It feels like everytime I sit down to write a review of a Christopher Nolan film, I'm sitting alone in my room at well-past-bedtime hours. Still, I feel compelled to sit with the film and my thoughts. Just as I felt compelled to watch the film at a "midnight" screening. And, just as I did when I left Oppenheimer back in 2023, I left and drove home in silence.
Based on Homer's epic, The Odyssey, Nolan's latest stars Matt Damon as Odyseus, King of Ithaca, as he embarks on a long, arduous, and personal voyage home after ten long years of war. Anne Hathaway stars as Penelope, Odyseus' wife and Telemachus' (Holland) mother. In a fight against the Gods and himself, Odyseus must return home and reunite with Ithaca.
Expectations were high with this film, especially after the critical and commerical success of Oppenheimer. And yet, what director/writer Christoper Nolan, and the entire cast and crew, has managed to create in The Odyssey is staggering. I'll spare you the longwinded paragraph about most of the performances, but the short of it: they're all great, with a few exceptions. The more I've sat with it, the more I've grown to enjoy Matt Damon's performance. Whereas before I felt it was quite restrained and closed off, I now appreciate the performance and approach to the character. When Damon does eventually let us in, it's incredibly effective from a story perspective, but it also shows his range as an actor. A standout, of course, is Anne Hathaway, who is devastating as Penelope. She elevates every scene she's in and I wish we saw more of her. Robert Pattinson was also great, as was John Leguizamo.
This feels like a no-brainer, but every single frame and sound of this film is immaculate. From the depths of the ocean to the fiery remains of Troy, Nolan transports us between locales, mixing clever use of sound, story, and visuals, to weave a story told across time and places. Each location feels like a spectacle to behold, partly because it is, but also because Nolan and D.P. Hoyte van Hoytema are so intent on capturing as much as possible in-camera. I can't even begin to count the amount of awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping frames this film has, let along describe them.
Jennifer Lame continues to show that she is an incredible editor and one of the best working in the field today. I still catch myself thinking about the flashbacks and cutaways in Oppenheimer, and she pulls off a similar trick in The Odyssey. That said, the pacing did throw me a bit, especially as we approached the middle of the film. Luckily, this isn't too much of an issue, but if you're like me, you might get a little antsy.
I've notably stayed away from critiquing Nolan's interpretation of Homer's poem, largely because I haven't read any of the previous translations, but from what I've read online from scholars and other experts, Nolan's film manages to remain faithful to the text's themes and overall imagery, but there are creative libertities taken, as with any intepretation or adapted work. I fall on the side of many filmgoers and, apparently scholars and the director himself, who believe this film should be seen as enterainment and not as historical fact or retelling. This is, after all, a fictional story, with fictional characters. The story, for me, someone who isn't familiar with the text, is easy to digest and, most importantly, easy to resonate with.
For all of it's wonders, and trust me there are a lot, the film isn't perfect (only one is). These are true nit-picks at this point, but I'm not sure how I feel about Jon Bernthal as Menelaus. I like Bernthal a lot as an actor, but he felt out of place here. Unfortunately, I feel the same way about Tom Holland's performance. He isn't terrible by any stretch, in fact he's quite good. I just didn't think it was particularly strong as everyone else did.
As I've sat with Christopher Nolan's latest work, I've grown to enjoy every aspect of it more and more. I called Oppenheimer, Nolan's last film, a masterpiece, and while I don't think I can qualify The Odyssey as that just yet (70mm viewing pending), I can confidently say that Christopher Nolan has given us another reason to go to the theaters. A reason to go and see one of the biggest stories of all time on the biggest screen imaginable. And with the state of the world and Hollywood being what it is, I don't know how many more times I'll be able to say that.
From Letterboxd: Another ride home in silence. With tears. (4.5/5)
The Odyssey is now playing in theaters. Go.