MOVIES AT LA PLAZA: THE ODYSSEY – A media sensation, but not memorable

Movie Review by Sergio Martinez

Great works of literature have always been an important source of material for cinema. Even the Bible had a film adaptation back in the 1960s! The great Homeric epic has also provided material for the big screen; without going any further, Uberto Pasolini had already given us a more specific take on the vicissitudes of Odysseus in The Return (2024), starring Ralph Fiennes in the lead role and Juliette Binoche as Penelope.

What sets Christopher Nolan’s version apart is the anticipation its release generated—to the point that, more than a week after its release, it’s difficult to find tickets for its IMAX screenings, the format that offers the most striking images of the journey undertaken by the men led by Odysseus after the Trojan War, as well as the battles and encounters with mythical beings. Undoubtedly, this is a great credit to the marketing team and to some interesting creative liberties Nolan took when casting the film. A certain dose of controversy always helps—one might say, with a touch of cynicism.

On the one hand, Nolan's use of colour blindness in casting Black actresses in prominent roles can be welcomed as a gesture of openness and recognition of talent beyond skin colour, but it can also be interpreted as an attempt at political correctness inconsistent with the desire to faithfully portray the historical period of the legend. Strictly speaking, Helen of Troy, played by Lupita Nyong'o, has little presence in the original text. She is, however, a central figure in The Iliad, since, according to legend, the war is triggered by her abduction. Nolan also chose another Black actress, Zendaya, for the role of the goddess Athena. 

Furthermore, many of the references to the battles in Troy, the subject of The Iliad, were not part of The Odyssey. All of this undoubtedly added to an audience eager for action scenes, but The Odyssey, while alluding to those episodes, is primarily a reflective work on the fate of the protagonist, brilliantly portrayed by Matt Damon, as well as the unwavering will of his wife, Penelope, played by the talented and beautiful Anne Hathaway, who imbues her character with unwavering dignity. Many of the scenes that capture the most mythical aspects of the story—the encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the transformation of his men into pigs, and the song of the Sirens—probably fail to capture their full symbolic value because the film only touches upon them as disconnected episodes.

Nor is there any further development of the relationship between Odysseus and the beautiful Calypso (a role very well portrayed by the equally beautiful Charlize Theron).

Nolan lengthens the film with many action scenes, possibly aimed at a younger audience, but which do not occupy the same attention in Homer's text. The fight scene that breaks out when Odysseus enters the fray for Penelope's hand is extremely long and at times seems more like a fight scene from a Western film than the more circumscribed combat presented by Homer. In short, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey has undoubtedly become the major cinematic phenomenon of summer 2026, and some may already be thinking about Oscar nominations. But if one looks beyond the special effects and stunning visuals, what remains is more the expression of good staging and cinematography, but there's no real contribution, much less a capture of Odysseus's reflective tone—the man who, after many years, must return to find that upon arrival, the only one who recognizes him is his dog (a symbolic moment in the original, barely touched by Nolan). More than a great cinematic event, this is a skillfully crafted media spectacle. And Homer isn't to blame.

CINE EN LA PLAZA: LA ODISEA – Fenómeno mediático, pero no memorable

Comentario de Sergio Martínez

Las grandes obras literarias siempre han sido una
importante fuente temática para el cine. ¡Si hasta la Biblia tuvo una versión cinematográfica allá por los años 60! La gran epopeya homérica también ha proporcionado material para la gran pantalla, sin ir más lejos, Uberto Pasolini ya nos había dado una versión más específica de las vicisitudes de Odiseo en El regreso (2024) con Ralph Fiennes en el rol protagónico y Juliette Binoche como Penélope.

Lo que coloca a esta nueva versión, dirigida por Christopher Nolan, en una categoría especial ha sido la expectación que su estreno logró desencadenar al punto que a más de una semana de estar en pantalla es difícil encontrar billetes para sus proyecciones en IMAX, el formato que ofrece las imágenes más impactantes de la travesía de los hombres comandados por Odiseo luego de la Guerra de Troya, así como de las batallas y los encuentros con seres míticos. Sin duda, un gran mérito de los publicistas y de algunas interesantes libertades que Nolan se tomó al decidir el reparto de la película. Una cierta dosis de polémica siempre ayuda, podría decirse con cierto cinismo.

