Source: CNN
In Christopher Nolan’s take on “The Odyssey,” there are several nail-biting scenes in which Trojan soldiers face off against much larger foes, including a towering cyclops and an army of behemoth soldiers. Going into this awards season, “The Odyssey” is shaping up to be that giant, seen as the top contender for Oscar glory in several categories.
Enter a potential giant-slayer. Hitting cinemas on Friday after a rhapsodic run at several major top film festivals, “La Bola Negra” may just be the film to finally win Netflix its long-coveted best picture prize. The streaming giant plans to run the Spanish film for 47 days in theaters prior to its digital platform debut — amounting to an unprecedently long cinematic runway for the company— in the hopes that the movie will charm audiences, critics and Oscar voters.
Hollywood analysts believe “La Bola Negra” may be just the type of sweeping yet tender movie that might turn this awards season into a battle of David vs. Goliath.
“I think they feel that this is as close as they’ve gotten to best picture, kind of maybe ever,” said Kyle Buchanan, the former awards season columnist for the New York Times set to launch his own podcast this month about Hollywood. “Certainly, ‘Roma’ won a lot of Oscars [in 2019], but I think that was a ‘head movie,’ and ‘heart movies’ typically are what prevail at the Oscars. They know they’ve got a ‘heart movie’ with ‘La Bola Negra.’”
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On paper, “The Odyssey” and “La Bola Negra” could not be more different. One is a mostly sexless, sword-and-sandal epic with a budget in the hundreds of millions (and a box office of more than $1.7 billion), stacked with top Hollywood stars and helmed by an already Oscar-winning director. The other is a subtitled work of queer yearning and romance made for under $17 million by two Spaniards (and a cast) who are all largely unknown outside their home country. (Glenn Close and Penélope Cruz pop up in smaller roles, with the latter almost stealing the movie in an unforgettable turn as an entertainer of the troops.)
Still, industry observers think “La Bola Negra” may well have the juice needed to go all the way. Clayton Davis, chief awards editor at Variety, has predicted a nomination for the movie, writing that “‘La Bola Negra’ has the chance to rewrite Netflix’s Oscar history.” Similarly, Richard Lawson, former chief critic for Vanity Fair, has said the Spanish film is “right there in the frontrunner pack.”