The Return (15)

Fresh off the Conclave award circuit, Ralph Fiennes leads this stark, grounded take on Homer’s Odyssey.

Director Uberto Pasolini delivers a stripped-down adaptation, focusing on the story’s raw emotional core. Fiennes stars as Odysseus, returning home after 20 years of war, presumed dead and unrecognisable. His kingdom is in chaos, and his wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche) is under pressure to choose a new husband. Amid political turmoil, Odysseus must reconcile with his past before reclaiming his family and throne.

Fiennes and Binoche, a third reunion for the pair, anchor the film with two expert performances that are haunted by a sense of loss and resilience. Fiennes, playing a physically and mentally scarred Odysseus, captures the duality of a broken warrior who retains the cunning of his past. His portrayal is understated, deeply human and striking in its vulnerability. Binoche, regal and sharp, mirrors this complexity as Penelope. She is grieving yet determined, grappling with her personal and political struggles.

It’s a film that excels in its simplicity, forsaking the grandiose for an intimate meditation on the lasting scars of war.