Elliot Page praised for ‘pivotal’ and ‘sublime’ The Odyssey performance
Elliot Page praised for The Odyssey performance. (Kevin Mazur/Getty)
The much-anticipated epic The Odyssey is out in cinemas today (17 July), with critics and fans alike praising trans actor Elliot Page.
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey follows Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca, returning home after the Trojan War. His long journey to reunite with his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), is littered with mythical beings.
The movie’s stacked cast also includes Tom Holland as Telemachus, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Zendaya as Athena, Charlize Theron as Calypso and many more.
The news of Page’s casting sparked a number of right-wing pundits furious over the trans actor starring in the film. At the time, it was rumoured that he would be playing the mythological character of Achilles. Nolan has since branded the backlash to The Odyssey “irrelevant”.
Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic fantasy action film is a significant mainstream role for Page following his transition. The 39-year-old Canadian star previously starred in Nolan’s Inception.
‘Page steals the entire film’
Both critics and fans have weighed in on Page’s performance as Greek soldier Sinon.
“The Trojan Horse sequence, delivered after a teasing setup involving Elliot Page’s tersely vulnerable sacrificial soldier Sinon, is as rousing and as funny as you’d hope,” Variety’s review outlines.
In RogerEbert.com‘s review, it’s pointed out that Page “plays a pivotal role” in the film. The review also shared his acting turn brings an exciting “twist on the ‘naive boy soldier fated to die’ trope”.
NME‘s review also weighed in on Page’s performance as part of the wider ensemble cast. The review notes that his role is among the cast that “somehow standing out across the film’s sprawling three-hour runtime”.
Cruising Cinema’s review notes the actor “steals the entire film with a haunting performance plucked from Hades itself”.
Another viewer shared: “All the transphobes will be disappointed to know that Elliot Page was f****** incredible in The Odyssey.”
Another critic posted: “I ran out of room in my (forthcoming) Odyssey review but am thrilled to inform the haters, losers, and bigots that Elliot Page is SUBLIME IN THIS MOVIE.
“[Page is] expertly deployed by Chris Nolan for one of the film’s most emotional moments.”
The Odyssey is out in the UK on Friday 17 July.
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