REEL | Christopher Nolan and Matt Damon Conquer 'The Odyssey'

"Then I defy the gods!"

Universal Pictures / Syncopy

Visionary, Oscar-winning British-American auteur Christopher Nolan adapts The Odyssey, the second of Homer's two ancient Greek epic poems (after The Iliad), into a metaphysical but immersive action blockbuster experience. Starring regular collaborator Matt Damon as the legendary Odysseus, the departed soldier-king of Ithaca, in another hero role as a man desperate to find his way home, the dense mythical fantasy is a monumental yet accessible journey of pure cinematic spectacle, filmed on the largest possible canvas.

Co-starring Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway as Odysseus's son and wife left behind, Telemachus and Penelope, they anchor the other half and parallel setting of Nolan's modern take on the legend. Both perform naturally despite being intercut with various enhanced, historically fantastical adventures. Its simultaneous scale and intimacy are a credit to Nolan's penchant for crafting a grounded retelling that's both faithful yet revisionist to his contemporary storytelling process.

Much has been made of the stacked but diverse cast of all-stars across the film's epic scope and storytelling. It's a pleasure to see the likes of Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, and many more show up on Damon's lengthy quest. Everyone in the cast adds to Odysseus reckoning with his mournful life of war and committing violence before the collapse of "Zeus' law" during the Bronze Age of civilization. Pattinson, in particular, heels it up as the truly despicable Antinous, the most aggressive suitor of Penelope and a direct threat to Telemachus.



Famously, this is the first-ever production to be shot entirely on large-format IMAX film cameras, and it shows. Acclaimed Dutch cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema's stunningly framed visuals, juxtaposed with three-time Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson's magnetic musical score, enhance the location shooting and intense performances splendidly. How audiences view Poseidon's crisp but cursed blue sea is nothing short of a completely visceral experience as a fresh perspective on the ancient text.

Of its breathless but expansive 172-minute runtime, The Odyssey spends its time building out a staggering piece of mythology beyond the confines of the screen. Aside from all the technology and effort seen, Nolan makes us care and invest in a king's decade-long struggle to return home. He and Damon exhaustively conquer the myth and mediation of Odysseus and his odyssey of aging into the void of darkness. The Odyssey makes you believe in the thousands-year-old myth.

The Odyssey screens in IMAX 70mm at both SilverCity Riverport and Cineplex Cinemas Langley and standard 70mm at the Park Theatre and International Village.


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