Holy sh*t, first and foremost.
I’m going to start this article by saying thank God for Christopher Nolan. Last weekend, I finally got to see and experience his long-awaited film based on the epic Greek poem The Odyssey, written by Homer. Here in Malaysia, since we don’t have IMAX 70mm cinemas, I watched it on IMAX digital, which screened the film in 1.90:1 ratio instead of the famous 1.43:1 that Nolan intended. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in — I thought I might get lost or confused. Happy to report I was wrong. Big time. What an experience that was. That’s arguably the fastest three-hour film I’ve ever sat through. Christopher Nolan simply cooked again — I have no other way to describe it. A well-made adaptation, in my opinion.
The Odyssey pulled in $124 million on its opening weekend against a $250 million budget, telling the story of Odysseus, on his long journey home to Ithaca to reunite with his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, after the Trojan War — a war he and his crew won, ending with the fall of Troy. Throughout the film, we follow him and his crew across years of their journey, battling all kinds of danger and creatures along the way — Cyclops, Sirens, Calypso, and more. But the story goes beyond that. It’s just as much about Odysseus’ own battle with himself and his memory, trying to remember his home and how to get back to it — which is also the reason his journey took nearly 20 years.
The performances from the whole ensemble were amazing, top to bottom. From Matt Damon to Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie — everyone. EVERYONE. Each cast member devoured their role with their whole heart, and I could feel that as I watched.
However, if there was one thing about this film that struck me, it was that the color grading felt a bit too gloomy for my taste. Sure, the intention was to evoke the Greek era and the story of the Trojan War, so leaning dark makes sense. But I was hoping for a bit more from the costuming — it felt a touch too monochrome. Still good nonetheless; never a dealbreaker, just something I’d hoped to see more of.
Other than that, what a masterpiece. To me, this is a screenwriting masterclass from Nolan — how he opens a film, how he introduces a character, how he builds the last act, all of it. Special shoutout to editor Jennifer Lame and composer Ludwig Göransson. Like I said, it genuinely didn’t feel like three hours, thanks to how well it was written, acted, and edited. And of course, the score was majestic — it carried the emotion to its highest peak. Long live Christopher Nolan. Long live Emma Thomas.
