Christopher Nolan’s suitably epic retelling of Homer’s “Odyssey” has a big lead. It’s a kind of homecoming for Nolan, decades after he had been tapped to helm “Troy” (from Homer’s “Iliad”) before Wolfgang Petersen reclaimed it and shunted him to the obscurity of his Batman trilogy. It’s also the first of four consensus picks in Round 1 of the BuzzMeter.
However, Robert Daniels wonders if the academy is “comfortable giving [Nolan] best picture for a second straight film … Only William Wyler and David Lean have pulled it off.”
Only runner-up “La Bola Negra,” a totally different kind of epic, has any separation from the rest of the pack. Anne Thompson characterizes the race as “A Hollywood blockbuster … against a festival favorite.”
Several panelists say “The Odyssey’s” journey to Oscar feels inevitable, but Katie Walsh is pulling for a horse race: “Perhaps the goodwill for ‘La Bola Negra’ will make for a proper competition, and don’t count out academy favorite Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine.’ ”
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “La Bola Negra”
3. “Wild Horse Nine”
4. “Dune: Part Three”
5. “Project Hail Mary”
6. “The Invite”
7. “The Debut”
8. “Artificial”
9. “I Play Rocky”
10. “Club Kid”
11. “You Can See Everything”
T12. “Elsinore”
T12. “Possible Love”
T14. “Digger”
T14. “Josephine”
RogerEbert.com
Robert Daniels
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “La Bola Negra”
3. “Project Hail Mary”
4. “The Invite”
5. “The Debut”
6. “Wild Horse Nine”
7. “Possible Love”
8. “Elsinore”
9. “Dune: Part Three”
10. “Club Kid”
“Right now, it’s difficult to think of any film that could displace Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ The big question from here on out is whether the academy is comfortable giving him best picture for a second straight film. That’s historically really difficult. Only William Wyler and David Lean have pulled it off.”
Turner Classic Movies
Dave Karger
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “La Bola Negra”
3. “Dune: Part Three”
4. “Wild Horse Nine”
5. “The Invite”
6. “I Play Rocky”
7. “Project Hail Mary”
8. “The Debut”
9. “Elsinore”
10. “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth”
“Like ‘Oppenheimer’ three years ago, ‘The Odyssey’ is the clear front–runner at this early stage in the season. An interesting mix of about a half dozen blockbusters and indies also seem like good bets, while at least three of the 10 slots are fully up for grabs.”
Los Angeles Times
Amy Nicholson
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “Dune: Part Three”
3. “Project Hail Mary”
4. “Wild Horse Nine”
5. “La Bola Negra”
6. “I Play Rocky”
7. “Digger”
8. “Artificial”
9. “Josephine”
10. “Paper Tiger”
“I’m still salty — make that sandy — that ‘Dune: Part Two’ didn’t heap up more awards. If Denis Villeneuve pulls off the saga’s wild turn, consider this ‘Dune: The Revenge.’ ”
IndieWire
Anne Thompson
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “Artificial”
3. “Project Hail Mary”
4. “La Bola Negra”
5. “Wild Horse Nine”
6. “The Invite”
7. “Club Kid”
8. “The Debut”
9. “Tender Loving Care”
10. “Possible Love”
“A Hollywood blockbuster is going up against a festival favorite. Breaking out earlier in the year was Christopher Nolan’s $250–million summer blockbuster ‘The Odyssey,’ starring lead actor front–runner Matt Damon. Catching up fast is Los Javis’ Spanish Oscar entry and Cannes prizewinner ‘La Bola Negra.’ ”
Tribune News Service
Katie Walsh
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “Dune: Part Three”
3. “La Bola Negra”
4. “Wild Horse Nine”
5. “You Can See Everything”
6. “The Debut”
7. “Artificial”
8. “The Invite”
9. “Josephine”
10. “Being Heumann”
“It’ll be almost impossible to beat ‘The Odyssey,’ but that’s not a fun race, is it? Folks might find it a bit boring with Nolan having won for ‘Oppenheimer’ so recently. Perhaps the goodwill for ‘La Bola Negra’ will make for a proper competition, and don’t count out academy favorite Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine.’ ”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. “The Odyssey”
2. “Dune: Part Three”
3. “La Bola Negra”
4. “Wild Horse Nine”
5. “Project Hail Mary”
6. “The Invite”
7. “The Debut”
8. “All of a Sudden”
9. “Club Kid”
10. “Tender Loving Care”
“Maybe it’s a bit early to call this race for ‘The Odyssey.’ Things can take a turn. But the film’s thrilling showmanship, lavish craft, stellar acting and $1.7–billion box–office total make it the prohibitive favorite. What movie can beat it?”
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