The Odyssey review: Matt Damon battles gods and monsters in jaw-dropping epic | Films | Entertainment

For one of the oldest and most famous stories in the Western canon, few have dared to adapt The Odyssey for film or television. Most recently, Ralph Fiennes starred in a decent attempt in The Return, which only covered the end of Homer’s epic 2800-year-old poem.

But now Sir Christopher Nolan, best known for his sci-fi and World War 2 blockbusters, has decided to do the opposite of what we’re used to seeing from him and dive headfirst into the fantastical world of this ancient Greek myth. Perhaps initially surprising given his very modern back catalogue, it turns out The Odyssey is chronologically out of sync and focuses on a man desperately trying to get home, which are two big themes across the Oscar-winning director’s films.

First off, let’s address the elephant in the room. Months prior to release, Nolan’s Odyssey was struck with heavy controversy following two casting announcements. Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o plays Helen of Troy and her sister (many Greeks were outraged), and 5’1 trans actor Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page, star of Inception) portrays Sinon, the Greek warrior who presents the Trojan Horse. Although a mythic story, there is sympathy to be had with the concerns over suspension of disbelief here. After all, this isn’t a play, but an engrossing motion picture. Yet both parts are so small in this almost three-hour epic and aren’t a postmodern attempt to subvert the story as some suspected, that it’s almost not worth commenting on, let alone give the time of day to all this angry online chatter of a boycott.

Now there’s a lot to cover in The Odyssey, and Nolan, who also penned the script, does an excellent job of hitting all the major story beats. This is largely a faithful adaptation of Homer with a couple of modern creative liberties. It’s clear, having seen the finished product, that he’s not trying to reinterpret the story, but give audiences that grand homecoming, the return of the king.

Unsurprisingly for the director, the fantasy elements are very grounded, with the opening text spelling out a time of “apparent magic”. Damon’s war-weary Odysseus, King of Ithaca, is on a decade-long journey home after 10 years of war with Troy. He’s lost all his men and recounts his battles with giants and encounters with sirens to Charlize Theron’s Calypso, who’s held him captive for years. Meanwhile, back on Ithaca, his son Telemachus (Tom Holland) is seeking word of his father while Odysseus’ wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) wards off her suitors led by Robert Pattison’s dastardly Antinous. These three in particular give exceptional performances, with the standout being an Oscar-worthy emotional turn by John Leguizamo as Eumaeus, the blind swineherd. In contrast, Zendaya’s Athena and Benny Safdie’s Agamemnon are sadly underused cameos.

As usual with Nolan, the visuals are simply jaw-dropping. Filmed entirely in IMAX 70mm, Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography is a mammoth sight to behold. From sweeping island scenes at dusk to crisp close-ups at sea, The Odyssey is a feast for the eyes. We just wish we could say the same for Ludwig Göransson’s score, which overdoses it on the booming bass side of things.

A dialogue-heavy start is full of profound whispers in American accents that, like Tenet, weren’t always very audible. But it’s not long before The Odyssey really sets sail with plenty of thrilling sequences, from sledgehammer storms to the haunting body horror (new for Nolan) of the terrifying Cyclops and Circe (disturbingly played by Samantha Morton), who turns men into pigs. As usual, the director eschews CGI in favour of practical effects that boggle the mind, making you wonder how they pulled it off. This is all before the story accumulates with Odysseus back in Ithaca, battling the suitors in some incredible third-act action scenes.

It’s still somewhat dense, like Oppenheimer, with a few experimental, clunky arthouse editing choices here and there, but ultimately remains accessible to the casual viewer. Is it one of Nolan’s greatest films? It’s far too early to tell. Some of the story changes, including the created epilogue, will frustrate the Classical purists, but we’ll wait and see how this one matures over time with repeat viewings. Definitely see it in IMAX if you can. It was made for it.

The Odyssey hits cinemas on Friday.