Summary: After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.
I’ve only seen the movie once at this point, so some things could change on a repeated viewing.
I’m also going to try not to spoil anything. This review is also sooo overdue, and it’s because it’s just soooo much!
Pros:
Cast and Characters. I’m not going to lie… the acting is mostly great across the board, so I’m not going to hit on everyone. Elliot Page as Sinon was great and had a really great sequence later in the film. Zendaya as Athena had great moments as well; Her performance is subtle; we only see her interacting with Odysseus. Jon Bernthal as Menelaus was good. Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy was great; I wish we saw more of her. Samantha Morton as Circe was a standout. Her scenes were uncomfortable but excellent.
- Matt Damon as Odysseus. Odysseus is the legendary Greek king of Ithaca who travels to Troy because of Helen of Troy. Then, instead of going home quickly, he takes the scenic route, subjecting himself and his crew to trials, tribulations, and death. He’s brave and stubborn, and his hubris causes some dissension among his crew. Odysseus is interesting as a character because he clearly cares about his crew but makes some early decisions that aren’t in his crew’s best interest. They’re stupid decisions because why are we taking the scenic route home? That doesn’t make any sense, my guy. The movie focuses on his actions, how they affect him and others, and how he comes out on the other side of the journey. I haven’t seen a ton of Matt Damon films, but I think he’s a good actor, and I thought his performance was good. There are some moments that stand out in his performance, but I thought he was just good. Unfortunately, I didn’t leave thinking about his performance the way I have others.
- Tom Holland as Telemachus. He is the son of Odysseus and Penelope and the prince of Ithaca. He’s sick of the squatters/suitors who’ve been taking advantage of “Zeus’s Law” and how they’re preying on his mother or trying to antagonize him into breaking the law. Because of this, he wants to find his father to prove whether he’s dead or alive so he can make his next move. Tom Holland is great. I saw someone say they think he had the weakest performance, and I wholly disagree. I think people are expecting him to play it “strong” right out of the gate, but I think he plays Telemachus exactly as his arc dictates. I’m unsure how old he is; I’d say about 20, but he’s young and angry and determined to protect his mother, believe in his father, and make sure his kingdom doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. He grows throughout the movie, and I think that’s extremely clear. He’s naive at times, but that’s necessary. He’s also smart because there’s a sequence where he has to “rage bait” someone, and while he’s successful, he’s also shocked by the outcome. I thought Tom was great and I’d hope to see more roles like this from him. He also looks great in a lot of his costumes.
- Anne Hathaway as Penelope. She’s Odysseus’ wife, Telemachus’ mother, and Queen of Ithaca. She spends her time weaving a shroud. She’s doing her best to honor Zeus’ law but also holding out hope that Odysseus will return to her. She’s also very protective of her son, hoping that the suitors won’t goad him into fighting that would get him killed. Anne Hathaway is great. I’ve never seen a bad performance from her, and she’s basically fighting for her life, trying to stay strong against the suitors mooching off her family while she hopes that Odysseus will return.
- Robert Pattinson as Antinous. He’s a suitor, vying for Penelope’s hand to eventually become King of Ithaca. He, along with the other suitors, antagonizes Telemachus. He’s trying to play the long game. Robert Pattinson is great in this role; I’m sure you’ve seen the clip “Can somebody get these BEGGERS outta here!?” which is a great line read. But RPatz plays sleazy and uncomfortable so well. As his character’s personality and intentions continued to be revealed, I was along for the ride because I know Robert Pattinson is great in these types of roles.
- John Leguizamo as Eumaeus. He’s a blind swineherd and Odysseus’ loyal servant. He cares for the old dog Odysseus saved and watches over Telemachus by making sure he’s trained in combat. He’s strong and capable, outside of the fact that he’s old and blind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in an actual serious role because I haven’t seen a ton of his movies, but I was pleased with his performance. I thought he was very good.