Por una parte, el hecho de que Nolan recurriera a una postura de colour blindness al poner a actrices negras en roles prominentes puede saludarse como un gesto de apertura y reconocimiento al talento más allá del color de la piel, pero también puede interpretarse como un intento de political correctness inconsistente con el afán de retratar fielmente el período histórico de la leyenda. En estricto rigor, Helena de Troya, interpretada por Lupita Nyong’o, no tiene mayor presencia en el texto original. Ella sí es una figura central en La Ilíada, ya que, según la leyenda, la guerra se desencadena a raíz de su rapto. Nolan también eligió a otra actriz negra, Zendaya, para el papel de la diosa Atenea.

Tampoco era parte de la Odisea muchas de las referencias a los combates en Troya, tema de La Ilíada. Todo eso, agregado sin duda, para un público ansioso por escenas de acción, pero La Odisea, si bien alude también a esos episodios, es más que nada una obra reflexiva sobre el destino del protagonista encarnado muy bien por Matt Damon, así como de la férrea voluntad de su mujer, Penélope, también muy bien retratada por la bella y talentosa Anne Hathaway que confiere a su personaje una invariable dignidad. Probablemente muchas de las escenas que recogen los aspectos más míticos de la historia: el encuentro con el cíclope Polifemo, la transformación de sus hombres en cerdos y el canto de las sirenas, no alcanzan a ser percibidos en su valor simbólico porque la película sólo los toca como episodios desconectados.

Tampoco hay un mayor desarrollo de la relación entre Odiseo y la bella Calipso (rol muy bien representado por la igualmente bella Charlize Theron).

Nolan alarga el film con muchas escenas de acción posiblemente dirigidas a un público juvenil, pero que no ocupan la misma atención en el texto homérico. La escena de la pelea que se desencadena cuando Odiseo ha hecho su entrada en la disputa por la mano de Penélope es extremadamente larga y por momentos más parece una escena de pelea en algún film del oeste que el combate más circunscrito que nos presentaba Homero.

En suma, La Odisea—versión Christopher Nolan—se ha transformado sin duda en el gran fenómeno cinematográfico del verano de 2026 y quizás ya algunos piensen en las nominaciones para los Oscars, pero si uno se desprende de los efectos y las imágenes impactantes, lo que queda es más bien la expresión de un buen trabajo escénico y de imagen, pero no hay un aporte real ni mucho menos la captación del tono reflexivo de Odiseo, el hombre que después de muchos años ha de volver donde al llegar el único que lo reconoce es su perro (un instante importante en el original, apenas tocado por Nolan). Más que en un gran evento cinematográfico, este es un hábilmente gestado evento mediático. Y Homero no tiene la culpa.

FANTASÍA 2026: BETWEEN THE STRANGE AND THE EXPECTED

Review by Sergio Martínez

The 30th edition of this festival, which, as usual, offered a wide range of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films, left both audiences and critics satisfied with the quality of the films screened. As always, we saw what we might call “the strange”—both in terms of plot and narrative style (Her Private Hell, for example)—as well as the expected: films with stories full of violence that, in turn, offer a critical social perspective (as in Tokyo Burst: Crime City).

What we did notice this year was a certain scarcity of animated films, especially Japanese productions. We missed the Mononoke series, for example, which had delighted us in the two previous editions.

Below, we discuss the following films that we had the opportunity to see.

HER PRIVATE HELL

Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn (U.S.-Denmark)

The festival’s opening film, acclaimed at Cannes and presented to great anticipation in Montreal. The plot intertwines a declining filmmaker’s search for his daughter with—in a time shift—a similar quest by an American soldier during the occupation of Japan.

Much of the action takes place in an atmosphere marked by a mist that envelops the characters and lends the story a tense calm. Other scenes, however—especially at the beginning—take place in a confined setting featuring futuristic architecture.

Strictly speaking, this is not a film that tells a story in a linear or even very coherent way. It can essentially be characterized as a film that explores new sensations through provocative images, but without a plot that is easy to pin down.

TIGHT LETTUCE

Dir. Harrison Houde (Canada)

How far will someone go to try to save a loved one who has fallen into a fentanyl addiction? While we’re usually presented with the scenario of parents trying to save their children, in this case the situation is reversed: Joel (Dakota Daulby), who works in construction, is in a stable relationship with his partner (Christie Burke) and gets along well with his mother (Maxim Roy) and grandmother (France Castel), but his plans are often disrupted by his efforts to deal with his father’s addiction, Bodo (Emmanuel Bilodeau).

