Tag Archives: Samantha Morton

2026 Films, Action, Adventure, Blockbuster, Epic, Fantasy

The Odyssey-2026

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The Odyssey-2026

Director Christopher Nolan

Starring Matt Damon

Scott’s Review #1,542

Reviewed July 23, 2026

Grade: A

Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey (2026) is a breathtaking spectacle that feels cinematically invigorating and inspired.

It’s movie magic at its finest.

Fortunate to see this film in an enormous IMAX theater, it’s the perfect and recommended way to see a film of this scale. A crowded and energetic audience is also suggested to connect with the overall moviegoing experience.

My hat goes off to Nolan, who has gotten asses back into empty theater seats in recent years where they belong.

It was thanks to his 2023 film Oppenheimer, which won Best Picture, that cinema became a mandatory part of moviegoing enjoyment again, along with the progressive Barbie (2023).

In the story, Odysseus (Matt Damon), king of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey to return home after the Trojan War, after many years away from his land and loved ones.

Crossing the Mediterranean Sea with his fellow soldiers, they soon find themselves battling not only the elements but an array of deadly obstacles and mythical creatures that await the men along the way.

In clever and intriguing form, the story traverses a few different timelines.

It is told in non-linear fashion, from early romantic sequences between Odysseus and his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), to the backstory of his son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), and nemesis, Antinous (Robert Pattinson).

We immediately learn that Odysseus has been away for years, but what happens during those years is mysterious and aching to be slowly unraveled.

Other characters like Menelaus (Jon Bernthal), Helen of Troy/ Clytemnestra (Lupita Nyong’o), Athena (Zendaya), Circe (Samantha Morton), Calypso (Charlize Theron), various nymphs, and others are featured as Odysseus and Telemachus’ stories are explored.

Additionally, lands and worlds like Hades, a distinct realm where individuals go after death, and Aeaea, an island inhabited by the villainous Circe, are featured.

Having some knowledge of Greek Mythology is extremely helpful, as it can be quite difficult to keep track of who everyone is and how their history is part of Odysseus’s.

My two favorite sequences are when Odysseus’s men desperately land on Aeaea, fraught with severe hunger. Circe, who seems motherly and kind, delights in preparing steamy stew and other delicious food for them.

As they greedily chow down, they begin to cough and choke, turning into pigs. Circe turns wicked, vowing revenge on the men for an apparent attack on her sister years earlier.

The final thirty minutes of The Odyssey features a grandiose and daring fight sequence after Penelope declares she will marry whoever can string Odysseus’s bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axe heads.

The suitors all fail, but Odysseus succeeds and reveals his identity to her, culminating in a reunion. The hall erupts in battle, Odysseus slaying the challenging suitors.

The sequence features thunderous sound effects that, to me, sounded like footsteps running along a jogging path increasing in their intensity and momentum as the fight turns darker and bloodier.

Way back to the films The Dark Knight (2008) and Inception (2010), directed by Nolan, I vividly recall being enamored with those similar sound scores.

To say that The Odyssey is a spectacle is an understatement.

It proves with technical precision and grandeur that there’s no filmmaker quite like Nolan to reignite an ancient adventure and that there’s no limit to magnificence and perfection in cinema.

Lush seas, gritty battles, and mythical creatures abound in this opus.

Still, the film also has quality acting and a bit of heart too, so the story is never overwhelmed by the technical stuff, which is always a fear in blockbusters of this nature.

Damon, Hathaway, Holland, and Pattinson get top acting praise from me.

Terrific chemistry exists between Damon and Hathaway, specifically, making their passionate and dedicated love story remarkably believable.

I’ve heard complaints about the film being too ‘woke’, a derogatory term tinged with racism and homophobia. Nolan wisely makes the film inclusive, featuring a trans actor (Page) and several black and brown actors.

The Odyssey (2026) offers action, adventure, battles, and all the other trimmings expected from an epic action film shrouded in fantasy and magic.

But on an entirely different level.

It also offers tenderness, humanity, connection, and heart that exceed expectations all around.

2022 Films, Drama

She Said-2022

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She Said-2022

Director Maria Schrader

Starring Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan

Scott’s Review #1,353

Reviewed April 7, 2023

Grade: B

Telling a highly relevant story that also happens to be topical, She Said (2022) is a film I champion people to see for its powerful message. The importance of its mere creation, with the added urgency of a female director being tied to it, is critical.

The #MeToo movement and uncovering sexual harassment in liberal-minded workplaces like Hollywood only make this project more relevant.

As dynamic as the story is, the overall package could have been a bit better in my evaluation of the encompassing project. Director Maria Schrader mostly goes the safe route, choosing to craft the message carefully, but hardly in a dark way.