- Himesh Patel as Eurylochus. He’s Odysseus’s second-in-command who challenges his thoughts and plans. I don’t see him get talked about enough in these conversations, but I thought he was very good. I was stressed and looking for him whenever they ended up on another island. I appreciated his loyalty to Odysseus, but it made sense to see cracks forming every time they had to fight for their lives. I mean, they spent 10 years in a war with Troy; he just wants to go home! You can see he’s torn between following Odysseus’s orders and potentially committing mutiny to ensure they all survive.
Character Relationships. I enjoyed how some of the characters interacted with each other. Odysseus, while an idiot, worked well with his crew. Most of the crew were nameless characters, and the ones we saw with “major” roles felt like they’d known each other for years. Especially with Eurylochus, his right-hand man. It was frustrating watching their adventure because someone was always doing something stupid, and it started with Odysseus. There’s a great scene with Odysseus and Sinon, and we get more insight into Sinon and Antinous’s connection. The strongest relationships shown, in my opinion, involve Telemachus. First, with Penelope and Telemachus. We see them stand together against the suitors, while holding on to hope that Odysseus would return. We get to see so much of them that I did consider them among the best-handled characters. Second, with Telemachus and Mentor, the chemistry is there. Watching Mentor teach and protect him. Same with Eumaeus. I also liked his relationship with Antinous and the other suitors because it was very antagonistic, and you could see how his arc would form. In a way, Telemachus is the main character because we get to see him interact with so many people.
Music. Ludwig Göransson has once again joined Christopher Nolan to win another Oscar for his amazing score. Describing music as “massive” probably sounds crazy, but it’s the best way for me to explain it because you could literally feel the music in your bones. I think everyone has been talking about it, but the “Sirens” song was probably the most memorable. It’s also one of the scenes where Matt Damon stood out to me the most in his performance.
Storytelling/Adventure. This is mostly attributed to the original story, but I liked how the actual story of Odysseus’ adventures was Odysseus either recounting his adventures to others or Telemachus being told the story by people who fought alongside Odysseus. This kind of storytelling worked for the movie because it’s similar to how epics are recounted over time: by word of mouth. The adventures were fun to watch. While I haven’t read the actual epic, I am familiar with the story through retellings (and Percy Jackson lol), and I had a good time, even knowing what was going to happen. Seeing it realized in this way was exciting, especially coupled with the score. I really liked how the Sirens were handled; we couldn’t see them well, which was fine, BUT I liked how sound was used in this sequence. When the crew puts earwax in to block the song, the sound half cuts out for the audience, then fully cuts out and we can’t hear anymore. THEN we just see Odysseus reacting because he can still hear it… I thought that was so smart and so haunting. Also Matt Damon’s best scene.
Cinematography/Practical Effects. I understand the criticism that the film looks ugly, but I don’t think it’s ugly. I just think it’s human, and I can see why some wouldn’t like that for an epic. It didn’t feel dull to me; it felt realistic, and even though it’s based on an epic, Nolan tends to want realism in his work, even when the subject matter isn’t realistic. Hoyte van Hoytema is the cinematographer, and I think there are some amazing shots in the film, and the tone fits the story Nolan wanted to tell. I really enjoyed the designs of some of the mythical creatures we see and how magic is utilized. The sequence with Polyphemus was tense, and it’s cool they used puppetry and live performance to capture that character. Plus, his design was unique. Scylla looking like a barnacle was pretty cool… also disgusting. The scenes with Circe, while uncomfortable, had very cool effects. I don’t like body horror, so I had a hard time, but it was effective.
Cons:
Accents. This is a minor issue because I didn’t have a problem with everyone having American accents, but I do think it would’ve been more beneficial for everyone to just have their own accents. I think it would’ve fit the movie better. I didn’t mind the “dad” and “mom” of it all, but I think it wouldn’t have been so jarring if people who weren’t American just used their own accents.
