Matt Damon as Odysseus
On Tuesday of this week I went to see Christopher Nolan's film version of Homer's "The Odyssey". It has been in the news a lot recently.
My favourite film critic, Mark Kermode, voiced a few reservations about the film but in the final analysis he urged film lovers to go to see it - preferably on an IMAX screen to get the full epic effect. IMAX auditoriums provide a specialised cinema experience featuring giant, curved screens, powerful custom sound systems, and steep seating. IMAX films are created with high-resolution cameras, digital or 70mm film projection, and proprietary image enhancement to make movies feel massive and immersive. IMAX simply means - Image Maximum.
As it happens, Sheffield is home to one of the biggest IMAX screens in this country. It is within the Cineworld complex in The Don Valley. I intended to take Mark Kermode's advice.
When I told my pub quizmates about my plan, Mick was quite keen to join me. He admitted that he hadn't visited a cinema this century even though he is a keen and pretty knowledgeable film buff with a large library of DVD recordings. Seeing "The Odyssey" on an IMAX screen would be a special treat for him.
And so we settled back into our padded seats smack in the middle of Row F. There we sat for the next three hours both hoping to be wowed by "The Odyssey".
As the final credits rolled we agreed that the experience had been okay but neither of us had been overwhelmed. There were various gripping episodes and moments such as the cave scenes with the giant cyclops Polyphemus. Quite jaw-dropping.
Mick and I agreed that at times we struggled to make out the dialogue in the booming IMAX multi-speaker sound system. We also agreed that Matt Damon was terrific as Odysseus - one of the best film roles he has ever played.
Mark Kermode said that Samantha Morton's portrayal of the sorceress - Circe had been faultless but in our blunt Yorkshire way we thought it was "nowt special".
I was a little irked by the modern American English accents and it did not sit right with me when Telemachus (Tom Holland) refers to Penelope (Anne Hathaway) as his "mum" and to Odysseus as his "dad". In addition, it seemed odd that Helen's part was played by a well-known black actress - Lupita Nyong'o and Odysseus's second-in-command, Eurylochus was played by British-Asian actor Himesh Patel. In my discomfort about this I guess I may be quite old-fashioned but certainly not racist.
"The Odyssey" was created with the assistance of a $250 million budget but it has already grossed £950 million at the box office. This is a phenomenal return. I guess that in making this film, Christoher Nolan had to ensure that it would appeal to the mass market and this key factor would surely have influenced a lot of his choices.
By the way and co-incidentally, it is claimed that Homer, the famous author of "The Odyssey", was buried on the island of Ios - not very far from where I was rescued by Greek fishermen in my own little odyssey. It was his mother's home island.
Anne Hathaway as Penelope
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/0imwWj9
