The Odyssey review: This breathtaking horror is Christopher Nolan's magnum opus; Robert Pattinson redefines villainy

THe OdysseyDirector: saint christopher NolanCast: Matt Damon, Anne anne hathaway, tomcat Holland, henry m. Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Samantha jelly roll morton, and Lupita N’yongoRating: ★★★★★There are moments in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey where we, the viewers, are confronted with the horrors of the real world - the darkest, most repulsive truths that we want to turn away from. And every time we feel we have the lay of the land and can recognise the monster lurking beneath, the narrative peels back another layer, revealing who the true monsters are. To take a story that has been told and retold countless times over three millennia and give it their own touch is an unenviable task. To do so in a manner that probably even elevates some elements of the original is mind-boggling. But the master filmmaker that Christopher Nolan is, he does it. With elan. The Odyssey is just the latest film that will again spark debate about which is Nolan’s best work. It is a sprawling saga blending modern sensibilities with timeless motifs, aided by unprecedented camera work and an impeccable score. On top of that are the performances from a solid cast, some of whom have given their best work ever here.Nolan’s entry in horrorThe Odyssey begins eight years after the end of the Trojan War. The Greeks were victorious, and all the triumphant kings have long returned to their kingdoms with the spoils of war, save for one. Odysseus of Ithaca has not been seen since the war, nor have his men. In Ithaca, his queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is fighting hard to keep suitors at bay, dozens of men who have camped in the king’s palace, urging the queen to remarry and give Ithaca a new king. Her son Telemachus (Tom Holland) has not given up hope and vows to find Odysseus before Antonius (Robert Pattinson), the wiliest of these suitors, breaks down his mother’s resolve. Odysseus (Matt Damon) is trying to get home, but is caught up in everything from a confrontation with the realities of life and the wild ways of the sea. The trailers lied to you. They were a Trojan horse. This is no epic fantasy, no war drama, and certainly no coming-of-age feature. Nolan’s Odyssey is a gothic horror. Everything from the framing to the sound design and the treatment of the characters screams eeriness. And The Odyssey does not shy away from being heavy for the viewer. It gets loud, visceral, gory, and even discomfiting at times, in a rather Mike Flanagan-meets-Ridley Scott sort of territory. But it is never repulsive. And it never loses its aura of spectacle. Nolan’s debut in horror is splendid, a testament to how a good filmmaker can always cross genres when they wish.In Hoyte and Ludwig, we trustCarrying the film are two now-frequent collaborators of the filmmaker. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema puts up a feature-size advertisement for IMAX, and I mean it as a compliment. From the expansive shots of Trojan beaches and stormy oceans to intimate frames featuring a brooding Odysseus, the veteran DOP imbues each frame with depth and grandeur. Almost like an artist, he paints the world Nolan envisioned on the big screen in the best format available. Aiding him is Ludwig Göransson, arguably the best composer of his generation. His score, particularly the contrast between the silences and the crescendo, underlines the film’s horror. Robert Pattinson, take a bowMatt Damon got the role of a lifetime here, and he delivers. He captures the weariness and longing of a man far from home to perfection, but also brings out the aura and wisdom of a king. He carries this film on his back for over two hours, and never stumbles. Tom Holland is another actor to have given his best performance ever in the film. You pity Telemachus but never laugh at him. How Holland manages to evoke empathy for a character largely described in literature as a ‘loser’ deserves praise. Anne Hathaway, too, brings out her A-game as the powerful yet vulnerable Penelope.Zendaya and Charlize Theron get little screentime but still deliver memorable performances, while Samantha Morton is both chilling and touching as Calypso in a role that will be talked about for some time to come. But the star of the show is Robert Pattinson. As the antagonist Antonius, he presents the most snivelling, hateworthy villain in years. His villainy isn’t loud. It is treacherous. And with each lustful stare and contemptuous line, he makes you hate him more. Nolan and Pattinson never give Antonius the aura of a supervillain, but make him a threat big enough to matter. That’s a tightrope they managed to sail through, courtesy of some great writing and an all-time performance. The irony is that outside the principal cast, the two most apt castings are the ones the internet is debating the most. Lupita N’yongo is pitch-perfect as the fierce Helen and the stunning Clytemnestra in a role that reminds you of her talent yet again. And Elliot Page brings the much-needed innocence to this bloodthirsty tale, grounding the viewers early on.Nolan makes Odyssey his ownIn two sequences in the last 30 minutes of the film, Nolan first presents Odysseus as a tired and lost war veteran, dreading home, before immediately transforming him into the prodigal hero. And none of it feels jarring. Just how seamlessly Nolan stitches these sequences together, back-to-back, so they feel organic, is what elevates this film from great to an all-time classic. But perhaps the real victory of this film is how it feels so contemporary. He tackles simple issues like consent and the atrocities of war, without turning it into a sermon. He shows all the horrors of the world, but he keeps the biggest - the horrors of war - hidden, turning a homecoming story into a grounded tale of redemption, an almost anti-war film in a polarised world. And yet, it never once takes its foot off the pedal. To quote the meme associated with another legend, Mr Scorsese, The Odyssey is ‘absolute cinema’!