​Keeping it Reel Review of 'The Odyssey'

Related: The Viking Longship Used in The Odyssey

By DEBORAH HAMILTON-LYNNE
Special to North Palm Beach Life
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First of all, I should tell you that in college when I had to read the Iliad and the Odyssey I cheated. I not only relied on Cliff notes but also I will admit to reading papers by sorority sisters that had actually read the book and aced it. However, I did love mythology, so I am also familiar with the story and characters.

Before committing to three hours of watching the modern version of Homer’s classic I decided to cheat once again this time by asking Chat GPT to give me a summary of the story and the characters. This sent me down the rabbit hole of rereading my Dictionary of Mythology to brush up on three C’s - Calypso, Circe and the Cyclops as well as Helen of Troy, daughter of Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo and Athena. I am certainly glad that I metaphorically created another cheat sheet before seeing the film because it enhances the fast moving experience of it all.

I went with a group of friends - those who basically knew very little or nothing about the mythology were shocked and lost a lot of the time and those who knew at least some of the background of the story were sucked into Nolan’s very finely crafted retelling.

So friends, do yourself a favor and trust me - if you prep just a little you will enjoy this film immensely. Fair warning - it is long so make a restroom stop before the movie - it is violent with a fair amount of graphic violence but after all the siege of Troy was a 10-year war and without too much of a spoiler, yes the Cyclops and the multi-headed monster Scylla did enjoy eating men. Honestly, the film is no more violent than Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon and as audiences we have been conditioned to accept fantastical creatures as well as violence in storytelling over the last few years.

I will not nitpick over whether or not the story stays true to Homer because to me it didn’t matter. Close enough was good enough for me. What I will say is that I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. For the most part, the casting is spot on. While Matt Damon is not in Jason Bourne shape he completely becomes the heroic and tortured Odysseus. You feel his pain, his yearning, and his completely fallible human journey. Anne Hathaway overplays the long suffering Penelope a bit, but hey if my husband took off for ten years without a word I would be properly pissed too. Samantha Morton’s Circe is appropriately completely creepy. Charlize Theron as Calypso is beautiful and enchanting but I would have liked to see a little heat considering the mythology that three sons were born of her seven year union/captivity of Odysseus. You will barely recognize John Leguziamo as an elder servant who serves as the voice of wisdom and finally although Zendaya has very few words to say she perfectly captures the presence of Athena and the guiding light that leads Odysseus home.

Nolan’s film version of the Odyssey rightfully deserves its 94 Rotten tomatoes rating and blockbuster status. I say this not because it is a sweeping action film beautifully delivered.

It is exactly that - graphic battle scenes, magical arrows, mythical creatures that make you believe it's all really happening. For me, what makes this film stand out and worth three hours is that underneath it all is a deeply moving story of a man coming to terms with the nature of power, tragic mistakes, regrets, shame, love and loss - all the while knowing that his place in history will expose him as anything but a god and completely human.

Although it totally deviates from Homer, Nolan has Odysseus looking at his sins and place in history, ending the film saying that their broken civilization will rise from the darkness and that inevitably if men don’t learn from his story, darkness that comes from seeking power will come again. Whether it is the action-packed last scenes of Odysseus's final revenge or the lessons he hopes history will preserve, I promise that you will leave the theater talking about the ending. So brush up on your Greek mythology and join the pantheon of Gods for a story that has stood the test of time well told and reimagined for today.