Everyman Cinema Harrogate film review - The Odyssey
It’s early doors for The Odyssey but I imagine this being a modern, prime example of huge-scale filmmaking.
Not only showcasing why it’s important and why people must go to the cinema to witness these special spectacles but also displaying how the right cast and crew can service huge budgets and scale incredibly well.
Christopher Nolan’s done some big films but it’s about time he did an epic like this and he knows exactly what he’s doing.
My biggest concern, and it’s not one I saw vocalised at all, was if Christopher Nolan, lover of the gritty and the real, would dare to embrace the fantasy and strangeness of the source material.
I felt it was so essential to do so.
These are some of the oldest tales we have and they’re enhanced greatly by all their mythological elements.
I could not believe how weird and wonderful things got, aided tremendously by practical effects in many places that are so visceral and clever and seamless.
For a director so passionate about furthering technology and looking ahead, I was amazed to see him equally embrace these old ways of film-making that will no doubt give the film an ageless quality that we’ve seen from so many greats in the past. The grand scale is sold in a true way.
The colours and lighting set the film in exactly the right tone and time and the landscapes and locations we’re treated to here are actually something to behold.
Set pieces are breathtaking and when the score creeps in, and the sound design especially too, I could feel each and every detail and relished what was in front and all around me.
Nearly three hours felt like nothing.
The casting choices are exceptional and this is how you use an enormous ensemble; that quality is matched by how well many of the female characters are portrayed, which is a big change from a common criticism that Nolan receives about his works.
I loved how ethereal it felt, how epic The Odyssey was, and how much of a masterclass in filmmaking this genuinely is.
Rating: 9/10