Film No. 40 (2019) April 24th. 6:45 PM PALACE CINEMAS Northbridge.
"I wouldn't like to have a son like us either. But I would like to have a father like you." (Marco receives a startlingly heartfelt statement from Marin; a statement key to Marco making a decision about his future with wife Sonia).
An uneven but wonderfully thoughtful comedy. I say thoughtful because Campeones is, at times, purposely politically incorrect, but director Javier Fesser has us laughing with, not at, our star performers from the outset. So, while disgraced (forced community service), big time, basketball coach Marco (Javier Gutierrez) glues this motley crew together to form a reasonably competitive team Fesser gives us time to become friends with each of the nine combatants. A balance of back story, Marco's neglected love-life, subtle camera work, and the detail of each players unique personality culminate in an ending we know is coming. Campeones does not try to reinvent the "feel good" wheel but it does enhance it. The story has taken liberties, but the legend does come from an actual team. The actors (basketballers) are first time performers and all have faced real-life difficulties. It's worth sitting through the titles so you get another intimate tribute for each of the actors. Spanish audiences have flocked to Campeones. It's meagre budget ($4.5M) has earned nearly five times that worldwide in the last year. This is surely what feel-good cinema is all about. 9GUMS.
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