Val Ruloff, our Community Reviewer has been to see The Odyssey - Christopher Nolan’s next film, a mythic action epic shot across the world. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to the big screen. Val describes it as 'Epic!' and 'Iconic!' Read her review below and book tickets to see the film here on the Torch Theatre big screen until Thursday, 16 August. 

Superlatives well and truly merited at last- literally.

The plot just writes itself, naturally- it's based on Homer's Odyssey! The classic, ancient story. Story upon story- stories within the story. Once upon a time could not possibly be put to better use! 

More than two and three quarter thousand years passage of time! 

Christopher Nolan co-wrote the screenplay, produced and directed this amazing, ambitious film production. Everything about it is on a huge scale- with stunning and enthralling results.

Thrills and spills abound, flying, tumbling and leaping out from the screen in all directions- from names of mythological characters to stories and adventures of world-famous legends- the scope for wonder and fantasy is endless, by its very nature. The Trojan Horse; Helen of Troy; Polyphemus- a Cyclops; Calypso; Circe; the song of the Sirens; Odysseus himself; Penelope; Zeus; Poseidon; Athena. 

The cast is star studded- without doubt. Matt Damon plays flawed (as are all the best heroes) hero Odysseus; Tom Holland- en route to Spiderman- plays his son, Telemachus; Anne Hathaway appears as his wife, Penelope- weaving away before dismantling and deconstructing her magnum opus; Robert Pattinson portrays Antinous; Travis Scott plays the Bard; Samantha Morton appears as goddess and witch, Circe; Lupita Nyong'o appears  (in dual role) as Helen of Troy and her sister, Clytemnestra; John Leguizamo plays Eumaeus, who is a blind herder of swine and a good and devotedly faithful slave to Odysseus- and Argos is the name of the good and faithful dog awaiting the return of his master; Charlize Theron plays Calypso, a nymph who promises immortality to Odysseus as she tries to seduce him into staying as a husband on Ogygia island; John Bernthal plays Spartan King, Menelaus; Zendaya plays dual role as Athena, wise goddess of war who offers protection to Odysseus- and young Athenan priestess of Troy who is killed in the war; Himesh Patel plays Eurylochus, wing-man to Odysseus; Benny Safdie portrays Grecian King of Mycenae, Agamemnon; Elliot Page plays Grecian soldier, Sinon.

The special effects, photography and locations are fabulous- suitably stunning. The Odyssey is shot completely in IMAX 70mm, the first feature film to do so.

The sound track is atmospheric and resonant of the times, the context and the era in which the unfolding drama is set. 

The events of The Odyssey lend themselves to the vastness of the big screen- as they do indeed to the stage and opera and great tomes and volumes of beautifully bound printed works.

Be a legend! Have an epic time! Go along- and don't miss it!