{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-story-js","path":"/story/the-odyssey--an-assault-on-the-senses-4eY0HjGuGYHaQ8RzQHUyx6","result":{"data":{"story":{"title":"“The Odyssey” - an assault on the senses","contentful_id":"4eY0HjGuGYHaQ8RzQHUyx6","teaser":null,"author":{"image":{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/32HlHNeJpaPB4b74xtJF57/ba379119fa5e203aa1acded6c3897b3e/sura.jpg"}},"name":"Sura Wood","description":{"description":"Sura is a Bay Area arts journalist who covers film, visual art, and architecture. In addition to work for radio and television, her reviews, profiles and features have appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, the San Jose Mercury News. BAR, Dance Magazine among other publications."}},"body":{"json":{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Whatever else one may say about director Christopher Nolan, the man thinks big. Coming three years after the critical and box office phenomenon that was “Oppenheimer,” Nolan’s much anticipated, ferociously entertaining adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek poem \"The Odyssey\" arrives with immense, awe-inspiring visuals, both magnificently beautiful and horrifying, thanks to cinematographer and frequent collaborator, Hoyte van Hoytema, and stunning locations stretching across six countries; the thunderous sounds of war; lashing ocean storms triggered by an enraged Poseidon, the hot-tempered god of the sea; and, encounters with mythical monsters that will blow your mind. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"It also comes with its share of anachronisms, mostly due to casting. A buff Matt Damon, an engaging actor who audiences are inclined to root for, does his earnest, fully committed best as the wandering, tormented Odysseus, but he reads as distinctly American in his intonations and body language.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"The core of this epic saga is a man’s fateful, seemingly endless journey home and his wrestling with the gods, himself and the costs of domination, which may explain why Anne Hathaway, given a juicy, albeit strained role as his wily, long-suffering wife, Penelope, is not well served by her director. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Nolan does have a keen eye for actors; he has assembled a largely male cast of striking, interesting faces, splendid physiques and, I swear, a smattering of Jersey accents. In some previous projects and here, too, Nolan has proven more adept at colossal scale and spectacle than storytelling; the masterful extended set pieces, for example, especially the sacking of Troy, are staggering. At nearly three hours, the movie is indeed an assault on the senses. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"But, the minimal reliance on CGI — the giant, truly terrifying Cyclops is a 60-foot-tall animatronic puppet, while a battle with massively towering, armored warriors was achieved through forced perspective illusion — grounds the film, including its fantastical elements, in a bracing physical reality that looks and feels thrillingly alive. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"As you’ve no doubt heard, “The Odyssey” is the first feature shot entirely on 70MM Imax film. Be sure to see it at a theater that supports the format, such as AMC Metreon 16 or the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, which, in an act of auspicious timing, was recently renamed the Christopher Nolan Cinema. The official rechristening takes place later this year with a 70mm screening event honoring Nolan who will attend and curate.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Christopher Nolan Cinema. Photo by Camille Cohen","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{"target":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"cex3swddvjuk","contentful_id":"cex3swddvjuk"}},"id":"c7gKYYVAJEmSOUKEdmbxQqh","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2026-07-16T23:11:28.923Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-16T23:11:28.923Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment","contentful_id":"master"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentful_id":"7gKYYVAJEmSOUKEdmbxQqh"},"fields":{"title":{"en-US":"AlamoNolan-1"},"description":{"en-US":""},"file":{"en-US":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/7gKYYVAJEmSOUKEdmbxQqh/5df9c3c019b98e398c2e17b74d8f3769/AlamoNolan-1.png","details":{"size":1001633,"image":{"width":895,"height":695}},"fileName":"AlamoNolan-1.png","contentType":"image/png"}}}}},"content":[],"nodeType":"embedded-asset-block"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"\"The Odyssey\" • 2026 • Rated R • 172 min \nTickets and information: \n","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://drafthouse.com/sf/show/the-odyssey"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Christopher Nolan Cinema","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":" (formerly Alama Drafthouse New Mission); \n","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.amctheatres.com/movies/the-odyssey-76238"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"AMC Metreon ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"document"}},"images":[{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/40DzPWvwPBIs8A4JKnAYM5/cc8d9f4d16831ebad77971296ef1cd23/odyssey.jpg"},"description":""}],"events":null}},"pageContext":{"id":"4eY0HjGuGYHaQ8RzQHUyx6"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1886394648","1911502498","2377943386","2767305448","2768694351","4151540765"]}