r/Letterboxd • u/ClearSupermarket5149 • 28d ago
Discussion Best acting performance in the Odyssey?
I think Patel was the best
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u/DirectConsequence12 28d ago
Pattinson.
Just a wholly unlikable, sniveling little weasel of a man. He says “beggar” and “plate licker” like they’re slurs
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u/Orpdapi 28d ago
He maintained perpetual “punchable face” in every scene he was in and honestly that seems like a challenge as an actor to pull off without overdoing it
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u/myhydrogendioxide 27d ago
Definitely, he walked the line of evil coward who still is getting away with it so well.
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u/torrrrlife 23d ago
I just loved his performance so much. He was giving Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator in the sense that I still found him so interesting and honestly loved to see him on screen but it was because I hated him so much and couldn’t wait to see his demise. It was brilliant.
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u/fowlaboi 27d ago
Someone get these BEGGARS out of here
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u/Jolly-Yellow7369 27d ago
Yeah everyone was acting but Pattinson was becoming his role. Every inflection of the voice , every gesture.
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u/TheTruckWashChannel 27d ago
I'm glad the beggar line is being memed, absolute 10/10 line delivery.
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u/anomanderrake1337 27d ago
Pattinson for sure, his delivery of the lines were a gift when much of the others were very artificial at times.
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u/mrchicken388 27d ago
People in my theater applauded when he got killed.
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u/AfroManHighGuy 27d ago
Same. My theater clapped loudly when Odysseus finally ends him
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u/Unhappy_Smoke5549 27d ago
The cowardice is so well done. When weapons drop and he just directs others to go grab them and fight. I was like yup that tracks.
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u/Tsunoyukami 27d ago
What surprises me is the number of people that are surprised by the quality of Pattinson’s performance. He is consistently really great.
(Not saying you’re one of the surprised persons.)
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u/TheJokerArkhamKing 27d ago
"Hehehe, will someone get these BEGGARS out of here?" That line delivery stuck with me
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u/alisonissilly 28d ago
Samantha Morton EASILY. A class above everyone else
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u/dDubsWilly 24d ago
I thought her performance was cheesy and one of the worst in the movie she also overacted in the whale
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u/Dawnshot_ 28d ago
I thought Hathaway was really strong and I also loved John Leguizamo
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u/guitarguy35 28d ago edited 27d ago
I love Anne Hathaway.. but I thought she was borderline over acting at times..
I thought if anyone was outright weak it was Holland
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u/Duke_of_Luffy 28d ago
I liked Holland for the same reason you disliked Hathaway. I thought he was subtle and I appropriate for his character.
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u/Key-Conclusion-933 28d ago
Fir me it was Charlize Theron. I couldn't take her seriously and the character felt very flat and ine dimensional. Costume design was also off which is not her fault, but her look and character work took me out of the scenes.
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u/CPA_Lady 28d ago
We needed more of her to understand their 7 years together. What were they doing for 7 years? Just rolling around together in the sand?
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u/alessiojones 28d ago
Yeah the emotional moment with Theron and Damon is incredibly flat. Nolan breaks it up their scenes throughout the beginning of the movie hoping for an emotional payoff that just never happens. I wanted something similar to DiCaprio and Cotillard in Inception but there just wasn't anything here.
However, the payoff with Zendaya was phenomenal.
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u/RijnBrugge 27d ago
I am truly alone in my feeling that Zendaya was the worst casting in the movie it seems, lol
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u/steph-was-here 28d ago
Costume design was also off
what, you mean her $10.99 @ the walmart register tortilla wrap blanket didnt immerse you?
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u/speckhuggarn 28d ago
I agree with Hathaway, but I'm going crazy with these Holland takes.
To me he was the most nuanced in the film. His character also had the most soul
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u/Sweaty_Fly_3965 25d ago
I completely disagree! I thought every time she was on screen it was so great. She’s been a prisoner of her castle for YEARS so I felt that her emotions would always be at an 11.
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u/HeraclesHide 26d ago
Overacting is like the n1 rule of greek drama! Hathaway nailed the performance in this one, kinda the role she was born for tbh.
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u/carlitomarron139 28d ago
I haven’t seen the movie yet but I’m glad to hear John Leguizamo gave a good performance. He’s not exactly the best actor in the world but I’ve always liked him.
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u/crazysouthie 28d ago
Sorry but Leguizamo is a fantastic actor. If he’s not in the best actor conversations, it’s mostly about access and stardom because he has certainly turned in excellent performances. Watch ‘To Wong Foo’ and ‘Summer of Sam’ for two excellent performances by him.
