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This week's big release was Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. I share my thoughts below. You can keep up with everything I'm watching by following me @knighthawk7734 on Letterboxd.

The Odyssey (Theaters)
Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway
Synopsis: For centuries, people have been fascinated by The Odyssey. It’s an epic adventure story, following brave warrior Odysseus as he’s on a journey to get home. It’s a fraught and perilous journey, and it’s a fraught and perilous homecoming. But it’s an epic story that has inspired countless generations and inspired countless other epic stories. It makes sense that we’d return to that world and story, presenting the epic journey on the big screen. And there’s no filmmaker more daring in crafting epic big-screen adventures that Christopher Nolan. In his follow up to his Academy Award-winning biopic Oppenheimer, he’s adapting an even more ambitious project in The Odyssey, which has become one of the most anticipated films of the year. And it delivers on that promise in a uniquely Nolan way. It’s a film that demands to be seen on the big screen and brings this story to life in a rich, engaging, and emotional way. The film focuses on two timelines. In the present, Penelope (Hathaway) is plagued by suitors who have come to take Odysseus’ place. He left 20 years earlier for the war in Troy and never returned. While she holds out hope that he’s still alive, most believe he is dead and it’s time for Ithaca to choose a new king. Her son, Telemachus (Holland), is frustrated by the suitors, frequently clashing with them as they try to bait him into something foolish to have a reason to kill him. Chief among those rivals is Antinous (Robert Pattinson), who avoided traveling to Troy and wants the kingdom for himself. Now, Telemachus is desperate for news of his father. Odysseus (Damon), meanwhile, is lost. He’s been fighting to return home, but it’s been a perilous journey in the years since the war at Troy was won. That war, as we see in his recollection, took a tremendous toll on his body and spirit. Now, as he recounts his efforts to get home, his building his strength for a return to save his wife and son from an unkind future and set things right. Nolan is probably my favorite working director. There is something about his style and the stories he chooses to tell that’s long appealed to me. But he’s also a daring visual storyteller. He prefers practical sets and a grounded world to make the impossible seem possible in the largest of formats. He did that again here, shooting in IMAX, to create a massive and immersive on-screen experience. The shots and the scope of The Odyssey are breathtaking. There are sequences at sea, on land, massive battles, iconic moments, and supernatural challenges that all come to life in an amazing way. The way it’s shot, combined with the effects and score create a rich and vibrant world. You can’t help but be pulled in. What also helps is the performances. Damon is great at the heart of the film. But this is a rich cast. I was moved by Hathaway and her passion as Penelope, and Holland as the sometimes-daring Telemachus. Pattinson makes for a good villainous foil, while John Leguizamo is touching as the devoted Eumaeus. I enjoyed Jon Bernthal and Bennie Safdie, who appear as fellow Greek warriors at various points. Himish Patel is great as Odysseus’ right-hand man throughout most of his journeys, too. Zendaya, who is having a big year, gives some beautiful moments as the embodiment of Athena, coming to Odysseus at key moments. I also enjoyed Charlize Theron as Calypso, and the way she helps Odysseus come to himself and remember his journey. Much has been made of Elliott Page being cast in the film, but he acquits himself well in a couple key scenes as Sinon. His exchange with Odysseus in Hades is stirring and emotional. The Odyssey is an epic story that has stood the test of time. In his modern vision, Nolan has created a film that will do much the same. It’s perhaps his most ambitious film and also one of his best. It’s the best film of the year so far and one that demands to be seen in theaters.
Rating: Rated R for violence and some language.
Verdict: Four and a half stars out of five


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