the cast feels out of place. It often seems like Nolan packed the film with A-list actors to attract a wider audience, making the ambitious presentation feel more accessible to modern blockbuster viewers.
Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, and Benny Safdie deliver the standout performances in the film, genuinely disappearing into their characters. However, many of the other cast members feel like they’re simply playing themselves instead of fully becoming the characters they’re portraying. This story would’ve benefited from more unrecognizable faces, actors audiences haven’t seen in dozens of other major films; allowing viewers to fully immerse themselves in the world of ancient Greece.
Tom Holland, for example, doesn’t feel like the right fit for Telemachus. It never fully feels like he’s immersing himself in the character, and that same issue appears with several others, including Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, and Elliot Page. Even Travis Scott, whose voice is the first thing you hear in the movie, has one of the most forgettable and unnecessary appearances in the entire film. His inclusion ultimately adds very little to the story.
Overall, The Odyssey is still a great film and undoubtedly one of the most epic cinematic experiences in recent years, packed with incredible moments and breathtaking cinematography. While Nolan’s ambitious vision and stacked cast don’t always work, those same creative risks are ultimately what make the film feel as massive and impactful as it does.
VUZE SCORE: 8.8/10
By Ed Roobi