The Odyssey

By Joanna Langfield

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the Homer’s Greek tale is, cinematically, an undoubted achievement. In many ways, the film, even though shot on IMAX, reminded me of the old school epics, a top notch cast working on actual sets, special effects added only when needed. And the sprawling story, one which may or may not be known to contemporary audiences, can be read as a modern day morality tale, in between all the truly impressive action sequences.

So why wasn’t I blown away by it?

Yes, the movie is long. Those old school movies I was talking about? A lot of them added intermissions. But it wasn’t the length itself that was a problem for me. It was the intermittent moments that sagged. Sure, we all need a break to catch our collective breaths after witnessing that glorious Cyclops encounter, or the frightening meal with the outstanding Samantha Morton, as Circe. But Nolan’s admirable commitment to the origin story has led to some clunky narratives, often shot in the dark and, a few times, hard to actually hear.

Many people will be happy to forgive all that, thrilled by the battles that are tremendous (well, in IMAX everything is tremendous, but the term still applies). And they are terrific. So too are the performances from Matt Damon, who seems to get more interesting as Odysseus as the movie goes along, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo and Anne Hathaway. How can I not cheer for the short, but undeniable feminist support as well as the not just antiwar take but compassion for those haunted by it that swirl through this family drama?

For me, a great film affects me emotionally as well as intellectually. This one did not, making this Odyssey a very, very good film that, I wish, had been better.