It doesn’t happen too often when reality matches hype, but The Odyssey turns out to be every bit as epic and magnificent as all the ads suggest.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, one of today’s pre-eminent movie storytellers – Interstellar; Dunkirk; Inception; the Dark Knight trilogy – and based on Homer’s Odyssey, the film offers an enthralling adventure on a mammoth scale.
After his victory over Troy – you know, the one with the big horse – Greek King Odysseus (Matt Damon) and his men try sailing back to Ithaca, where his loyal queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) await his return.
The voyage is perilous and costly, thanks to encounters with the giant Cyclops, a devious witch (Samantha Morton), a battalion of super-sized soldiers and, amongst other things, bad weather.
Shot entirely with Imax cameras, Nolan delivers a truly grand exploit.
As we all know by now, he doesn’t do things by halves – he insisted Damon spend a year growing a real beard – resulting in an awe-inspiring epic designed for a mature audience.
And don’t be put off by the three-hour running time. You’ll be too swept up to notice. (Just watch your liquid intake beforehand.)
If the live-action redo of Moana proves anything it’s that Disney doesn’t like to wait. Well, not anymore, at least.
While most remakes tend to wait a few decades – Cinderella; Beauty and the Beast; Snow White; Lion King – this glossy, very expensive makeover is being thrust upon us a mere 10 years after the original hit animated musical, which everybody rewatched in preparation of Moana 2 in 2024.
Look, this Moana is a perfectly fine, pleasant family film that looks lovely and features a strong lead performance from Catherine Laga’aia.
Yet it doesn’t offer anything new or particularly exciting as it so closely follows the original story it’s hard telling them apart.
And while it’s tempting to say that kids won’t care, the film’s disappointing opening weekend at the box office suggests that they can sense “franchise fatigue” as acutely as adults.
Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the demigod character Maui in the animated films, returns – though he does look a tad awkward with his wig and prosthetic muscle suit.
All up, a good family film, but nothing special.
Over at the arthouses, two local films eagerly await.
Horror fiends are bound to love Saccharine, a nifty Melbourne-based tale about overweight, out-of-shape medical student Hana (Midori Francis) who takes a special, unauthorised pill to help her lose weight.
Frightening visions begin haunting her, however, once she discovers what the pills are made of. Trouble is, she’s addicted.
Though it has a passing similarity with The Substance, the film is very stylishly directed and really delights in exploiting the “ick” factor. If you’re squeamish, take care.
Set in a rural community in the Philippines, First Light tells the moving story of devout Catholic nun Sister Yolanda (Ruby Ruiz) who becomes stricken by conscience.
She happens to be in the hospital when a young man is brought in after a construction site accident.
After administering the last rites she becomes aware of the actual circumstances of the death and has to decide between the truth and the good of the community.
The pace is measured, the performances unforced and the photography scenic in this touching tale about faith and the role it plays in developing communities.
While most will recall the incident, the gruelling, gripping documentary Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea takes us inside the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster, the infamous Italian luxury cruise ship that went sideways – literally.
Sadly, 32 people perished in the catastrophe and this very good film, composed mostly of phone footage, photos and interviews, chronicles the tragedy in heart-breaking detail.
Most infuriating is the incompetence of the crew and of the ship’s captain who, after deliberately steering the ship too close to the coast of Giglio island where rocks tore the hull open, downplayed the severity of the collision.
He then hopped into a lifeboat and abandoned ship, ignoring angry commands from shore to return and help with the rescue of his 4000 passengers and crew.
What happened to him as a consequence of his cowardice offers some small measure of justice in this terrifying telling.
Catch it on Netflix.
For more visit jimschembri.com with updates on X at @jimschembri
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