There’s no denying it

Review: The night before I was set to watch The Odyssey, I had a dream that I was on set with Christopher Nolan. When I woke up at 2am, I couldn’t get back to sleep, lying there like a kid on Christmas Eve.

All this to say, I was clearly excited to see the movie, and my expectations were high. But not only did The Odyssey meet my expectations, it far exceeded them.

Matt Damon stars in the film as Odysseus. The story follows his journey home after the Trojan War. Universal Studios

Writing this review is one of the more difficult things I’ve done in my career, simply because The Odyssey left me speechless.

Since watching the movie, I’ve spoken to some superfans, one of whom spent around $10,000 on flights, accommodation, and tickets to see the movie in its intended IMAX 70mm form, and while it might sound ridiculous, I can understand why.

The hype for the film is completely justified. Christopher Nolan has delivered a standard we didn’t know he could reach, and while I think few will agree with me on this, I personally think it sits above Interstellar when ranking his films.

Knowing that Nolan refuses to use CGI unless absolutely necessary made some scenes in The Odyssey feel truly unbelievable.

The sheer scale of the movie is something that has to be seen to be believed, and I think it’s fair to say that the practical effects used set a new benchmark for cinema.

From start to finish, the movie is paced perfectly, balancing intense battle sequences with quieter emotional moments. At no point does it feel like too much or too little, and when the credits roll, it certainly does not feel like three hours have passed.

Honestly, I would have happily sat and watched another three.

One of Nolan’s biggest flaws has always been his tendency to underdevelop female characters, which was a concern going into The Odyssey, where adaptations have almost always downplayed Penelope’s (played by Anne Hathaway) intelligence and importance.

Unfortunately, Nolan didn’t entirely overcome the hurdle. Rather than focusing on Penelope’s intelligence and cunning nature, she mainly exists as a tool to represent the decay of Ithaca in Odysseus’ absence. She is forced to state her own importance with a few simple lines toward the end of the film.

Anne Hathaway’s performance as Penelope saved any shortcomings of director Christopher Nolan’s underdevelopment of the character. YouTube/Universal Pictures

But the slight misstep is saved by what is one of the best performances of Hathaway’s career.

While the weight of the movie rests almost entirely on Matt Damon’s shoulders as Odysseus – and trust me, he doesn’t disappoint, entirely transforming into the character – there are several scene-stealing performances.

Standouts include Hathaway’s emotionally gripping portrayal as the Queen of Ithaca, Robert Pattinson’s endlessly entertaining performance as Antinous and Samantha Morton’s haunting take as Circe as she carries the film’s major turning point.

Himesh Patel delivers another stellar performance as Eurylochus, Odysseus’ second-in-command, but the star who I undoubtedly would crown with the film’s best performance is John Leguizamo.

If John Leguizamo somehow misses out on at least an nomination for supporting actor, I’ll be writing a strongly worded letter. Universal Studios

Starring as Odysseus’ loyal servant, Eumaeus, left to hold the fort down in Ithaca for 20 years after Odysseus leaves for the war, Leguizamo holds the heart of the film, a clear standout more than holding his own among a star-studded cast.

It’s safe to say that there are several acting nods surely locked in for the Academy Awards, but the only early call I’m willing to make in terms of a win is Ludwig Göransson for the score.

This is the third time Nolan and Göransson have worked together, but it’s the first time Nolan has implemented the following rule: Do not use an orchestra.

Almost all films are scored using either an orchestra or electronically, but Nolan wanted neither; instead asking Göransson to create a score using ancient Greek instruments from the Bronze Age, many of which don’t actually exist any more.

And while it sounded like a wild enough idea to warrant some concern, Göransson delivers a score that completes the film and fully immerses the audience in the world of The Odyssey.

Like many of Nolan’s films, The Odyssey is an experience. If you can see it in IMAX, I recommend you do. If IMAX isn’t an option for you, watch it in a cinema wherever you can.

Because for those three hours, I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a movie theatre, I felt like I was inside one of Nolan’s dreams, completely swept away by the mythical world he created.