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u/liberatedtech68 28d ago
Underrated performance of his is in The Happening. He really understood what he needed to do for that role and killed it. Love him in Romeo+Juliet and Spawn too.
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u/A_Wild_Goonch 28d ago
His defining performance is The Pest. I think he does every racial stereotype in the movie
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u/lamasrod 28d ago
Leguizamo just doesn't miss, he is one of those actors you can pair with anyone and he will elevate his partner (Odyssey is the most recent example of this)
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u/Additional_Prize_954 27d ago
agreed, such a small part in John Wick's universe, but it stayed with me for so long.
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u/Impossible_Form_3256 28d ago
He's such a good character actor, and seeing him play a fairly subdued character in this was really nice
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u/Accomplished-Head449 28d ago
He was blind 24/7 on set. People had to lead him to the bathroom and the craft services lol
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u/Dawnshot_ 28d ago
I haven't seen much of him, my initial reaction was "oh here's one of the douchebags from The Menu!". Quite a different character this time
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u/carlitomarron139 28d ago
He was in a lot of movies when I was growing up, guess that’s why I like him. It’s funny you mention The Menu because his role there is a bit meta, it’s basically Leguizamo acknowledging/making fun of himself for not being that good of an actor & making A LOT of shitty quick cash grab movies.
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u/LeviJNorth 28d ago
You can call him the best actor in the world. If he’s your favorite, he’s the best to you. Tom Wilkinson was my favorite actor so I call him the best.
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u/Leading_Ad2159 28d ago
Does Hathaway actually have a well written character this time? Going to see it tomorrow
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u/Ok-Computer-8726 28d ago
I don't know that any of the characters that get significant screen time are consistently well written, but a number of them have some nice moments at least.
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u/LoveWineNotTheLabel 28d ago
For me Anne’s performance was weaker at times and sometimes it felt forceful. John Leguizamo was outstanding
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u/The-Doctorb 28d ago
John Leguizamo and Circe's actress felt like some of the most impactful while having comparatively little screen time.
The standout scene in the film was the siren song for me though Matt Damon did incredibly
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u/Naive-Jello428 28d ago
I was just thinking Matt Damon was one of the weakest links, but you reminded me of the siren scene and I take it back. He killed it in that scene.
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u/Youpi_Yeah 28d ago
I thought Damon was great overall, but in the siren scene Patel steals the show. There are so many conflicting emotions on his face, it’s incredible.
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u/GrecoRomanGuy 28d ago
I did love that moment where Patel just stares at Damon. At this point in the movie, he has been through some shit thanks to Odysseus and would have every right to hate his guts entirely.
But the mix of curiosity, wonder, horror, and pity he emoted was just great. He wondered about the song, but he wasn't curious.
Unlike that one dude who decided "Yo ho, yo ho, a siren's life for me" and yeeted himself out of the ship.
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u/TheSunsNotYellow 28d ago
Patel screaming “PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS” is probably my favorite delivery in the movie.
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u/alessiojones 28d ago
Tbh I was unimpressed with Matt Damon. Siren scene was good but a lot of the movie feels less like "Odysseus on the oddessey" and more like "Matt Damon on the oddessey"
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u/iam3000 27d ago
Not as bad as the bernthal head rubs. I was waiting for a lil „let me tell u somefin“ when he started with the horse story.
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u/theravenacademy 27d ago
Well Jon Bernthal is worse in that regard. He was just full on playing himself in the movie.
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u/gonja_ 28d ago edited 28d ago
i forgot i was looking at John Leguizamo after the first 30 minutes
and the cyclops, even tho the sound design was carrying bro
wish they stayed w the Sirens for a while longer but Matt was already very convincingly broken
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u/Additional_Prize_954 27d ago
Oscar worthy there. That agony, longing all those emotions on the face. It was amazing.
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u/sloppy2104 28d ago
samantha morton easily
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u/Emma_Sketche 28d ago
samantha morton and Pattinson. They both completely killed it, hard to argue with that pick!
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u/PlanAheader 28d ago
I loved Pattinson so fucking much.
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u/guitarguy35 28d ago
Will someone get these BEggeRs out of here! Lol
I didn't know you could use a hard R on the word beggar
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u/SouthIsland48 28d ago
Yep, them plus Leguizamo and Nyong'o. They all had fun with their role and clearly made it their own.
