Let's have a films thread.

[AKCJ]

10 hours ago, MC Prussian said:

So, The Odyssey...

Went to see it with four buddies.

 

Overall, I liked the film more than I thought I would. Need and want to see it on an IMAX screen now.

Some people have an issue with the jumps in time, but that's classic Christopher Nolan. I think it works quite well and keeps tension up.

Maybe a bit too long, first half in particular drags on quite a bit.

 

My biggest gripes: casting, dialogue and sound mixing.

I can see past armour inconsistencies, and the fact that maybe three or four lines of actual Greek are spoken (although it sounded modern).

I couldn't help but see Matt Damon playing Matt Damon, Charlize Theron playing Charlize Theron, Tom Holland playing Spiderman (trailer just aired before the feature), and Robert Pattinson as Batman.

Add to that Indians, Tamils, (Far East) Asians and Africans serving in an Ancient Greek army.

Lupita Nyong'o and Elliott/Ellen Page are only in it briefly. Thank god.

And Zendaya being cast in pretty much everything these days, just by name. Here, she has one facial expression. Disinterested.

 

On the other hand, I quite liked John Leguizamo's and Samantha Morton's performances. Anne Hathaway is ok-ish, this film made her crazy big eyes pop out even more.

 

Dialogue is comical or comically stupid at times. The "daddy" lines will be memed into oblivion.

Sound mixing? Overwhelming, even annoying at times.

 

Funniest moment? Matt Damon being barely arsed to shoot with his bow (ship scene). I'm amazed they kept that in.

 

One of my friends summed it up: Lots of running on beaches, lots of rowing, with some fighting in between.

 

A good movie, but not a great movie. One of Nolan's weaker ones. 7/10.

There was another weird bit right at the end during the fight after Odysseus completes Penelope's challenge and he's shooting his bow like a real novice would. Barely drawing it back without any sort of aim. 

 

I actually thought one of the best pieces of acting in the whole film was Sinon's anger during the scene where Odysseus talks to him in the underworld. For all the whinging and crying about Elliot Page being given that sort of role, I thought he delivered.

 

It's more of a great film than a great movie, if that makes sense. It's a proper marvel in terms of filmmaking. It's insane to think that the Laestrygonians were just tall men and that the pig transformation with Cerce wasn't CGI.

[Muzzy_no7]

I hope The Odyssey inspires people to explore Greek history again and appreciate the lasting influence of the Greek world. From the Persian Wars onwards, the Greek people repeatedly resisted powerful eastern empires, with consequences that profoundly shaped the development of Europe and Western civilisation.

[Samilktray]

15 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

I hope The Odyssey inspires people to explore Greek history again and appreciate the lasting influence of the Greek world. From the Persian Wars onwards, the Greek people repeatedly resisted powerful eastern empires, with consequences that profoundly shaped the development of Europe and Western civilisation.

For the sake of myself and @MC Prussian before I invest any time into exploring Ancient Greek history, how did the DEI quotas look 3000 years ago?

[Muzzy_no7]

6 hours ago, Samilktray said:

For the sake of myself and @MC Prussian before I invest any time into exploring Ancient Greek history, how did the DEI quotas look 3000 years ago?

Don’t worry…Herodotus forgot to include the EDI policy handbook. You’ll have to make do with the history instead 😂

[Trav Le Bleu]

7 hours ago, Samilktray said:

For the sake of myself and @MC Prussian before I invest any time into exploring Ancient Greek history, how did the DEI quotas look 3000 years ago?

As Al Murray as the Pub Landlord explained,

 

"The Greeks... invented democracy, invented philosophy, invented civilisation... and then sat on their backsides for two thousand years!"

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

8 hours ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

I hope The Odyssey inspires people to explore Greek history again and appreciate the lasting influence of the Greek world. From the Persian Wars onwards, the Greek people repeatedly resisted powerful eastern empires, with consequences that profoundly shaped the development of Europe and Western civilisation.

