horper

I’m not the type of person to see films on opening night. Usually, I wait a few days until the cinemas are emptier and I can sit wherever I’d like, but this film is different. I didn’t want to hear any reviews, didn’t want to have Twitter tell me it was bad, so I went alone on opening night. Overall, the film is amazing. As much as I disagree with the general inaccessibility of IMAX screens, seeing it in IMAX was one of the best cinematic experiences of my life. Nolan’s use of the frame is captivating, both in wide shots of the ocean and in the quiet, intimate moments between Odysseus and Penelope. Anne Hathaway as Penelope blew me away. The raw emotion she pours into every scene she stars in and how well she captures her character is phenomenal. Also, even though I was skeptical about Tom Holland as Telemachus, he gives a powerful performance and, surprisingly, made me tear up when he recognises his father. Elliot Page surprised me too with his performance as Sinon, in the best way possible. However, nothing is perfect. There were a couple of things not included in the film which surprised me. I don’t understand Nolan’s decision of leaving out the ‘Noman/Nobody’ joke with Polyphemus and how Odysseus becomes cursed by Poseidon after telling the son of the sea god his name. Of course, the scenes with Polyphemus in them were chilling and I loved the vision for the cyclops, but it felt disjointed without the Noman trick. Speaking of tricks, I was also very surprised to see that Penelope’s test about the olive tree bed wasn’t included. In the poem, this is how she recognises Odysseus, and without this, her recognition feels a little forced.    But apart from these criticisms, the film is practically perfect. My opinion on Nolan’s Odyssey is mostly one of someone who likes films, not someone who studies Ancient Greece, since there are more inaccuracies I could point out, but they didn’t lead to a bad film. TLDR: An amazing film, stellar cast, with a few notable moments from the epic poem that weren’t included.

do not watch this high those triplets are scary as hell