Although we are already thinking about the most anticipated releases of October, La bola negra remains the most talked-about cinematic novelty of the moment. Its path to the Oscars, the great social impact and the appearance of renowned faces in cinema such as Penélope Cruz have led it to become one of the highest-grossing films of the last few months. A success that the actress herself already predicted.
Penélope did not hesitate to embark on this project from Los Javis, whose through-line centers on what would be Federico Carcía Lorca’s first work with a protagonist who is explicitly homosexual. And although she plays a short and not very prominent role in the plot—the part of Olga Ramos—the Alcobendas-born actress is part of what has become the second-best Spanish premiere of the last ten years in its opening weekend in theaters.
A film with record-breaking figures
After winning Best Direction at the Cannes Film Festival, La bola negra continues to sweep Spain. The film has achieved the best Tuesday in history at the box office for a Spanish film, according to Rentrak Spain. It is expected that this Wednesday it will reach more than one million viewers.
Record-breaking figures for a project that has already grossed 4.6 million euros in its opening weekend, and of which Pé feels deeply proud. This was confirmed in an interview she gave to El País, where she explained how the option to work together came about.
Her admiration for Los Javis
The Javis with Penélope Cruz.
“I wanted to sit down with them because I think they have an impressive talent and because we had met on several occasions and always told each other: ‘we have to work together’. Then Katrina (Bayonas, the actress’s representative) organized a lunch. And at that lunch, they told me they were writing La bola negra,” explained Penélope.
From that meeting came the proposal that months later became real. “And they told me: ‘There’s a character… the thing is we’re hesitant to send it to you because it’s small’. And I told them that for me there is no small character, there is a good one or a bad one. And when they sent it to me I said: ‘Are you crazy? How did you doubt? If it’s a gem of a character, with two musical numbers and a scene!‘”, the actress recalls.
The cast of La bola negra.
The Spanish actress embodies Nené Romero, an artist who goes to the barracks to entertain the soldiers of the Nationalist side and who is inspired by a real figure: Olga Ramos, a cuplé star, Madrid’s nightlife icon and defender of freedom through humor. With a blonde wig and red lips, Penélope stars in a very striking musical scene with great potential that, despite its brevity, has been one of the most acclaimed by critics.
A portion of the film she shot after a difficult moment in her personal life. Minutes before “3, 2, 1… Action!”, she received a call from her doctor assuring her that she could have a brain aneurysm. Even so (and following medical advice) she continued forward, alongside more than 300 extras, with a dance and singing performance that has already gone down in history.
Penélope Cruz portraying the cupletista Nené Romero in La bola negra.
Sharing success with her son Leo
A series of events has made her appearance in La bola negra one of the most special moments of her career. In fact, it is also notable for a family aspect: her eldest son with Javier Bardem, Leo, aged 15, also appears in the film, according to IMDb’s listing.
He appears in a collective ensemble sequence alongside other actors and has no lines. That said, it does not mark Leo’s first contact with cinema, since the young man also appeared in Toy Story 5, released last July, where he lent his voice to one of the film’s characters.
