- Sensibility: In general this ancient story is told quite sensibly. However, a few of the choices, particularly the choreography around the final, suitor-slaying fight sequence, are hard to accept.
- Cinematography: The visuals of this film are obvious highlights. The locations, the production design, the lighting, and the framing are all excellent. The film creates this fantastical world with a precision that feels accurate to the story but also unique in Nolan's vision. There were so many moments throughout this film that aligned perfectly with what I had imagined this world to look like as a kid reading Homer's Odyssey. So many jaw-dropping shots that beautifully realize this epic and are beautiful in their own right. Only weakness visually is in the editing. The film is a bit too long, with too many repetitions of the same visual (a fiery scene in Troy). There is also a noticeable audio incongruity with some dialogue between a disguised Odysseus and his son on a cliffside where the audio is clipped and compressed (likely due to the wind/location noise).
- Energy: This nearly 3 hour film feels like a lot less due to great performances from the whole cast, an excellent score, and brilliant visuals to keep the eyes focused throughout. However, there are moments where even all this is not enough to keep things interesting. The film's dramatic, thematic, and emotional climax happening roughly 30 minutes before the end of the film makes for a very long finale.
- Narrative: A re-telling of one of mankind's oldest stories that feels truthful to the source material while including something modern and meaningful. The film tells a very interesting message about war, love, and honor that is conveyed through a blend of the original Odyssey's text with some of Nolan's interpretive material. However, the story is structured in a way where it hits an emotional climax a bit before the ending, which hurts the grand finale combat sequence. Also, the film's focus on the dead is lost a bit with an abrupt ending (yes, it's abrupt even with a 3 hour run-time) that feels like it misses a chance for some grand catharsis over honoring those who were lost in the journey.
- T-Points: The film received five bonus points: one for a set of shots running on beaches and a fight sequence around giants in a moving forest, one for a brilliant sequence around the cyclops, one for an unbelievable sequence where Circes forms pigs, one for an emotional reveal of Calypso's deception, and one for the death of Athena.
Another masterpiece from Nolan. It's not perfect, but for a project this size and a challenge this big, it's pretty damn close. Can't wait to see it again.
Number of Watches: 1
