MOVIE REVIEW: THE RETURN

 

After 20 years away, Odysseus washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The king finds much has changed since he left to fight in the Trojan War. His beloved wife, Penelope, is a prisoner in her own home and hounded to choose a new husband. Their son faces death at the hands of suitors who see him as an obstacle in their pursuit of Penelope and the kingdom. Odysseus is no longer the mighty warrior his people remember, but he must face his past to save his family.

Director: Uberto Pasolini

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, Claudio Santamaria, Tom Rhys Harries, Ángela Molina

Release Date: December 6, 2024

Genre: History

Rated R for violence, some sexual content, graphic nudity and language.

Runtime: 1h 56m

Review:

Uberto Pasolini's ultra grounded take on the back half of The Odyssey is powered by a pair of stellar performances from its central duo of Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.  Pasolini strips away all the Greek gods from the original text, focusing more on the human toll taken by the hero's search for glory.  This naturalistic take on the material focuses more on the mental state of central characters of Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus as opposed to action or intrigue.  It makes for a film that's decidedly light on frills with Pasolini setting up scenes for performers to shine.  Ralph Fiennes carrying an emaciated and battered frame delivers a powerful but understated performance as an Odysseus haunted by the specter of war and the choices that led him there.  Fiennes has an ability to communicate volumes worth of emotional information with a single look or mannerism.  It’s not a particularly dialogue heavy role but he proves more than capable of giving the audience a real sense of the death and remorse his character has experienced during his long journey home.  Juliette Binoche is equally impressive as the ever-dutiful Penelope whom she imbues with quiet intensity and strength.   When Binoche and Fiennes finally share the screen, she delivers an emotionally powerful monologue that she imbues with a Shakespearean sensibility.  It serves as one of the most powerful moments in the film and a solid payoff for investing its occasionally ponderous pacing.  Fiennes and Binoche are thoroughly engaging every time they are onscreen, unfortunately the supporting cast never manages to match their work.  Charlie Plummer's Telemachus lacks the depth or nuance of his onscreen parents which gives the character more of bratty quality that feels off.  Marwan Kenzari's Antinous is more intriguing, but he's never given enough screentime to flesh out his character and singular focus on becoming Penelope's new husband.  It’s a shame because it would have given the story an interesting angle from one of the suitors who isn't an outright barbarian.  It’s the kind of thing that would have added to the effectiveness of the film but stumbles aside The Return succeeds on the power of its two stars.  

B