The Odyssey (15)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

I HAD the good fortune to see this on the largest screen in Britain in IMAX 70mm, which is how Christopher Nolan filmed it, and it was absolutely epic to behold and impressive in its magnitude in bringing Homer’s The Odyssey to a modern-day audience. 

It is also groundbreaking as the first film ever to be shot from beginning to end in IMAX on cameras created especially for Nolan to do this. It was almost entirely filmed on location too, which included Greece, Sicily, Morocco and Iceland, and no CGI was used which is unbelievable when you see the scenes with the Cyclops (voiced by Bill Irwin) and the enchantress Circe (Samantha Morton) turning Odysseus’ men into pigs. 

Based on Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation of The Odyssey, it is set 10 years after the Trojan war. Odysseus (Matt Damon), the king of Ithaca, is trying to get home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland) but is being held captive by the enchanting nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron) on her island. She feeds him lotus flowers to obfuscate his mind. 

The fall of Troy and the Trojan horse are recounted in flashbacks along with Odysseus’s encounters with mythical beings. Meanwhile, 20 years since Odysseus left, Penelope is fending off a pack of relentless suitors, led by the unscrupulous Antinous (Robert Pattinson), convinced he is still alive.

The themes of Homer’s work are still relevant today as the film explores the value of peace and holding onto it, and the futility of war. It also examines the cost of conflict to those who went to battle and to those who stayed behind. Odysseus is gripped with guilt and regret for not being able to save his men and bring them home as he accepts responsibility, while Penelope rules their kingdom in his absence but, as a woman, she isn’t given respect or credit as she keeps the predators at bay. 

Nolan’s extraordinary star-studded cast (including Zendaya and Lupita Nyong’o) all brought their A game as they were put through the wringer (whether inside the horse, climbing steep hills or rowing in treacherous seas). Pattinson is the biggest revelation, finally delivering a career-defining performance as the villain, while Morton is electrifying as Circe giving her verdict on man’s hideous nature. 

Bold in scale, yet grounded in realism regarding the supernatural, this is another cinematic behemoth from Nolan which will take your breath away. 

See it in IMAX!

Maria  Duarte
In cinemas July 17.