Weak-ish Script/Directing Choices. Unfortunately, the weakest part of this movie is the writing, or how the story was adapted. The characters are likable, the actors do well with what they have, and in relation to each other, there’s interesting potential. However, for the audience, there’s not really a chance to get emotionally invested in anyone past the surface. There’s a lot of exposition, but the dialogue isn’t always tight and snappy enough to justify the amount. I’ll touch on Calypso later, but instead of moments of her just talking, if her addition didn’t feel like an afterthought, there was a chance to have some of her scenes be more show than tell. It did both, and I think it could’ve just been tell. Also, moments are rushed. They encountered the Laestrygonians, and because Nolan took liberties with their appearance, which is fine- we love creative license- I had no idea who/what they were. I don’t think the movie tells you either, because if it does… I couldn’t hear it. Then at the end, I was like, “oh.” The movie is long already, but there could’ve been some restructuring to make room for more scenes with the suitors. Plus, always having Penelope speaking through a screen didn’t help when she interacted with the suitors. It’s been hard for me to articulate how I felt about the script, but the main thing is that I left the movie feeling like it was the weakest part… which is a big part.
Calypso Scenes. I think Charlize Theron is a great actress, but she was the weakest actor/character in the movie. She felt like an afterthought. I know Odysseus spends a lot of time with her and she’s supposed to fall for him, but I didn’t get that impression. There was a major disconnect there. Now, I do know a little about her role in this story, which they changed for the sake of this adaptation, which is fine, but not only did I not feel like she was in love with him, but her island was supposed to be paradise. It was not. She wasn’t interesting to watch. The most interesting thing was her asking Odysseus to recount his quest if he remembered, but outside of that… everything about this plot point fell by the wayside. Then of course… there’s the burrito blanket.
Use of Women. I’m not sure how the original story handles the female characters, but I think most of them weren’t utilized as well or as much as they should’ve been and probably needed to be. They’re all interesting characters. Whoever Mia Goth played, I think there was a chance to use her more in the story. There’s only one scene where I felt like she was effective. Helen of Troy was underutilized. As I said in the previous section, Calypso felt out of place. While I liked Zendaya’s Athena, I think she should’ve shown up more. There are times when she’s basically Odysseus’ conscience, which is a cool use for her, but I think she should’ve made an appearance throughout the film, at every stop they made. Penelope and Circe were the only two women I felt were handled pretty well.
Sound Mixing. I often see “sound” as a criticism of Nolan’s work specifically, and it continues. I know he’s like a “FILMMAKER,” but bro, I also need to hear what’s being said. I saw the movie in IMAX, and it was a great experience, but there were a few times where I couldn’t hear the dialogue. There’s a sequence where Polyphemus is yelling, but it’s intelligible because the sound is so loud. I know now what was said, but at that moment, I couldn’t tell you. You know the joke about TVs being so low during the actual thing you’re watching, but the commercials blow out your ears? Or the music does, but the dialogue is almost unintelligible? That’s how it feels a few times, especially during scenes with a lot of loud sounds. I hear the 70mm IMAX camera is super loud, which affects how the actors act around it… which is annoying. I’m going to have to watch it again at home… with subtitles lol.
Overall, I thought The Odyssey was good. It had some fantastic elements, and I can see why people are so taken with the film. The acting is good across the board for the most part; the characters are interesting, even if some of them aren’t used effectively within the story (mostly the female characters). I liked the use of puppetry and the unique designs for the mythical creatures. The soundtrack is amazing. Certain character connections/interaction stand out. But the movie isn’t perfect and has some big flaws that I think keep it from being as perfect as I’ve seen people say. The script isn’t strong a lot of the time; the dialogue can be a little awkward. I liked the storytelling, but I think the overall adaptation was weaker than expected. The movie would be rated higher for me if the script was better. Also, the sound mixing is inconsistent. It’s LOUD, and then the dialogue is low. I need Nolan to stop doing that. But overall, I thought The Odyssey was a great experience to watch in theaters.
Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars.
I recommend The Odyssey! But if you decide to wait to watch at home, make sure your subtitles are ready to go! You’re going to need them.
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