Review: The Odyssey

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Official Synopsis: After the Trojan War, Odysseus (Matt Damon) faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops, Sirens, and Calypso (Charlize Theron) along the way.

I'm not going to pretend that I remember exact details of reading the Odyssey, or the Iliad for that matter. It's been so long since I've read those stories that there was just no way I was going to be a book purist about anything in this film. I do know if someone was going to reignite my interest in these stories, it would be Christopher Nolan and this insanely large cast.

Did Homer write the first popcorn flick? I think he might have. Everything about this adventure is so exciting on the big screen. From the epic battle scenes, to the SFX work on the creatures, to the amazing score by Ludwig Gorranson, This film was just fun all around. Circe's (Samantha Morton) sequence sticks with me the most because of how disgusting it was. That was a great blend of practical effects and CGI. I was not expecting that to be the most disturbing part of the film. I also wasn't expecting this film to get me on not one, not two, but THREE jump scares. And of course my husband laughed at me every time. 

The cast is so vast that I feel like I could spend 1000 words going over them alone, so I'll call out a few. Matt Damon is the best he's ever been. He carries this film so wonderfully. John Leguizamo's Eumaeus was another standout. I didn't think a puppy murderer would win me over the way he did. Robert Pattison is such a weaselly fuck. This guy is so good at playing villains. He and Corey Hawkins were both capital A Assholes and their comeuppance was so fun to watch. They were great to watch. Hamish Patel should've been in way more marketing considering how much screen time he had. Racists and transphobes can die mad about Lupita Nyong'o and Elliot Page's combined >10 minutes of screen time because they were excellent in those few minutes. 

You can tell Nolan loves this story and he did a great job of condensing it into just under three hours. You do feel the length of the film at times, but never in a way that's boring. I was just aware that I was sitting through a 3 hour feature. I'm sure we'll see plenty of Nolan and this crew around Oscar season, and it will be well deserved.

Grade: A-

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