The Odyssey

Action/Adventure/Fantasy | Directed by Christopher Nolan | M (violence and content that may disturb)

Christopher Nolan’s latest offering, based on Homer’s epic poem, tells the story of Odysseus’ decade-long journey home after the Greek victory in the Trojan war. On an execution level, where The Odyssey succeeds is the emphasis on practical effects—puppetry and animatronics in particular deliver one of the most captivating and affecting sequences in the film. Where it doesn’t do so well is in capturing the passage of time. In places, the episodic encounters feel quite ‘rinse-and-repeat’, which may bore some viewers. On a thematic level, Nolan’s telling of the story is a reminder of the consequences of war, power and naked ambition; a tragic parallel to current geopolitical events. We would do well to heed the warning. (Reviewed by Sam Coates)