As a member of the press, I have had the opportunity to interview some incredible people, and one of the questions I like to ask actors what the one movie which was the hardest or difficult to complete was. Shelly Duvall stated that for her, it was The Shining. Matt Damon has already answered this question publicly, and for him it was The Odyssey.
Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film boasts a cast that includes Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Charlize Theron and is of course based on the Hoper epic tale of Odysseus. The Trojan War has ended, and Odysseus (Damon) is tryin to find his way home from Ithaca. When he ends up in the company of Calypso (Theron), he has to recall his tale in order to do so while his home is being overrun by suitors looking to take over by marrying his wife, Penelope (Hathaway), even though his son, Telemachus (Holland) is standing by.
Even though this film is almost three hours long, I can honestly say that it did not drag at all for me. This is a case where certain scenes WERE necessary to be in there to keep the story moving forward, but there were also certain plot points from the source material that were left out. For instance, the Sirens are only here briefly while other not-as-important plot points were extended. The story also jumps around a bit, and while I understood why it could still get confusing.
The cast here is very good, led by Hathaway, Damon and Holland, who all were excellent. Even though this is getting released in the summer, I would not be surprised at all if all of them get major award nominations at the end of the year. Damon really is the standout here, and after seeing The Odyssey, I can understand why he said it was the hardest film he has ever been in. He is all-in here, and really gives his all on every level.
I know Nolan does not like using green screens or CGI, and this film shows it. He actually shot in six different countries, and I have to give it to the set location scouts who found the right scenery for every scene. I really have to give it to Nolan, who is known to go the extra mile and film on real locations and use practical effects as much as possible. It is done so well, that I was right there with the characters on their journey as it unfolded.
I even want to give some recognition to Ludwig Göransson, whose score captures and enhances each and every moment that it is used in, and even more so in the fact that I was lucky enough to see The Odyssey in its IMAX presentation (which it was also filmed in). Between the beautiful use of the film format and the music that came along with it, I was simply in awe from beginning to end. Even though I would have done some tweaking to the overall script, I can tell everyone associated in making this movie put their heart and soul into it. I will definitely recommend this film, and not only does it get my “coveted” full price in theater recommendation in a premium format AND my Bomb City promise that it will make my year-end list of best films.