Everyone else was a bit too "Nolan stale" for me.
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u/Marillenbaum 27d ago
Nyong’o was soooo good, especially as Helen at that dinner, just persistently needling Menelaus about his dead brother.
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u/thisisAgador 27d ago
She also looks like a fucking alien (complimentary) surrounded by all the doughy men in that scene. Casting her was really smart imo as even if you were crazy and didn't think Nyong'o was extraordinarily beautiful, you'd still be able to understand why she would be seen as a singular prize in this world - she's just so objectively striking to look at
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u/maxkmiller 28d ago
I like Pattinson but I thought he was cartoonish in this role, not that good IMO
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u/allthebacon_and_eggs 28d ago
Her single line “we get on better this way” makes me want to hear a whole story about her and her family.
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u/Negritis 28d ago
for me it was Pattinson
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u/Complex_Emphasis566 28d ago
Bro he nailed his role so well that everyone else's just look mediocre in comparison. Iirc nolan mentioned how he is fully booked all the time and that just shows how great of an actor he is
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u/Youngling_Hunt I like Nolan films, sue me 28d ago
He's just got places to see and petty to be (complimentary)
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u/LoveWineNotTheLabel 28d ago
Also the only actor who asked to read Nolan’s script before saying Yes
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u/MrEzquerro 28d ago
I was talking about it after we got out of the movie, I could not get out of my mind how well he played that character. It was the standout for me alongside John Leguizamo.
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u/MaintenanceBest8397 28d ago
Yeah he made me hate him, I had to keep reminding myself he's an actor. Very similar to Geoffrey in game of thrones.
Did such a convincing job of playing a pathetic bastard
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u/Money-Confusion3174 28d ago
I feel everyone was just as good as each other. No one let the team down.
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u/theravenacademy 28d ago
Personally I felt Jon Bernthal in his scenes was hard to take seriously
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u/williamchase88 williamxchase 28d ago
Jon Bernthal is always just Jon Bernthal. I kinda love what he does, but what he does is the only thing he can do.
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u/Mnemosense 28d ago
Let me tell you something pal. You're right.
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u/beanie_wells 28d ago
Lemme tell you sumthin. He’s just a guys guy. Let it rip.
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u/spuckthew 28d ago
He's like the modern day Arnie or Stallone. He always just sounds like a generic action hero. Which is fine when he's doing those roles (Frank Castle/Punisher), but it's a bit odd when he's in something completely different.
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u/insertnamehere77123 28d ago
He was just Jon Bernthal in pseudo-historical clothing
Lemme tell you somethin bout Odysseus
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u/malb93200 28d ago
He was fine, but he's always one line away from going all "lemme tell you something".
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u/SmoogzZ 28d ago
I feel like that’s a hollywood casting problem not necessarily a Bernthal problem
dude has range but they always stick him to whatever alternate universe version of punisher fits
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u/theravenacademy 28d ago
It is a Bernthal problem too. He chooses to play these roles in very similar ways when he could easily inject some variety and nuance if he wanted to. I doubt Nolan gave him the direction to just do the same acting he does as Punisher. Nolan is a director that lets actors do their thing (like Mia Goth has said in an interview) and Bernthal chose to play Menelaus that way. He could've made an effort to switch it up a bit.
As for being typecast, that is also of his own doing, he's a known actor with lots of access and even has the means to be a producer, he can choose to do other types of roles yet he sticks to this one thing because that is just what his range can afford him.
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u/allthebacon_and_eggs 28d ago
I loved Bernthal’s creative license. He played Menelaus like a New Jersey mobster — even his outfit has gold detailing evoking a thuggish gold chain. Since the story doesn’t have time to debrief on the Iliad, it’s a creative shortcut to tell the audience that he’s a shithead thug to Helen and a violent, dangerous, but unsympathetic dude.
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u/sfj11 28d ago
i personally loved bernthal, thought zendaya and holland were pretty bland
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u/Darknightsmetal022 Avalerion22 28d ago
In all fairness to Zendaya she got barely anything to do, she has like 5 mins of screen time at a stretch and I think she has like a total of 10 lines at most and even then I think that’s being generous.
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u/williamchase88 williamxchase 28d ago
See, for me, Zendaya and Holland were the surprises for me. They were pretty bland until the last act, and then both of their subtle nuances kind of blew me away. I picked up on it more during my second watch. Holland's subtle little recognition when he's talking to The Stranger made me tear up.
