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After nan near-ecstatic reviews from critics for The Odyssey, mini cracks are starting to show successful Christopher Nolan’s record-breaking juggernaut, and a mini but vocal faction of nan assemblage appears to beryllium begging to differ. Looking astatine Rotten Tomatoes, nan ever-controversial aggregate tract is reporting a stubborn activity of one- and moreover half-star reviews, calling it “super boring”, “long-winded and poorly written”, “one of Nolan’s biggest disappointments”, and — much harshly — drafting unfavorable comparisons pinch nan likewise themed Troy and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (both, coincidentally, released successful 2004).
Of course, Christopher Nolan’s films person been famously polarizing since his reinvention of nan Batman franchise backmost successful 2005. Beginning pinch Batman Begins, Nolan felt nan request to found authenticity wherever it was ne'er antecedently needed — and, for amended aliases for worse — he’s stuck pinch that look ever since (there whitethorn beryllium crippled holes, but nan subject is ever watertight). It surely paid disconnected pinch Oppenheimer, which won 7 Academy Awards retired of 13 nominations for its portrayal of nan tortured begetter of nan atom bomb.
Since Inception (2010), Nolan has mostly targeted mid-July for his big-budget bonanzas, and it’s a strategy that has worked amazingly good for his Oscar campaigns. But aft 3 days connected release, it’s not instantly clear whether lightning will onslaught doubly aft Oppenheimer, particularly pinch Warner Bros. very provocatively scheduling Denis Villeneuve’s arsenic epic sci-fi franchise finale Dune 3 for Dec. 18, almost 5 months to nan time aft The Odyssey.
While nominations for Best Picture and Best Director — and sound, VFX and costume — are possibly inevitable, moreover astatine this early stage, Nolan has ne'er been accordant pinch acting awards: Which is what made Oppenheimer’s expanse truthful strong, pinch wins for Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and a information for Emily Blunt. But fixed Nolan’s way grounds — don’t hide Leonardo DiCaprio’s snub for Inception — thing tin beryllium said to beryllium truthful definite for The Odyssey, successful which Matt Damon stars arsenic returning Greek warrior Odysseus.
True, location is simply a batch of emotion for its charismatic prima complete nan years (as X.com personification popboner has noted, “Hollywood has spent complete $600m to get Matt Damon home”, doubly from abstraction and erstwhile from World War 2). But contempt 3 nominations for his acting, Damon won his one, and truthful acold only, Oscar for Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting (1997) — not for his capacity but nan book he co-wrote pinch his aged friend Ben Affleck — which could beryllium each nan impetus he needs to triumph if his run keeps up nan momentum.
Damon’s Odysseus, however, is not a accepted action hero, contempt nan menacing quality of nan film’s teaser posters, which show him going into battle, beard successful hand. In fact, Odysseus is much for illustration J. Robert Oppenheimer, a man tormented by nan capacity he has to unleash violence. In that respect, The Odyssey is simply a profoundly anti-war film, accidentally made each nan much timely by America’s caller “excursion” into nan Middle East, and Damon’s horrified expressions successful nan heavy of conflict do not precisely induce comparisons with, let’s say, Mel Gibson’s much Oscar-baiting activity style successful Braveheart.
It’s nan admittedly somewhat overstated literacy of nan piece, if not nan authorities of it, that seems to beryllium nan rumor rankling those drawn successful by nan action-packed trailer, not Homer’s 3,000-year-old poem. Indeed, nan film’s pivotal segment — nan usage of a elephantine woody equine to participate nan fortified metropolis of Troy — is thing but entertaining. Nolan shows it to beryllium ugly, filling up pinch nan bodily fluids of dying soldiers arsenic nan horse, their “gift” to nan Trojans, is engulfed by nan incoming tide. This and nan continued mention of Zeus’s Law (one must ever dainty outsiders kindly successful lawsuit they “might beryllium gods successful disguise”) whitethorn beryllium person to wide Hollywood’s bosom than nan American public’s, fixed nan MAGA support for ICE.
Speaking of Hollywood, nan Academy loves a transformation, but Damon arguably doesn’t present one; his Odysseus is pensive and introspective, truthful overmuch truthful that nan sirens taunt him pinch his ain acheronian thoughts that possibly he doesn’t really want to spell location astatine all, having mislaid his consciousness of self-worth and integrity successful nan barbaric and sadistic (but not particularly hard-R rated) siege of Troy.
It’s a prime that useful against some of Odysseus’s curiously level witchy encounters — notably pinch Circe (Samantha Morton) and Calypso (Charlize Theron) — which don’t rather summon nan requisite level of threat. In this respect, contempt nan amazingly lukewarm (for Nolan) Mediterranean cinematography, The Odyssey sometimes resembles a very costly long-running Saturday greeting ’70s TV show pinch astonishment play impermanent stars (the aforesaid mightiness besides use to Tom Holland, who plays Odysseus’s boy Telemachus for illustration Denny successful The Room).
If we judge Damon arsenic a shoo-in for a nomination, past Anne Hathaway, arsenic his woman Penelope must surely follow; successful a very well-judged U-turn from her caller capacity successful The Devil Wears Prada 2, Hathaway really brings immoderate much-needed humanity to nan film. She’s besides nan astir reliable female characteristic Nolan has ever put connected screen; while Odysseus is distant pondering connected a godforsaken island, disconnected his caput connected lotus leaves, Penelope is dealing pinch nan reality of holding Ithaca together arsenic it crumbles successful her husband’s absence. This brings america straight to Robert Pattinson arsenic her odious suitor Antinous; Pattinson has nan right, sleazy worldly to make his skin-crawling scenes pinch Hathaway really work, sparking successful ways that immoderate of nan different conflicts successful nan movie don’t.
Special mention is besides due, though, to nan almost unrecognizable John “Legs” Leguizamo arsenic nan unsighted swineherd Eumaeus, who stands retired by miles successful a movie steeped successful solemnity (even Odysseus’s long-suffering emo canine Argos cynically underplays nan large affectional finish). Nevertheless, nan roadworthy to nan Oscars is astir arsenic agelong arsenic Odysseus’s travel home, and, astatine this stage, hunches are conscionable that: hunches. “We can’t unrecorded by omens and sacrifices,” Odysseus tells his men. He mightiness arsenic good beryllium talking astir awards season.
