The Odyssey Critic Reactions Suggest a Box-Office Tentpole
Matt Damon may have that Oscar nomination all sewn up if the first critic reactions paint an accurate picture of how good his new movie, The Odyssey, is.
Raise your hand if you knew director Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey was going to get great reviews from film critics. Don’t really see any hands not up, but the latest reactions have suggested and confirmed that those stellar reviews will be forthcoming for the epic tentpole film that showcases Matt Damon in an Oscar-nomination worthy role as the film’s lead character, Odysseus.
Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland only have a 13-year age difference but they play mother and son in the new Nolan picture. Nobody is really thinking about that as the reactions have been pouring in for the movie shot entirely in Imax. Universal, the film’s distributor, avoided the trap of letting just anybody (namely, influencers) speak out about the picture first. There’s nothing but some of the best critics working today announcing their opinions of the new picture due out in less than two weeks’ time.
Time Out singled out the work of Samantha Morton which could be a surprise to some when we see who is also in the cast (e.g. Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, etc.). Morton (Sweet and Lowdown) has been quietly planning a return to the Oscars (well, maybe) and here’s her official chance to get another nod. No real surprise, actually, for me since Morton is always absolutely brilliant, but the publication saw the film twice and recommends viewers see it twice as well! Repeat viewings will increase box-office and get people buzzing.
IndieWire highlighted the film’s last act as its salvation. Variety used words like astonishing, triumphant, spectacular, breathtaking and incredible. Yeah, so that’s what we all thought, didn’t we all? Glad to hear it, Variety!
The Independent declared The Odyssey the biggest Nolan film to date. Again, nothing so shocking there. Didn’t we all expect it to be? Collider seems to have really dug it too, also resorting to the word, “incredible.”
This Nolan film’s cast includes highlighted turns by John Leguizamo and Charlize Theron, among others. When trying to see who is definitely in for an Oscar nod, it’s clear that this is Damon’s movie to get him that Oscar nomination again, but it’s easy to see Morton back at the next big awards ceremony too. She plays Circe, the sorceress. Zendaya and Hathaway seem to be great too, but Morton could be the odds-on favorite if that Time Out reaction is accurate.
FilmBook will be seeing the film soon and will weigh in but right now, it’s easy to see this film easily bagging $350 million+ at the domestic box-office and securing nods for Best Picture, Director, Actor (Damon) and Supporting Actress (Morton). When we actually see Nolan’s new movie, we’ll see if that box-office prediction increases. It most likely will.
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