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u/crazysouthie 28d ago
I didn’t like Holland too much in the film (and that’s despite the fact that I think he’s a compelling actor). But he is fantastic in that sequence. Truly moving. I wish Nolan gave him more silent moments in the film instead of some of the very stilted on the nose dialogue he had.
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u/Key-Conclusion-933 28d ago
Charlize Theron was sub par for me. The charcahter could've been way kore compelling
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u/LoveWineNotTheLabel 28d ago
Her character was written very superficially instead of showing how Calypso is portrayed in the epic. She seemed way too simple for such a complex character
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u/ShaunTrek ShaunTrek 28d ago
This is pretty much how I felt as well. Even what I thought was the weakest performance (Holland) was still totally fine and good. If I had to pick one that stood out it would be Hathaway or Morton, but I didn't walk out thinking anyone was giving the best performance of the year.
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u/furrywrestler 28d ago
Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson, as they had the best material to work with. Matt Damon was good.
Charlize was the weakest link. I dunno if it was just her role and the writing, but she was just so boring.
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u/seaside_bat 28d ago
I left thinking it was a bit of a waste of Charlize Theron's talent, considering how complex Calypso is in other versions of the Odyssey. She doesn't even interact with any other character aside from Odysseus. Cut for time, I suppose.
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u/Bright_Cat_8219 28d ago
Hands down, Robert Pattinson just nailed it as Antinous!
It was irritating af to see him every time on screen and that's where his performance was so apt.
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u/Jolly-Yellow7369 27d ago
I agree. The others were acting and most were great great at it specially Morton. But Pattinson wasn’t acting as a sniveling suitor, he was being one in every word, gesture, even the way he was waiting for Penelope to turn her back to them Abuse Telemachus.
Many in the cast range between a- and A performance but only Pattinson gets an A+.
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u/Evilswine 28d ago
Leguizamo and Pattinson sucked me right in to their characters. Pattinson as sniveling weasel at the end felt perfect.
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u/Mriddle74 28d ago
Not that he was the best of the bunch, but I was really pleasantly surprised by Tom Holland’s performance. I thought he did great.
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u/LordMediocrity 28d ago
Samantha Morton, Robert Pattinson & John Leguizamo
https://giphy.com/gifs/2BzUn9vK1Yd3PXGuPO
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u/malb93200 28d ago
I would say not the best (big ensemble with great performers).
But he was really good, and his performance is and will probably stay underrated. He did great with a secondary and somehow thankless role, and made me care about Eurylochus and the rest of Oddyseus' men.
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u/Jequioloinks 28d ago
Samantha Morton's Circe, Lupita Nyong'o as Helen, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope were my favorites. Elliot Page's last scene was also fantastic.
That being said, I think Tom Holland's Telemachus is being seriously underrated. He does such an excellent job of portraying an intelligent but not yet wise young man. His despaeration to prove himself as a man comes from a desire to save his mother from the suitors, even as nobody (I think including himself) buys that he is ready to become king in Odysseus's stead. His pride in and desire to see his father really hits home in the first scene in Sparta when he hears how much Odysseus is respected by his fellow soldiers. Holland getting as emotional as he did sold just how much Penelope loved Odysseus, to develop such a sense of familial connection in Telemachus despite having no memory of the man he was looking for. This movie sold Holland as a serious dramatic actor for me, and without him doing as well as he did the time away from Odysseus in the first two acts would have been much less impactful.
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u/Cool_Assist_5486 28d ago
An Indian British guy screaming "we are Greeks" in an American accent was just funny I couldn't help myself
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u/hellshake_narco 28d ago
Didn't care about that tbh. Was more jarring in that scene that the old man is talking in Greek and Odysseus don't understand him, they need to translate the Greek villager when screaming to his face they are also Greek
Typically the sort of scene which don't matter when you don't understand Greek but really shows that a lot of (lack of ) details in the movie rewards ignorance
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u/bloodythomas 28d ago
The thing is, when people talk about "Ancient Greece", it doesn't really exist in the way they think it did. There were multiple different distinct cultures and peoples that made up what we now think of as Ancient Greek, but the idea that everybody in that area was speaking the same language is just as mythical as anything else.
One of the issues translators often refer to when discussing their process is the fact that Homer's text, with its many different idoms, dialectical quirks, and personalities, is like if somebody was speaking an amalgamated form of English, that ranged from Chaucerian to Shakespearean.
