Academic wey translate Homer ‘Odyssey’ don write scathing review for Christopher Nolan latest film ‘The Odyssey’. Di professor Emily Wilson, wey work for University of Pennsylvania, drop her verdict for London Review of Books. She talk say she ‘would be ashamed to have written any of this script’ and call di narrative structure ‘gimmicky’. According to her, ‘di writing na abysmal’. She add say ‘none of di characters get convincing motivation for dia actions or words’. She even complain say ‘no sex scenes, and all di food dey look horrible’.
Wilson write say di film ‘lacks psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth’. But she still acknowledge say Nolan work don spark renewed interest for Homer classic. She note: ‘Di release of The Odyssey na still event to celebrate. Dis epic dey bring audiences back to cinemas. Odyssey, including my own, dey fly off di shelves. Nolan, I dey grateful.’ However, she remain disappointed by di three-hour epic. She talk say she ‘had hoped say Nolan affinity with these Homeric themes go push am to new creative heights’ but di film features ‘his usual combination of grandiosity and superficiality’. Her teenagers ‘had a good time’ though, but she compare di film to ‘an elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display’ with same level of narrative and emotional depth.
On di matter of female characters, Wilson observe say ‘there are more female characters than for most Nolan movies, thanks to di source material. But none of them get much to say, for contrast to di characterisations for di poem.’ Meanwhile, during his press tour, Nolan tell Empire magazine say he use di opening line of Wilson translation (‘Tell me about a complicated man’) as guide for his Odysseus, wey Matt Damon play. Despite Wilson take, critics dey give di film rapturous reviews. The Telegraph call am ‘film of di year’, Metro say ‘change cinema forever’, The Times describe am as ‘a masterpiece in every way’, and Standard praise am as ‘colossal piece of cinema’. Di cast include Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o. Di story follow Odysseus (Damon) as e dey travel from Trojan War to return home to Ithaca to rescue im wife Anne Hathaway and im son Tom Holland.