Also from the Pub Landlord...

 

"The Greeks have a legend about a man named Oedipus who killed his father and married his mother. This is considered disgusting."
(He follows this up by questioning why such a disturbing story would be preserved and retold for thousands of years.)

[Muzzy_no7]

7 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

As Al Murray as the Pub Landlord explained,

 

"The Greeks... invented democracy, invented philosophy, invented civilisation... and then sat on their backsides for two thousand years!"

 

 

4 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Also from the Pub Landlord...

 

"The Greeks have a legend about a man named Oedipus who killed his father and married his mother. This is considered disgusting."
(He follows this up by questioning why such a disturbing story would be preserved and retold for thousands of years.)

Al Murray is very good, seen him twice.

 

I like the film, not as much as most of Nolan’s others and I hope it rekindles a lot of love and education on Greek history 👍🏼

[Zear0]

15 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

As Al Murray as the Pub Landlord explained,

 

"The Greeks... invented democracy, invented philosophy, invented civilisation... and then sat on their backsides for two thousand years!"

 

Sound a bit woke to me tbh

[MC Prussian]

8 hours ago, Samilktray said:

For the sake of myself and @MC Prussian before I invest any time into exploring Ancient Greek history, how did the DEI quotas look 3000 years ago?

Still desperately waiting for the African equivalent to the Odyssey making it to the big screen, with Diane Kruger as the Slay Queen.

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

 

Al Murray is very good, seen him twice.

 

I like the film, not as much as most of Nolan’s others and I hope it rekindles a lot of love and education on Greek history 👍🏼

But not from the most recent 2000 years.

[Trav Le Bleu]

57 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Sound a bit woke to me tbh

I know, which is what is funny

 

[Muzzy_no7]

4 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

But not from the most recent 2000 years.

Nah we’ll just ignore the mostly Greek Byzantine Empire, independence from the Ottomans and Euro 2004😂

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 minute ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Nah we’ll just ignore the mostly Greek Byzantine Empire, independence from the Ottomans and Euro 2004😂

Ok Stavos

[Muzzy_no7]

1 minute ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Ok Stavos

Stavros* 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 minute ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Stavros* 

Nah, he's a Dalek

 

 

Also, the Ottomans are Muslims from the east of present day Turkey. By the start of the 13th century repeated crusades coming through Constantinople (where else were they going to go through) and the constant military pressure it was under meant it's power had been vastly reduced.

 

By the start of the 14th century the Byzantine "Empire" was smaller than most modern day countries and didn't exist 150 years later, thanks to the Ottomans, who were most highly influenced from the east.

 

During its peak Byzantium controlled the Aegean Sea and much of the Mediterranean, but by the late 11th century the Byzantine Empire had slipped into a long slow decline.

 

So, in learning from the Greeks, we're doing quite well, both as a country and a football club.

[Muzzy_no7]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Nah, he's a Dalek

 

 

Also, the Ottomans are Muslims from the east of present day Turkey. By the start of the 13th century repeated crusades coming through Constantinople (where else were they going to go through) and the constant military pressure it was under meant it's power had been vastly reduced.

 

By the start of the 14th century the Byzantine "Empire" was smaller than most modern day countries and didn't exist 150 years later, thanks to the Ottomans, who were most highly influenced from the east.

 

During its peak Byzantium controlled the Aegean Sea and much of the Mediterranean, but by the late 11th century the Byzantine Empire had slipped into a long slow decline.

 

So, in learning from the Greeks, we're doing quite well, both as a country and a football club.

I’ve no idea what you’re trying to say or do😂

[Trav Le Bleu]

9 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

I’ve no idea what you’re trying to say or do😂

Standard.

[MC Prussian]

Body Heat.

 

Well, Kathleen Turner in her late twenties. Gorgeous woman. With or without clothes on.

William Hurt was a fantastic actor, too.