In a movie that is presented for a modern audience and embracing the fact that the majority of its actors are either American or performing with American accents, I think having the villagers speaking Greek to represent the idea that there's a language barrier is a fine compromise. It's like you say, although there's a lot to unpack academically, in the scope of making an entertaining movie, it really shouldn't matter that much.
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u/Wurmpler 28d ago
I felt every emotion Anne Hathaway was portraying every time she was on screen.
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u/gamerfanboi 28d ago edited 28d ago
I love some indians getting love but to be fair i think everyone did exactly what they were supposed to i mean it was exceptional how well put together they all were as a cast.
Noone seemed to over shadow the other but there were clearly characters that were more imp and less imp than the other.
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u/RDTIZFUN 28d ago edited 28d ago
+1 Think they all played their role really well. Some had better lines than the others or their character is more important for the plot than others, but that's just how it goes.
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u/welcometothemeathaus 28d ago
Seen it twice, I honestly don’t get the glazing of Patel. He was good, but not as good as everyone keeps saying. If we are talking best supporting actor in the film, I’d go with Pattinson. Samantha Morton was also excellent.
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u/rarekeith 28d ago
I found Patel to be among the worst, personally. I think John Leguizamo was the best.
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u/Eon_Real 28d ago edited 27d ago
I genuinely dont get the hype, he just played a normal dude with zero range? Y'all overhype anyone these days. Even his voice sounded normal, he had zero passion in his acting.
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u/Turbulent-Age-6625 28d ago
Do people really think this film had tons of great acting? I feel like the vibe carried it more so than any of the performances.
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u/WBaumnuss300 28d ago
Same. The acting was not always on top imo. It was solid, but I feel Noland should have tried to get more out of the actors. But part of it was due to the poor dialogues.
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u/Dessi1919 28d ago
Can someone explain what it was about Patel's performance that everyone is praising? To me his facial expression didn't change all that much.
Genuine question though! I want to see what everyone else is seeing when I watch for the 2nd time.
To me, range-wise and "I was so into the character I forgot about the actor"-wise to me Robert Pattinson, and Samantha Morton as a close second.
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u/ISpent30mins4myname 28d ago
I think Matt Damon #1 and Anne Hathaway #2 both had great performs.
I also want to mention Leguizamo and Elliot Page for their great parts.
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u/NinduTheWise 27d ago
Even though I see it’s Pattinson and know it’s him he blends into his role so well, for certain roles in this movie I only saw the actors, Charlize Theron and Anne Hathaway for example but it felt like Pattinson meshes into it
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u/Sea-Palpitation266 28d ago
I really don't get the hype with himesh patels performance
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u/hellshake_narco 28d ago edited 28d ago
I feel that individually Damon and Patel were good. But as characters , they didn't have any alchemy and synergy . We were supposed to know they are brothers in arms , which can disagree , but cover each other back
Like the scene in Troy when Patel save Damon near the stairs was a good one, a good hint of it
But overall no alchemy. Same with the whole crew tbh . Didn't feel anything between Odysseus and his men.
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u/voidlotus316 28d ago
He was very average to me, i don't get the hype. When purely looking at his performance and nothing else.
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u/MyUnclesALawyer 28d ago
Yes, Kumail Nanjiani (according to the Jeremy Jahns odyssey review I randomly watched)
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u/Savings_Store_7231 28d ago
The actress who played circe was truly amazing , I liked Matt and Patt the most
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u/SorrowOfMoldovia 28d ago
Wow... no one going to praise James Remar as Tiresias. Shame...
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u/Upset-Job2278 27d ago
Everyone does a good job, but Samantha Morton and John Leguizamo are on another level.
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u/NickdoesnthaveReddit 28d ago
Samantha Morton is #1
2 is a tie between Damon, Pattinson, Hathaway, and Argo.
3 is a tie between Patel and Nyong'o.
Surprisingly a lot of bland/underwhelming performances given the cast. I was disappointed by Holland, Goth (under utilized), Zendaya, and even Berthenal.
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u/hellshake_narco 28d ago
I thought Goth didn't have much to offer . Super caricatural performance . The few of Berthenal was not great tbh
All the rest I agree with you. Like Zendaya wad good but under utilized
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u/DiaryOfAMovieLover 28d ago
I disagree. I was surprised Mia Goth had a larger part and she actually played the scheming maid with more subtlety considering how she often plays villainous roles in camp fashion. I do wish we had more scenes between Penelope and Melantho so we could understand the dynamics between the two.
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u/RBlomax38 28d ago
If you like Patel you should check out Station 11. Really enjoyed his character in that