A.E. Stallings in TLS: ‘Agamemnon gives off strong Darth Vader vibes in his cape and dark helmet. Returned home to Ithaca disguised as an aged beggar, hooded in homespun, Matt Damon’s Odysseus turns out, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, to be a hardened veteran who knows how to wield a weapon.’

And: ‘An audience sick of AI’s slick, soulless visuals will gravitate to the texture of Nolan’s film, which includes real dolphins (which serendipitously appeared during shooting) and an actual Cyclops-associated cave instead of a sound stage.’

Also: ‘Besides being the first western, the Odyssey is the ur-example of Stanley Cavell’s “remarriage plot” – a separated couple (on the verge of being divided for ever) must overcome obstacles to get back together, after a certain amount of witty sparring.’

Real dolphins! Skip the zoo.

And the secret of a relatively happy marriage? The husband should stay away for a long, long time.

(a sf 2206)