The first reactions from early screenings of Christopher Nolan’s "The Odyssey" are out, and... Nolan fans can all breathe a sigh of relief. They are overwhelmingly positive, with top critics hailing it as a "staggering achievement," "monumental filmmaking," and a masterful follow-up to "Oppenheimer". Following its world premiere in London, film journalists have praised its immense scale, incredible ensemble performances, and groundbreaking technical execution, further increasing the buzz for the gargantuan epic based on the iconic poem by Homer.
The film opens wide globally on July 17. It is the first full-length feature film to be shot entirely with IMAX cameras. Critics have noted that the format perfectly fits the "immense" visual scope. As for performances, Matt Damon is receiving heavy praise in the lead role of Odysseus, triggering early Oscar buzz talk. Also singled out as scene-stealers are Robert Pattinson (playing the suitor Antinous) and Samantha Morton (playing Circe). Praise has also gone to the way Nolan has handled the extended horror sequences, apparently a first in his 25-year career. (Nolan has dabbled in horror previously, only in small doses, in films such as "Batman Begins" and "Oppenheimer”) Samantha Morton's performance is being compared to that of Heath Ledger's Joker in Nolan's "The Dark Knight".
While some critics, like Indiewire's David Ehrlich, called it a bit too "clunky" to be top-tier Nolan, they agreed that the final act powerfully rewards the journey. A critic for The Los Angeles Times described it as "Staggering. Earthy, ghostly, weighty, touched by humor and grandeur alike. It's pure cinema," while Time Out called it "a dizzying mix of craft and spectacle that's built to last... packed with career-best work from the stacked cast." Simon Thompson (Film Critic & Journalist) deemed it "flawless filmmaking" featuring a "career-best" performance from Matt Damon. Erik Davis (Fandango) praised the film as a "triumph" that surprises with its "genuinely unsettling" horror elements.
Despite minor pre-release online internet debates regarding the modern casting choices (such as Lupita Nyong'o as Helen and Elliot Page as Sinon), the premiere's critical wave has effectively shut down scepticism, setting the film up to be the definitive cinematic event of the summer.
