Elliot Page makes a triumphant return to the big screen in ‘The Odyssey,’ reuniting the Oscar-nominated actor with ‘Inception’ director Christopher Nolan.
Matt Damon looks back on ‘Oppenheimer’ theme for ‘Odyssey’
Matt Damon explores the similarities between “The Odyssey” and “Oppenheimer,” highlighting themes of responsibility and the fate of civilization.
Spoiler alert! We discuss important details about the plot of “The Odyssey” (currently in theaters). If you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want to know what happens, please stop reading.
Christopher Nolan has the Midas touch.
For his shocking new epic, The Odyssey, the director has assembled a cast of A-list Hollywood stars, from heart-breaking sluggers Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway to mesmerizing scene-stealers Samantha Morton and John Leguizamo, all of whom bring their A-game.
But perhaps the performance that sticks with us the most is that of 39-year-old Elliot Page, who anchors the film with innocent sincerity and righteous anger in just a few scenes. This is Page’s first major studio film since 2017’s Flatliners, and it’s a reminder of how much we’ve missed seeing him at the cineplex.
Who will Elliot Page play in the movie “The Odyssey”?
Page does not appear in Homer’s “Odyssey,” but instead appears in Virgil’s epic poem “Aeneid,” in the important role of Sinon, a Greek soldier.
As Nolan’s film opens, Sinon is fatally stabbed with a spear by a Trojan soldier on the beach. However, before dying, he revealed to them that the giant wooden horse left outside their city was a gift to Athena. Little did Sinon know, Odysseus and his men were hiding inside their horses to launch a raid on Troy.
Believing that the Trojan horse was a peace offering, the officers dragged the hollow statue inside the city walls and placed it outside the temple of Athena. This led to the tragic destruction of Troy a few hours later.
Although Sinon appears off-screen for much of the film, she comes to represent a ray of pure goodness in a world eroded by hatred and brutality. But he too becomes disillusioned. During the course of the film, Odysseus and his crew visit the underworld, where they are confronted by the ghost of Sinon.
A ghostly Sinon emerges from the ground with black gravel and blood smeared on her face, lamenting Odysseus’ betrayal, unaware of what is inside the Trojans and that it will lead to a massacre. Odysseus counters that his lies helped win the Trojan War, but Sinon counters by saying that this is no consolation when he is forced to wander among the dead.
With Sinon, Nolan told Rolling Stone UK: “We’re trying to put a face to certain elements of what Odysseus did and what it meant to the world at large.” “You’re trying to look at the tragedy of war, and I think[Page]did a great job.”
Ignore the echo chamber – Elliot Page was always a star
Page brings a searing, scarred quality to Sinon, and Sinon pleads with Odysseus to honor the other fallen soldiers. This is a powerful, understated and unforgettable showcase of an actor who has captivated audiences over the past two decades with his frank vulnerability and soothing, razor-sharp wit.
In the 2005 hit Hard Candy, Page deftly plays a vengeful teenager who ensnares an online predator (Patrick Wilson), tasked with maintaining an awkward balance between seduction and sadism. In Drew Barrymore’s wildly entertaining “Whip It,” he exudes confidence and poise as he plays a wannabe pageant star turned roller derby rebel. And in the mesmerizing “Tallulah,” Page taps into a deep well of emotional complexity to help us sympathize with a well-meaning castaway who steals someone else’s baby.
Page is, of course, best known for her Oscar-nominated role in the 2007 comedy Juno, in which she plays a smart high schooler who overcomes an unwanted pregnancy.
Diablo Cody’s quirky Ginger Rolodex can come off as more off-putting than endearing if you don’t have a lot of access to it. (“Sirencio, old man!”) But like a lightning bolt from Zeus himself, Page immediately captivated us from the first bite of SunnyD, creating a character whose nifty armor hides a sensitive soul that longs for meaningful connection.
Over the course of his 20-year career, Page has juggled independent work (Super, Smart People) with genre blockbusters (Nolan’s Inception, the X-Men series). But since coming out as a trans man in late 2020, the actor has played Victor in Netflix’s comic book series The Umbrella Academy and has worked behind the scenes on documentaries, primarily as a producer.
Page’s casting in The Odyssey infuriated a small but vocal group of transphobic keyboard warriors on social media, but most people in the real world have no problem with Page.
After all, The Odyssey is shaping up to be an incredible box office success, which should once again open the door for him to get more opportunities in Hollywood if he so desires. Like Odysseus back in Ithaca, Page has finally found his way back to his hometown big screen – and frankly, we couldn’t be more excited.
