The Odyssey

Going into this, I hadn't read the original Odyssey or seen past adaptations. While I was familiar with the iconic story elements because of how deeply ingrained they are in pop culture, I wanted to judge this movie purely as Christopher Nolan’s own standalone creation. And on that front, Nolan definitely achieved in crafting an epic story on a massive scale, even if the first 15 minutes feel a bit weak as the film finds its footing. Visually, the movie is stunning. I had my doubts when I first watched the trailers, but the relatively dull color grading works perfectly for the aesthetic here. What really gives the film its grand scale is Nolan’s famous opposition to CGI. The use of practical effects and real sets is so refreshing in a time when CGI is the norm. The Cyclops and Circe turning the crew into pigs have an incredible physical weight to them. The Siege of Troy is by far the most impressive sequence in the movie and easily one of my favorite visual moments in cinema this year, and I absolutely loved the execution of the Sirens scene too. I do think Hades was a bit weaker visually and I would have liked to see more done with it, but Ludwig Göransson’s incredible score easily covers any gaps, completely immersing me in the world. At its core, Nolan tells the story of a deeply scarred man whose original sin is celebrated as his greatest accomplishment, tracking his physical and personal journey back home. The reveal of the "sea people" as the culmination of Odysseus's fear is a twist that really worked for me. While the film's message (not purely anti-bellicist, but more about the nature of humanity’s own self-destruction) treads familiar ground, it is portrayed in such a deeply human way that I couldn't help but see the thematic parallels with Oppenheimer. The cast anchors that heavy theme beautifully. Matt Damon is great, Anne Hathaway is phenomenal, and Tom Holland is fine. Zendaya was pretty good, and I really liked how Athena functioned more as Odysseus’s consciousness rather than a traditional guiding god. But the performance that stuck with me the most was Robert Pattinson's; this movie just further cements him as one of my favourite actors of this generation. Ultimately, this film really moved me. It’s easily a Top 3 Nolan movie for me. Also, Agamemnon just has unbelievable amounts of aura. 9.5/10