 

And what a debut from Lawrence Kasdan.

[Muzzy_no7]

13 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Standard.

Excuse me?

 

It’s an online forum, if you’ve had a bad day maybe go the gym or for a run?

[bovril]

2 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

But not from the most recent 2000 years.

As Donald would say, wrong! 

[The Blur]

12 hours ago, AKCJ said:

There was another weird bit right at the end during the fight after Odysseus completes Penelope's challenge and he's shooting his bow like a real novice would. Barely drawing it back without any sort of aim. 

 

I actually thought one of the best pieces of acting in the whole film was Sinon's anger during the scene where Odysseus talks to him in the underworld. For all the whinging and crying about Elliot Page being given that sort of role, I thought he delivered.

 

It's more of a great film than a great movie, if that makes sense. It's a proper marvel in terms of filmmaking. It's insane to think that the Laestrygonians were just tall men and that the pig transformation with Cerce wasn't CGI.

 

Yeah,  I thought the finale of Odysseus was OTT, I liked his somewhat logical approach to all of previous challenges but the finale just screams Matrix bullshit.  I guess it was in the myth so the film had to follow that but still annoying. 

 

I also thought Matt Damon did a good job as Odysseus.    Perfectly understated and mortal,  was not a fan of his casting but he has proven me wrong.    Tom Holland and Zendeya did better that expected but I felt slightly unknown actors/actresses would have brought more to the immersion of the film.  Speaking of immersion,  I felt that Denis Villeneuve would have done a better job of world building and immersion if he brings his Dune vibes to Odyssey.  

 

Would love to see more Greek myths being made into films someday.  

Edited Tuesday at 20:41 by The Blur

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Excuse me?

 

It’s an online forum, if you’ve had a bad day maybe go the gym or for a run?

Sounds like you're the one that's had a bad day

 

[Muzzy_no7]

25 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Sounds like you're the one that's had a bad day

 

All good over here I just didn’t get what you were trying to do or if you were just trying to get a reaction.

 

I like the film, I wanna see and hear more from Ancient Greece, Rome as well as the Medieval era…whether more factual or mythical. 

[Zear0]

Spoilers below so ignore if you’ve not seen it and are unaware of the story.
 

Just finished The Odyssey and generally enjoyed it. I found the problem is that it’s a story I know well and the episodic encounters during his travels seems a bit linear and going through the motions. The sound effects in the cyclops lair was very impressive as was the effects in the encounter with Cerce. Slight shame it didn’t cover the romantic aspects of the Cerce encounter but I guess some things needed the chop. Speaking of chop, Nolan is on a hiding to nothing with this adaptation as if he removed sections, such as the giant cannibals, he’s accused of disrespecting the source material, but if he keeps it,it just adds nothing and slows it down. I chuckled as following his fleeing from Oceanus I just thought of The Simpsons with the getaway music. Literally four scenes of him legging it from something bad onto his ships on the beach.

 

The scenes with Calypso was also a bit of a miss and it never quite felt like he was comprehending the choice of immortality or returning home and that he was simply a captive. That particular theme has more weight than how Nolan presented it as just escaping her island.

 

i actually thought the ending was the highlight of the film and that made it for me. The delivery of the ships from the sea theme was particularly moving and this was the only time you could really see the guilt that Odysseus feels from the Trojan Wars which was the general point of the story.

 

Acting was a mixed bag too. Damon and Hathaway were excellent as was Sam Morton.

 

Holland and Zendaya however are just so utterly bland. Zendaya seems to have continued her role from Dune where she literally just stares at people looking sulky as she clearly can’t be trusted to talk in her roles. It was also a shame they didn’t follow the book where Telemachus strings the bow but is told to stop before doing it. I guess with Holland just looking like a bit of a weed it wouldn’t have washed.

 

More good than bad despite my moaning and defo worth watching.

Edited Tuesday at 22:32 by Zear0

[MC Prussian]