The Odyssey - Nolan
Just wanted to give my quick thoughts after having watched this movie and reading the poem a few times.
- To preface, I have really no issue with any casting decision nor am I part of the online "woke" movement that people have sprung up. Interesting how people pick and choose what we are allowed to do re-imaginings of.
- I shouldn't have read the poem right before watching it. I may even say no knowledge of the poem is the best way to go into this.
- I am fine with the 21st century "shrink" take on Odysseus, but I don't like it.
- I am never a fan of Chris Nolan's editing. I find it jarring and I'm never able to settle into an emotional moment (there are hardly ever any).
- Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson are the standouts. Everyone else did their best with a pretty poor script.
- Per usual with Nolan, it's a beautiful, spectacular movie.
- Due to this being made for a huge blockbuster audience, everything is explained to you multiple times over. The ending approaches ironic levels of this.
- Because of the "shrinkified" version of Odysseus, a lot of the story doesn't track with his character.
- My favorite part of the epics are the gods and their personalities. That was taken completely out of this imagining. There are no humans turning into birds, sadly.
- Odysseus is not very cunning, clever, humorous, or cool in this movie. He is specifically made weaker by Agamemnon. I didn't like that much.
- No one would like The Odyssey -> Film. Just wouldn't be that good. Feel like the best was done here with the re-invention.
I thought it was overall just okay. Maybe a 6/10. I would watch it though - this will now be how people view The Odyssey within the zeitgeist. Nobody actually read it in high school.