The film, at times, feels almost wimpy and lacks some crucial elements that might have made it more impactful. The screenwriter is Rebecca Lenkiewicz, who deserves much credit but plays softball rather than hardball.

The film is good but not great, and unsurprisingly, it completely whiffed of any Academy Award nominations. There are a few transparent misses that leave She Said with a courageous yet unfulfilling feeling.

Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, respectively, who together break one of the most important stories in a generation. This story helped propel the # MeToo movement.

The revelations and eventual conviction of multi-millionaire film production mogul Harvey Weinstein shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood and altered American culture forever. This led to a needed examination of the industry.

Mulligan and Kazan are terrific, delivering strong, charismatic lead performances as female reporters with a vested interest in getting to the truth.

It’s tough to say who the lead is, since both characters’ personal lives and their sympathetic husbands run parallel.

I’m a bigger fan of Mulligan’s, and I’m still smarting from her Best Actress loss for Promising Young Woman in 2020. Hers is the more hardened of the two characters, and her one gritty scene in a local bar, when she angrily rebuffs the advances of a jock, is excellent.

Another impressive aspect of She Said is Ashley Judd’s appearance as herself. News junkies will recall that Judd was instrumental in coming forward and telling her story, even though she could have kept it hidden, as other victims did.

Finally, the jarring first sequence sets the tone quite well as disgraced former President Donald J. Trump is examined pre-2016 election, when sexual harassment allegations were hurled at him.

The point of this is to show that powerful men have historically gotten away with sexual abuse against women.

She Said tones down too considerably when it never shows Trump, Weinstein, or the pivotal actress Rose McGowan. Only their voices and the back of Weinstein’s head are used.

This sparks a peculiar feeling and a watered-down approach. It’s unclear why real video footage or actors couldn’t or wouldn’t be used, but it gives off a weird vibe.

It’s nice to see the legendary Patricia Clarkson in any film, but her role as news reporter Rebecca Corbett is limited and one-dimensional.

Finally, the climactic wrap-up, when finally one of Weinstein’s abused victims agrees to go public, feels anti-climactic and is better served for a Hallmark Movie of the Week moment.

Ouch!

The film is overall good, with the message being the most important takeaway. She Said might serve as a warm-up act to the much meatier, yet similarly themed, All the President’s Men from 1976, or the recent Bombshell from 2019.

Based on the vitality of the real-life events that She Said (2022) was created from, I expected something much more than I was served. It’s like trying for a grand slam home run and instead flying out to the shallow center field.

2022 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama

The Whale-2022

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The Whale-2022

Director Darren Aronofsky

Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau

Scott’s Review #1,328

Reviewed December 28, 2022

Grade: B+

The Whale (2022) is the latest film from director Darren Aronofsky, a filmmaker that I have been a big fan of since viewing the disturbing Requiem for a Dream in 2000. That film made me cringe and squirm in the best possible ways.

His knack for creating psychologically dark yet enthralling films continued with The Wrestler (2008), Black Swan (2010), and mother! (2017).

Any release by Aronofsky will be watched by yours honestly, though I am well aware I will likely leave the theater, drawing deep breaths and trying not to feel disgusted.

On the other hand, there is a good chance that I will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing that I have seen something of artistic distinction.

Not an easy watch, The Whale left me satisfied, in an Aronofsky way, but recognizing the overwhelming dirtiness and nastiness of the supporting characters and the pitiful nature of our protagonist, a good, decent guy.

Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is an obese, six-hundred-pound English teacher who makes his living teaching online classes from the safety of his meek apartment. Embarrassed by his weight, he refuses ever to turn on his camera.

Racked with guilt over abandoning his family and grieving the loss of the male partner he left them for, Charlie is slowly eating himself to death. Over a week, he tries to find redemption when he reconnects with his angry teenage daughter.

He is cared for by a night nurse and the sister of his deceased partner, named Liz (Hong Chau), while visited by a church missionary, Thomas (Ty Simpkins), and his estranged daughter, Elle (Sadie Sink, and his ex-wife, Mary (Samantha Morton).

Let’s give Brendan Fraser the Oscar right now. His performance is a primary reason to see the film, and he envelops himself in the role while making a ‘comeback’ to the Hollywood circle.

The actor does more than wear a fat suit. He delivers an emotional turn as a lost soul who has spiraled out of control since his partner’s death. A recluse, he wheezes and struggles to walk to the bathroom while downing two meatball subs with extra cheese for lunch and two pizzas for dinner.

