DUBAI: Christopher Nolan’s gargantuan full-IMAX retelling of Homer’s “The Odyssey” is an elemental and testosterone-fueled undertaking, chock-full of gorgeous set-pieces and metaphysical ruminations that are typical of the auteur. Unfortunately, the sum of its parts does not make for a transformative watch, simply because the film is let down by its generic modern dialogue, maddeningly inconsistent pacing and big-name casting.
However, where the film really soars is in its execution. “The Odyssey” is genuinely awe-inspiring in its vision and Nolan’s touch is felt in every scene and shot, complemented by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s dramatic touch and Ludwig Goransson’s orchestral score, in equal parts thrilling and moving.
Matt Damon as Odysseus and Zendaya as Athena. (Supplied)
Again, in typical Nolan fashion, more than the first two hours of the nearly-three-hour-long movie is told in non-chronological fashion, following Matt Damon’s Odysseus, the war-weary king of Ithaca, who has been away from his wife and son (Anne Hathaway’s Penelope and Tom Holland’s Telemachus) for almost two decades, the first 10 years of which he spent leading the war against Troy, at the behest of King Agamemnon (the mysteriously always-helmeted Benny Safdie) and his brother Menelaus (Jon Bernthal, sporting a ridiculous Brooklyn accent).
Nolan, astutely, also uses horror throughout “The Odyssey,” transforming Homer’s episodic adventure into a haunting exploration of survival, guilt and the psychological scars of war. The Cyclops sequence is particularly unsettling, replacing much of the creature’s dialogue with an atmosphere of existential dread. Guided by Bill Irwin’s performance and enhanced through visual effects, the giant goes about its routine of herding sheep, devouring Odysseus’ men and sleeping, barely acknowledging the humans in its presence.
Another scene that really gets under your skin is Odysseus and his men’s descent into the Underworld, as the former confronts the spirits of those who died following his decisions, forcing him to reckon with the cost of his ambition.
Samantha Morton’s Circe delivers another disturbing highlight, transforming Odysseus’ crew into pigs in a grisly, body-horror sequence after luring them with enchanted stew.
Charlize Theron’s Calypso and Zendaya’s Athena are spectacularly underused, but look fantastic for every small moment they are on screen.
And while it is impossible to neatly fit the entirety of the story into three hours of screen time, Oscar-winning editor Jennifer Lame makes an overstuffed film feel even more chaotic with frantic cutting between scenes.
“The Odyssey” is a film that ultimately commands admiration more than affection. Nolan has crafted an epic of staggering scale, filled with unforgettable imagery, philosophical weight and technical brilliance, but it never quite achieves the emotional pull of his best work. Between the uneven pacing, distracting performances from an overqualified ensemble and dialogue that often feels surprisingly contemporary, the film struggles to match the timeless grandeur of its source material. Even so, when Nolan embraces the myth, the terrifying and the sublime, “The Odyssey” reminds audiences why few filmmakers working today can mount spectacle on this scale.
