The film that won ‘Best Director’ at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (for co-directors Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo) is a generation-spanning tale of war, queer love and the connecting power of art. Since its debut in May, “La Bola Negra” has been tapped as one of the year’s top Oscar contenders.
It’s a challenging task for a movie to sustain such overwhelming buzz from debut through an entire awards cycle, but the praise has been constant for “La Bola Negra,” which some prognosticators believe could challenge a victory lap for Christopher Nolan and “The Odyssey” at the upcoming Oscars. There’s plenty to admire in “La Bola Negra,” which will speak to those who vote for shiny trophies at the end of the year, but the movie may keep some at arm’s length.
As the movie opens, trumpet player Sebastián (Spanish singer-songwriter Guitarricadelafuente) witnesses the murder of his family by the Italian army. He is taken as part of the army, which becomes conflicting for Sebastián for a variety of reasons, but he goes through the required motions in order to keep his life. As the stage is set, “La Bola Negra” cuts to 1932, where Carlos (Milo Quifes) is desperately trying to join a casino but is “blackballed” (hence the the title of the film translating to “The Black Ball”) due to his suspected homosexuality.
The film spans three different years: Sebastián’s storyline in 1937; Carlos’ efforts to join the casino in 1932; and a 2017 plot line, where Alberto (Carlos González) learns his estranged grandfather has passed away and he needs to go see about the will as his grandfather left him something. Alberto has a combative relationship with his mother (Lola Dueñas), who tries to get him to ignore whatever is left by his grandfather, but he disregards her input. His journey is the connective tissue for the movie.
If all that didn’t sound like enough movie, never fear: Penélope Cruz has a small role as a singer who entertains the troops, and Glenn Close appears in an even more brief role in the 2017 storyline as an American author. Cruz — who is having a strong year with several different projects, especially Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” — doesn’t have a strong narrative impact on the film, but her performance provides a jolt of energy. Close feels like she is given less to do but her appearance ties into the connectivity of the film.
While watching “La Bola Negra,” it was impossible to not think of 2024’s “The Brutalist,” which might seem like a strange comparison. But both movies were made on a small budget (around $10 million), while their big ambitions and spectacle would suggest a much higher price tag. “The Brutalist” had a time-spanning narrative as well, but was much more streamlined. The way “La Bola Negra” is constructed occasionally serves the story, but sometimes the movie cuts from one timeline to the next, pulling away from a scene before an emotional beat had room to breathe. It doesn’t make the film as emotionally gratifying as hoped.
“La Bola Negra” is grand, but intimate in its storytelling and the juxtaposition is occasionally effective, even when the movie is in desperate need of some subtlety. The swelling score can be gorgeous and overbearing in one scene, and the camera work can swoop the audience into the story, even when it tries to dictate how to feel about a scene. While these contradictions can be dizzying and distracting, there’s enough artistry on display from a craft narrative to make “La Bola Negra” a worthwhile journey — but maybe with some tempered expectations.
Matthew Passantino is a freelance film critic and a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.
