No matter how expansive the story and massive the scale, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” makes time for emotional intimacy on screen. Nolan, a master of visual suspense and technical innovation, echoes modern life from Homer’stimeless literature. Spanning gods and monsters, “The Odyssey” journeys through fragmented memories to reach a psychological reckoning. Odysseus, carrying the burden of breaking Zeus’ Law for eternity, is surrounded by characters who mythicize his absence and confront the vulnerabilities of his presence. Some hold a mirror to Odysseus’ loyalty, while others break the reflection to reveal innate truths. Heightened by Nolan’s themes and Jennifer Lame’s brilliant editing, it’s the intimate embraces and confrontations between people that reverberate most. Given the starry ensemble of“The Odyssey,” it’s clear that Nolan needed performers who could make a powerful impact in a relatively short amount of time. Among the stellar supporting cast who rose above and beyond the occasion, Samantha Morton (Circe) and John Leguizamo (Eumaeus) are gaining passion by the minute, shining brighter than the film’s Hollywood headliners.
“The Odyssey” is not the first time that Samantha Morton has delivered an unforgettable performance in a single sequence. In Maria Schrader’s journalistic drama, “She Said,” Morton plays former Miramax assistant Zelda Perkins, who recounts Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault on her colleague at the Venice Film Festival, and speaks to the blatant injustices that followed. Morton plays Perkins with simmering fury and precision. Her pivotal role encompasses the film’scommentary on breaking the silence surrounding abuse in Hollywood. The integrity of Morton’s presence goes a long way, as does her understanding of how a character fits into a filmmaker’s overall vision, regardless of their individual screen time. Playing the witch goddess Circe in “The Odyssey,” Morton’s performance speaks to the shape-shifting sorcery that one crucial sequence exerts on an entire production. Much like Cyclops and the Laestrygonians, Circe in part embodies the fantastical elements of Homer’s poem. There was plenty of anticipation around how Nolan would approach such vivid mythological imagery with a grounded eye. Evidently, this is in his inventive wheelhouse. Whether through IMAX cameras or practical effects, he embarks on using every magic trick in the cinema handbook to achieve realism on a grand scale.
Part of the magic comes from casting. Circe’s sequence, layered with horror to show the character’s visceral emotions, needed an actor who could convey psychological depth and intimate secrets lurking within. From the moment we meet Circe and hear her scream, she casts a spell on our attention. Mystical in power and human in spirit, she’s a transfixing presence who enriches the film’s themes. Circe’s monologue to Odysseus, following her visceral transformation of his men into pigs, nails the observations on male hubris and their history of violence towards women. One of her most piercing line deliveries, “Know your own men,” strings the thematic bow that Odysseus’ homecoming has nothing to do with physical obstacles, and everything to do with self-reckoning, so that he becomes the person who can return home.
After noticing the armor buried outside Circe’s door, Odysseus’ men carry on inside anyway, unaware of Circe’sindividual strength or even the threat they pose to her. There’s an incredible use of practical effects and sound design to capture Circe’s transformation of the men. These techniques also work in lockstep with the level of Morton’s game. It’s a sequence made more unnerving, and frankly more interesting, by her gleeful hands, sculpting away with a sense of illusory comfort, until the men’s disguises disappear entirely. On paper, Nolan’s interpretation of Circe scratches the surface of her complexities, as is the case for the majority of female characters in his films. Morton plays her with sharp clarity and unpredictability, bringing immense depth that lingers on the senses. She can be both fearful and cunning without missing a beat, capable of all-consuming sorrow and revenge as she protects her power.
Historically, the Academy does not shy away from awarding single-scene performances, such as Beatrice Straight in“Network” and Judi Dench in “Shakespeare in Love.” Morton herself is a two-time Oscar nominee (“Sweet and Lowdown”; “In America”). Recognition for Morton’s work in “The Odyssey” would be a long-overdue “welcome back” for an actress who never left; since “In America,” she’s been delivering consistently phenomenal work across film (“Synecdoche, New York”; “The Whale”) and television (“The Walking Dead”). Circe’s visceral sequence is the perfect alchemy of a standout role in a prestige production. Once fall festival season is underway, Morton would need continued support from critics to advocate for her and keep the conversation going.
A few questions are swirling around where Universal will campaign co-star Anne Hathaway, who is having a brilliant year between “The Odyssey,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Mother Mary,” and even more to come. Hathaway plays Penelope, the mother of Telemachus (Tom Holland) and wife of Odysseus (Matt Damon), with reverberating energy. While a lead actress push would be blatant category fraud, it’s a strategic positioning of where a win is most likely to occur. Hathaway potentially going lead would clear a path for Morton’s chances, although there is a world where both can receive supporting actress nominations.
In the supporting actor category, stars are aligning for veteran John Leguizamo to receive his first-ever Oscar nomination, following decades of excellent performances. He has shown remarkable versatility through his collaborations with Baz Luhrmann (“Romeo + Juliet”; “Moulin Rouge!”). He stands out across varied genres and mediums, from “Carlito’s Way” and “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” to his voice work in the “Ice Age” franchise. Leguizamo’smore recent roles (“John Wick: Chapter 2”; “The Menu”), alongside his prominent Emmy-nominated episodic work (“When They See Us”; “Waco”), showcase a reliable performer whose presence ignites passion. Amongst his range, he won an Emmy for his semi-autobiographical standup “John Leguizamo: Freak”, and a Special Tony Award honoring the Broadway run of his one-man show, “Latin History for Morons.” “The Odyssey” arrives as a summation of Leguizamo’smulti-faceted talent, and it’s the perfect opportunity to award him with long-overdue Academy recognition.
It takes a boatload of charisma to play a character who throws a puppy off a cliff and remains in the audience’s good graces. Leguizamo embodies the noble Eumaeus, a blind servant who awaits his master Odysseus’ return to Ithaca. Leguizamo’s hearty performance, which reflects much of the film’s emotional core, speaks to the significance of staying true to a filmmaker’s vision. Eumaeus personifies the foundation of Zeus’ Law: provide every traveler with food, shelter, and safe passage, as they could be a god in disguise. Without this Ancient Greek code of respect, society ceases to function. Despite the chaos of suitors in Odysseus’ absence, Eumaeus stays noble to his leader’s foundation, exposing the flaws of a corrupt household and sensing looming betrayal. He fights a steadfast battle to maintain hospitality.
It’s an echoing reminder of Nolan’s hopeful perspective in the film, confronting the destroyer of worlds with teachable lessons for humanity. Part of what makes Odysseus’ homecoming so satisfying is Eumaeus’ intimate response, which Leguizamo plays with familiar clarity and gravitas. We can immediately sense the weight of his character’s relationship with his surrogate son, and the emotional release of having spent his life in service to another. Leguizamo has the commanding presence and delicate introspection to give us a vulnerable warrior, one who’s been waiting in the wings. And there’s an understated, classical quality to his performance; he raises the stakes on a thespian’s scale, helping “The Odyssey” feel more like a theatrical epic. It’s Nolan’s starriest constellation of stars yet, and an enormous platform for veterans such as Leguizamo and Morton to showcase the talents they’ve always had. With organic passion behind both performances, time will tell if there’s also enough industry goodwill to bring Morton her third nomination and Leguizamo his first. Both make the absolute most of their respective screen time and advance the journey of “The Odyssey,” defining what it means to support their leader’s cinematic vision.
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