Alternating between comedic and dramatic moments, the film leaves us with a bitter and uncertain feeling about how the opioid crisis is increasingly affecting our society. Strong performances and the rural setting—which contrasts with the notion of drug addiction as an urban phenomenon—make this a film well worth watching.

YOU ARE THE FILM

Dir. Makoto Ueda (Japan)

Without a doubt, one of the most interesting and enjoyable films at this festival. The originality of the story is the film’s most notable feature. It follows two young people living in different places and pursuing different careers: a playwright who learns that the play she had prepared for its premiere has been cancelled by her producer, and a musician whose band becomes embroiled in an incident with a dangerous criminal group. They converge in a sort of parallel universe.

When they both decide to go see a movie at a theatre where each, separately, is the only audience member, they discover that it is actually their own lives being shown on the screen. From there, a series of comedic and dramatic scenes unfold, set against a backdrop of absurd and magical interaction that, in turn, reveals weaknesses, emotions, and more than a few acts of betrayal.

BEASTS CLUTCHING AT STRAWS

Dir. Hideo Jojo (Japan)

An excellent drama in which different time periods intertwine, and significant moral dilemmas are raised. Kanji, who works at an internet café and cares for his grandmother as she slowly succumbs to dementia, stumbles upon a briefcase containing a huge sum of money at the end of his shift. Torn by doubt, he takes it but doesn’t spend it, though the financial pressures stemming from his grandmother’s condition will cause him to waver. At the same time, the story follows a prostitute’s relationship with her abusive husband, whom she—in collusion with her lover—decides to kill. Another character entangled in this web of mystery is a corrupt police officer who owes money to the head of a criminal organization and sells him information. When a tragic mistake occurs during the prostitute’s attempt to kill her abusive husband, she turns to María, a mysterious woman from the sex trade who agrees to help her but, once she learns that a large sum of money is at stake, will stop at nothing to get her hands on it. Though, of course, the ending is completely unexpected.

HAYOP KA!

Dir. Avid Liongoren (Philippines)

An animated film made in 2020, but which has only now made its way to the festival. The plot offers a sarcastic take on the world of soap operas; in practice, the story follows the usual formula of that genre.

Nimfa Dimaano is a perfume saleswoman at a department store in Manila. She shares her life with the burly Roger. However, fulfilling what a fortune-teller had predicted, one day she finds herself serving the handsome billionaire Íñigo in the store, which seems to change her fortune. But of course, just as life imitates a soap opera, things will get complicated by new, unexpected twists.

A good story, with conventional but effective animation.

THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER

Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan)

A tale of intrigue and challenges in times of instability, marked by constant wars between various feudal lords. When Araki Murashige (Masahiro Motoki) decides to sever ties with the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga, he is convinced of the impregnability of his castle and the loyalty of his allied clans. Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), an envoy sent by Oda to mediate the conflict, is taken prisoner by Araki. Curiously, the prisoner—a brilliant strategist—becomes a sort of advisor to his captor.

STUDIO Q – MYSTERY

Dir. Marcela Fernández Violante (Mexico)

The theme of the telenovela—a highly popular genre in Mexico and throughout Latin America—is at the heart of this film, though with one key distinguishing feature: the fantasy of the television script invades the very life of the telenovela’s protagonist, Alex (Juan Ferrara), who finds himself in a situation from which he cannot escape.

This 1980 film has been remastered and explores a theme similar to that of the iconic The Truman Show, except that it predates the Hollywood production. It was a true gem unearthed for this festival and will soon be available on Blu-ray.

MATAPANKI

Dir. Diego Fuentes (Chile)

This director’s debut feature film presents a punk vision of society and the aspirations of a group of young people from one of Chile’s “poblaciones” (poor neighbourhoods). Filmed primarily in black and white, using a textured visual style reminiscent of fanzine graphics, the film also conveys a strong political message.

After drinking a mysterious alcoholic concoction, young Ricardo (Diego Bravo) gains superpowers that he attempts to use to bring about change in his society. Unbeknownst to him and his friends, his transformation is part of an experiment led by U.S. agents. However, the result of his new persona will not be what his mentors expected, and even a fictional U.S. president will learn of Matapanki’s powers.

DRAG

Prod. Danny DeVito, Jake DeVito, Lucy DeVito (United States)

A black comedy with unexpected twists, in which the character we’ll only know as “The Younger Sister” (Lucy DeVito) agrees to accompany “The Older Sister” (Lizzy Caplan) on a legally dubious mission to seize an object from a house located in a remote area. The Older Sister, however, suffers from a back condition that leaves her immobilized, and it falls to her sister to literally drag her through the house where they now find themselves.

