Matt Damon is legendary as Greek warrior Odysseus and Christopher Nolan lives up to Homer's epic status in his awesome adaptation of "The Odyssey."Show Caption
The word "epic" gets tossed around a lot in movies. Homer really knew what it meant. So does Christopher Nolan.His awesome fantasy adaptation of Homer’s classic “The Odyssey" (★★★★ out of four; rated R; in theaters July 17) is brutal, beautiful and a bit bonkers. It's also a Trojan Horse of filmmaking, with a war movie, history lesson, monster mash, body horror flick, moody zombie fest, maritime disaster extravaganza and father-son tale all scrunched together in a spectacular package.Not only is it the greatest work on the iconic director’s noteworthy resume but "The Odyssey" also tops Matt Damon’s not-too-shabby CV. Just give him the best actor Oscar now, for Zeus' sake, as Damon brilliantly portrays the legendary Odysseus on a quest full of fantastical obstacles and psychological self-discovering that also takes a hard, honest look at the battles we fight and who we fight them for.Songs of Odysseus’ heroism and cleverness – he hatched the idea of the Trojan Horse that helped the Greeks take the city of Troy – are sung on his island of Ithaca, even though it’s been eight years since the Trojan War ended and their king still hasn’t returned.Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) has been waiting for Odysseus to come back home for two decades, warding off dozens of suitors who eye the throne, like the odious Antinous (Robert Pattinson). Meanwhile, her son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), yearns for the father he’s never known, going to visit Spartan king Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) to find out any news about his warrior dad.So where’s Odysseus? When not in conversation with the goddess Athena (Zendaya), he’s on an island with the sea nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron) and slowly recalling his treacherous exploits trying to get home by ship with his crew. And those episodes are quite something, including run-ins with a giant cyclops (Bill Irwin), colossal armored soldiers, and a witch (Samantha Morton) who turns dudes into animals, not to mention making a choice between a nasty whirlpool and a nastier sea monster.From those major mythological moments to the searing fall of Troy, Nolan’s mastery of big action-movie elements is on full display throughout “The Odyssey.” He also rolls out a climactic piece that’s as rousing as anything in his Batman movies. (Without saying too much, Odysseus goes full John Wick. If you read Homer in school, you get it.) Nolan experiments with his usual visual palette, too, and isn’t afraid to really get weird in terms of the look and feel of scenes. At the same time, “The Odyssey” is a deeply personal and thoughtful film that, for a three-hour movie, moves impressively well. It’s about the casualties of war and the battles soldiers fight after they put down their weapons, and the movie explores themes of gods and men, myths and storytelling, and the tales we tell ourselves and each other vs. hard truths.As a symbol for the movie’s complex duality, Damon crushes his role. Odysseus is a determined warrior wanting to get home to his family as well as a leader whose poor decisions and needless cruelty are a detriment, especially to his fellow soldiers. But with Damon’s grit and heart, you want to see Odysseus get it together, even when faced with the ghosts of past sins.Nolan has surrounded him with a star-studded cast, and no false notes among them. Hathaway is fantastic as the impassioned Penelope, while Holland strikes a heartfelt emotional chord as Telemachus. Morton’s Circe is audaciously creepy to behold, John Leguizamo is terrific as Odysseus’ blind and loyal friend Eumaeus, Bernthal gives Menelaus a macho splendor, and Elliot Page and Lupita Nyong’o have short but memorable turns as doomed soldier Sinon and Helen of Troy, respectively.There are delights in every aspect of “The Odyssey,” from production design to costumes. (Benny Safdie’s helmet as Agamemnon should launch thousands of popcorn buckets.) That sort of all-around excellence is a staple in Nolan’s filmography, be it in “The Dark Knight,” “Interstellar” or “Oppenheimer.” “The Odyssey” is truly special even among those, though, making a 3,000-year-old story feel fresh and original again.
