Chastity, nods and large pores: will women still love Nolan’s Odyssey? | | The Odyssey

LLong ago, almost as long ago as Homer wrote The OdysseyI was a film critic for the Sunday Telegraph. Sometimes people ask me what sex was like back then copper age average, where male opponents outnumbered female ones by nearly eight to one. Well, there wasn’t any sex. It was great and everyone was so nice.

They were good in Soho, anyway. Far, far less. Especially for other readers, when it comes to other movies, made by other directors. Quentin Tarantino, obviously. Ken Loach, amazing. And Christopher Nolan. Challenge their skills and prepare for a fierce battle with a self-made army.

I forgot about it until 2020, when Peter Bradshaw was away and I reviewed Nolan’s science fiction drama Tenet. I didn’t really like it and was advised accordingly. I have deleted most of the comments I received at the time, but they are old Reddit thread gives taste: “stupid cow”, “bitter”, “perhaps feminine”; “I can confirm that the bird was on the blob when he wrote that comment lol”; “Women make decisions based on emotion rather than reason”.

It’s not Nolan’s fault that some of his fans are so emotional that they insult strangers on the internet by watching a movie they want to see. It’s also not his fault that his movies, at least the ones after The Dark Knight, tend to be better with men.

Also, this should not stop women from repeating it. Be it Bridget Jones or The Football Factory or The Zone of Interest, drawings show that you live a life other than your own. Dealing with things that aren’t mirror, or that you can’t be the people you want to be, is the point.

However the only review of The Odyssey that I have read so far that I strongly agree with was written by Stephanie Zacharek for Time. This may not have been too destructive at this point, but he didn’t like it. At this time, a Most of the comments have been clearand the majority were written by men (a figure of eight to one seems reliable today).

And so I couldn’t help but wonder, to put it descriptively a reporter unlikely to be first in line for opening weekend: will women go to see The Odyssey? And if they do, will they enjoy it as much as men? (In fact, if Carrie Bradshaw were to see it, she’d probably be disappointed by one of the inescapable features of Imax: everyone’s pores are too big. Looking at pictures with the most occlusions is like looking at yourself through one of those 12x magnifying glasses – i.e., disappointing.)

However, will women see their experiences represented with anything like the depth, accuracy or interest of their husbands? Because even the most favorite articles – and of course it is assessment of the classicists – It seems to agree that women (not, history, Nolan’s strong point) get a little rude film.

Few examples. Zendaya’s Athena – one of the most advanced goddesses – has nothing to do here but the faint shadow of Odysseus, a Scottish widow wearing a headdress, shaking gently, sometimes shaking her head sadly, like a teacher who tells you that she is not angry, only sad.

Charlize Theron’s Calypso also serves as a sounding board, following her in the sand with drinks and lotus flowers. The flowers, he says, are in secret to prevent Odysseus from remembering who he is. The movie never mentions keeping him as a sex slave for eight years. Homer’s Calypso is a great piece. Nolan’s is a woman who runs a spa and is considering going into psychotherapy.

This change makes women look boring or stupid. The visuals with Samantha Morton’s Circe start off interestingly, as she cooks Odysseus’ men in her Landmark Trust-ish cabin (nice cups, don’t tell) before turning them all into pigs. Odysseus comes, branches he did and persuade him to change the spell not – as in the poem – a year of sex and difficulties, but a quick word, admitting that men can be bad, but this is not so bad, as it turns out.

Such changes do not affect women at all. It’s about Matt Damon’s hero, who’s been transformed from a devious shagger to a womanizer – and a cool warrior (the extra scene about him knocking out goons disguised as priests is pretty damned cool).

Fortunately, I haven’t rewatched The Odyssey, because I’m only thinking about Zacharek’s mentions on social media. But as it blows up the box office this weekend, I wonder how many of the audience will feel alienated — and I’m afraid to say so.