12/34
Synopsis
After 20 years, Odysseus decides to return
The king has finally returned home, but much has changed in his kingdom since he left to fight the Trojan War.. Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche have starred together in a film for the third time.
They had previously worked together on The English Patient and Emily Brontës Wuthering Heights
focused on immersing the audience in the multifaceted pain and suffering of Penelope and Odysseus as Odysseus returns to Ithaca. Returning from active duty, including PTSD and other mental health problems, reconnecting with family and society to their former life, and experiencing retrospection of memories and pain endured and caused, and resulting irreversible inner change.
And without the support of each other
The Return is powered by an excellent cast to allow the viewer to experience this rollercoaster ride where the two main characters travel to remarkable heights, the latter due to the unique and remarkable endurance of both Penelope and Odysseus during this difficult time in their lives. Of course the two are kept fairly distant through much of the build-up, which only makes the catharsis more powerful in the more intense, horror-like latter part of the slow-burning film.
The memory of the English patient is vivid
Fiennes brings his unique style of portraying suffering to this work – a great extension of his wonderful talent from his side-by-side portrayals of pain and agony in Spider and The End of the Affair. Binoche is the perfect choice for Penelope, and the viewer can be somewhat tricked into thinking that the two will be reunited, as they were close throughout The English Patient, and Pasolini uses this to create additional tension in the work.
This is a great and very relevant job to experience!
Check out our list of exciting new films from this year’s film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, the New York Film Festival, and more.