The Odyssey

I went to see a film today. To the actual cinema, with actual popcorn and drinks and iMax and…well, The Odyssey.

I’ve written book reviews before but I know books. Like really know books. Whereas I think this is the first film I’ve seen in the cinema since…maybe Snail and the Whale and Zog with the children a couple of years ago. Before that, it was probably Mamma Mia 2 in Stockholm, with a live singer and my wife, 3 days pregnant (or at least, that’s when she’d taken the test) with our first child.

Now he’s six, so I’m somewhat out of practice with the cinema. I should fess up - I’ve never read the Odyssey. I’ve tried to read Ulysses at least three times and failed. I didn’t watch any trailers, or subscribe to any internet outrage. I went in blind.

However, muse, let me sing a song of what I saw…

Not a film review

I enjoyed it.

A tad more

Fine. It was epic and expansive and visually impressive. It was bigger than any film I’ve seen before. I liked the story and was invested by the end. I loved Odysseus wrestling with what he’d done, and how that had changed the world. I liked the gods and their role in the story. I loved that it wasn’t really a “fight” movie, and that the hero couldn’t beat the mythical monsters he encountered.

I don’t think I can justify going to the cinema all that often, but I’m glad I took my chance while I could. The question really, is whether or not I’ll try to read the Odyssey now. I think I’ll try.