Things get complicated when the homeowner (John Stamos) returns with a young woman (Christine Ko).  The two sisters have hidden in the basement following a series of mishaps that have left the Older Sister in even worse condition than her back injury had caused. To make matters worse, the homeowner is a famous painter who specializes in portraits of women depicted with disfigured features, somewhat in the style of Picasso. However, to the sisters’ horror, they soon discover how the painter prepares his models.

A NEW DAWN

Dir. Yoshitoshi Shinomiya (Japan-France)

An animated film that showcases a rich palette of colours and striking compositions, but is weak in its storytelling, failing to develop its characters beyond a superficial glimpse of their respective personalities.

The impending disappearance of what was once a major fireworks factory and the city’s fireworks festival serves as the backdrop for the story in which two brothers and their childhood friend are determined to save them.

THE JOURNEY TO GYEONG-JU

Dir. Kim Mi-jo (South Korea)

There’s a good dose of humour, but also tragedy, in this excellent film that follows a mother, Ok-sil (Lee Jung-eun), and her three daughters on a tumultuous journey driven by revenge. The mother, with the help of some shady characters, has managed to kidnap the man responsible for the murder of one of her daughters years ago, whom they are now transporting tied up in the back of an old van. Various comical episodes unfold during the trip, but in the end, things will get complicated.

Beyond the motive of revenge, the long journey and its outcome also lead the mother and daughters to reflect on how this endeavour—to which they devoted so much time—has affected their relationship with one another.

THE GALACTIC GHOUL

Dir. Simon Harrison (Canada)

The director pays homage to B-movies in this film, in which two space adventurers, Oscar Bravo and Lieutenant Foxtrot—both played by the same actor, Vincent Hoss-Desmarais—must escape the planet Toum and the clutches of the sinister Queen Xaltalusia XXIII (Katherine Isabelle). Before that, the explorers had to contend with a series of strange inhabitants on distant planets in order to obtain a valuable stone.

LA PLACE (THE PARKING SPOT)

Dir. Louis Godbout (Canada)

One of the best films seen at this festival, a psychological thriller that leaves us all thinking, “What the hell…!” when it reaches its conclusion. The story begins when Jonathan (Maxim Gaudette) and Brigitte (Christine Beaulieu) go to dinner at Brigitte’s sister’s house and, to their frustration, can’t find an open parking spot. After driving around in circles, they happen to find one right in front of their destination, but, to their surprise, another driver (Benoit Gouin), who had been ahead of them, backs up and blocks their spot. The conflict escalates until the police intervene.  The incident, however, leaves a deep impact on Jonathan, which becomes apparent during the evening at his sister-in-law’s house and in the events that follow after dinner. And above all, in the uncertainty left by the film’s final sequence.

TOKYO BURST: CRIME CITY

Dir. Eiji Uchida (Japan)

In an atmosphere of violence, Agent Aiba (Sota Fukushi) is just another factor fueling that climate. Although his colleagues express concerns about his methods, Aiba has a track record of successful investigations in his favour. Both his methods and his personality will be put to the test when he must investigate a pair of extremely violent killers—a case that will also require him to collaborate with a detective sent specially from South Korea, Cho (Uhm Ki-joon), with whom he doesn’t hit it off at first. Beyond the violence and humour conveyed in many scenes, this film also offers a strong critique of the corrupt practices of some Japanese politicians, in collusion with Koreans.

THE FOX

Dir. Dario Russ (Australia)

This is a delightful comedy with elements of a fable—in the best fable tradition, we have talking animals—in this case, a fox (voiced by Olivia Colman) who, in exchange for her freedom, offers her hunter some very special advice. Nick (Jai Courtney), who learns from the animal that his fiancée, Kori (Emily Browning), is cheating on him, puts the fox’s advice into practice: he pushes her into a magical hole, after which she is transformed and becomes forever devoted to him. However, this new situation, in turn, will trigger new events and revelations that will affect the entire town.

THE BEST AND THE WORST

For this reviewer, the best films in this edition would be: 1. You Are the Film, 2. The Fox, 3. Tokyo Burst-Crime City, 4. The Journey to Gyeong-Ju, 5. Studio Q—Mystery, and 6. La Place. The film that deserves the title of worst of the bunch would be A New Dawn.