In a heartbreaking scene, he goes on an eating binge fueled by anger, vomiting it all up soon after. Charlie is a kind and decent person, having faced demons most of his life and trying to live out his final days in peace. He is suffering from heart failure and will not go to the hospital.

Fraser delivers his best work of the career. He channels the proper emotional honesty that makes the character believable. He is hurting, and the audience is along for the ride as he journeys to find purpose before the inevitable occurs.

Before I criticize the supporting characters, I want to stress that the acting by Sink, Morton, Chua, and Simpkins is excellent. Any award recognition provided to any of them will be well-deserved. For upstarts like Sink and Simpkins, this could be the boost they need for a lengthy career.

With that said, the cruelty heaped on Charlie is astonishing and challenging to watch, making the characters of Elle and Mary unlikable. Thomas and Liz are a bit better until Thomas reveals that both Charlie’s weight and sexual orientation disgust him.

Liz is Charlie’s best friend and the most relatable, but she is unnecessarily harsh with him when he chokes on food and doesn’t exude much warmth. Of course, she has her demons like the other characters.

A controversy regarding The Whale has emerged, and there is a certain ‘fat shaming’ to be endured. If I were overweight, I would not see the film since the face stuffing and cruel fat criticisms are part of the experience.

I ruminated throughout The Whale on how easily it could be a stage version. Only one set, Charlie’s dark and dusty apartment in rural Idaho, is used, and only five principal characters exist.

Fraser’s performance is pure genius and worth the price of admission, but there is difficulty with some other aspects of The Whale (2022).

Aronofsky fans should see the film, but fair-weather fans or non-fans should be forewarned that it is a heavy and depressing journey.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Actor-Brendan Fraser (won), Best Supporting Actress, Hong Chau, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won)

2002 Films, Action, Crime Thriller, Guy Films, Science Fiction, Thriller

Minority Report-2002

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Minority Report-2002

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Tom Cruise

Scott’s Review #1,318

Reviewed November 27, 2022

Grade: B+

If you study his body of film work, the fascinating thing about acclaimed director Steven Spielberg is the growth and groundbreaking cross-genre categorization of many of his films.

Traversing blockbuster popcorn films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-terrestrial (1982) to heavy drama with the 1993 masterpiece Schindler’s List, the man can do it all.

With 2002’s Minority Report, he bravely delves into science-fiction territory with a crime thriller and action tint.

The film is tough to follow and mostly reminds me of Inception (2010), a Christopher Nolan film influenced by it.

Despite its cerebral tone, Minority Report is a fascinating study of futuristic crime-fighting styles with enough twists and turns to keep you engaged.

It turned out well, though I confess that at times I had no real idea what was going on plot-wise.

The casting of Tom Cruise is a major win. Who better to carry a film like this, except maybe Bruce Willis, though Cruise is a better actor. Nonetheless, he is believable as a crime chief with a slick edge and a wicked smile.

Unsure whether to trust him, he remains at the heart of the film’s success.

Based on a story by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, ‘Minority Report’ contains a perfect premise to bring to the big screen.

Set in Washington, D.C. in 2054, police are now intelligent enough to utilize psychic technology to arrest and convict murderers before they commit their crimes.

The setup is fabulous and rife with possibilities.

Cruise plays Chief John Anderton, the head of this Precrime unit, and is himself accused of the future murder of a man he hasn’t even met.

Following an audit, it is predicted that in thirty-six hours, Anderton will kill a man who is a stranger to Anderton. Anderton flees, prompting a search led by a searcher (Colin Farrell).

It is revealed that Anderton joined the Precrime program after his son was kidnapped and never found. He is depressed, withdrawn, and addicted to hard drugs, and his wife Lara (Kathryn Morris) has since left him.

But is this all a setup, and are others involved in the conspiracy?

The plot goes way off the rails in terms of explanation or logic, but the fun is in trying to put the never-ending puzzle pieces together. Truthfully, after a while, I simply gave up and enjoyed the visual eye candy and terrific futuristic style.

I rarely am a proponent of visuals over storytelling, but the intelligence of the sequences and the thrilling nature of the acting assured me there was something there.

I just wasn’t completely getting it.

Since Spielberg directs it, I was confident that the complexities I was being served were not shit. I was comforted by this knowledge, and my enjoyment escalated.

Enough props can’t be given for Cruise’s dynamic performance, heightened by the coldness and harshness of the film’s overall tone.

Many of Spielberg’s films are heartwarming, but that was not the case in Minority Report (2002), and I liked it even more for that reason.

Spielberg gets another win by suckering me into a cinematic world that he can magically create. This time with perplexities and perhaps even some influence from the Matrix (1999) movies.

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound Editing