The Longest Penalty Shot in the World (2005)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

¨El Penalti Más Largo Del Mundo" or "The Longest Penalty Shot in the World" is starred Fernando (Fernando Tejero , when he was training he had to go to hospital because his kidney was bleeding) , a whole slack who spontaneously has to stand-in the definitive match that can grant his football team the victory in the league , as he is the substitute goalkeeper who must stop the final goal . Meanwhile , his coach called Santos (Carlos Kaniowsky) attempts to teach him and training to stop the goals . As the final penalty is postponed for a week, during which takes place absurd situations , silly events , and he falls in love with coach's daughter (Marta Larralde) . This comedy contains social customs , lots of humor , entertainment and amusement . This is a slightly funny film with entertaining situations , giggles , emotion and a love story . The film moves in fits and starts most of which would be desirable, with more traps the viewer resists any kind, and some moments of enjoyment and others quite a few embarrassing . When the trailer was shown on cinemas, most of the public thought it was the second part of Días De Fútbol. The flick gives a short description about people lives of middle and lower class from suburbia and barrios . You didn't expect to like because of the title, but it is really barely about Fútbol, and more about the players of one particularly clumsy team of friends. This is a typical Madrid comedy of the 2000s with the usual ingredients as enjoyable humor , social habits , relationships among people and , of course , dealing with football . The roles in this film are all lovable despite being rather pathetic and silly . The main issue about the delayed penalty is so repetitive and that makes it a bit boring and the most part results to be rich in absurdities and implausibilities . A well acted, so so crafted, movie that should be considered as a return in form to the typical Spanish comedy of yesteryear . The picture attempts to spread optimism about the events of life , with its amusing sides but also including ordinary discussions . Sympathetic performances from protagonist trio , Fernando Tejero , Maria Botto and Marta Larralde . Agreeable support cast gives good acting as Carlos Kaniowsky as Santos , Javier Gutiérrez AS Rafa , Enrique Villén as Adrián , Fernando Cayo as Bilbao and Héctor Colomé as Rodríguez . Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by the notorious Lucio Gody , a prolific composer who has composed excellent soundtrack such as ¨Blackthorn¨, ¨All about my mother¨ , ¨Fin¨ , ¨Amador¨, ¨Aura¨ and deemed to be one of the best Spanish musicians . Evocative cinematography by Juan Antonio Castaño . The motion picture was professionally written and directed by Robert Santiago , an expert comedy director such as ¨Hombres Felices¨, ¨¨Club De Suicidas¨ , ¨Al final del Camino¨ , ¨Solo Para Dos¨ , many of them starred by his fetish actor , Fernando Tejero .

Fernando (Fernando Tejero) is a loser. A gray type, without ambition, that works like bookcases distributor in a supermarket of the quarter. In his free short whiles, he is substitute keeper of a football team of third regional one. In all the season a single minute has not played nor. But the last Sunday of the league the referee indicates penalty and the titular keeper injures itself. Fernando must occupy goal for the first time. If for penalty, the equipment of the district will proclaim champion and raise of category. If no, all the effort of a year will not have been worth for anything. When penalty is on the verge of sending itself, a group of indignant fans with the referee invades the field and prevents that the party finishes. The competition committee decides that penalty must send the following Sunday, in same goal, with such players and the field closed to the public. El Penalti más largo del mundo, (The Longest Penalty Shot in the World) is exactly the history of that week of delay. Seven days which Fernando becomes a hero in the district overnight. And it obtains much more of which never it had dreamed: to be the center of all the glances, that they invite to him to eat, to drink… only must open the mouth and their desires become reality. But mainly it obtains what more it wants in the world: that Cecilia (Marta Larralde), the daughter of the trainer, gives an opportunity him to leave with her.

"El penalti más largo del mundo" is a good comedy about amateur football in Spain. I think this movie is very original and has a great sense of humor. Football as an issue to a movie is not very common, but in this particular case it works very well, because it's just the "setting" to a great comedy about human relationships… Fernando (played by Fernando Tejero) is a perfect loser. He's the second goalkeeper of a local team but he has never played before, just because he can't play! He just doesn't know how to keep the ball from the net! Suddenly he has an impossible mission: to defend a penalty! The football field is invaded by the public and the referee delays the penalty to the next week… The plot is about that week and the "adventures" of the "poor devil" Fernando training to stop the penalty.The movie is very funny, hilarious at parts, believe me. I don't know how to explain it very well, but one of the features that made me laugh the most was, beside the funny scenes, the Castilian slang used in this movie. I really don't know why but I find the Spanish language a little bit funny (in a good way…) by itself, and some of the slang used turned it even more comic. Please don't get me wrong but it really made me like this movie even more, and feel, on the other hand, that it seems that just the European cinema (the French, Spanish, Italian…) can make some great comedies made out of the most common issues of our everyday life. I think the European comedies have something special, a different touch, a different way to manage some issues that give them a very particular sense of humor. They're very simple; they transform the most common circumstances in graceful hilarious moments; and they don't need any "special effects" to make you laugh, because they are real, humanistic, and have no exacerbations! I've felt this before with some French movies and now I feel it again in this good Spanish comedy… Very nice movie!

After two breakthrough performances in "Días de fútbol" and TV's "Aquí no hay quien viva", Fernando Tejero lands his first leading role in yet another soccer comedy. He gracefully passes the test and proves that he can successfully carry a movie, but maybe he should start looking for different kinds of characters if he doesn't want to be typecast.In "El penalti más largo del mundo" he plays Fernando, a complete loser who suddenly has to stand in for the goalkeeper in the decisive match that can grant his team the victory in the local league. The final penalty is postponed for a week, during which the spectators witness the events happening to the substitute goalkeeper.Those looking for a few laughs will not feel disappointed by this light comedy, which also boasts excellent performances by María Botto, Carlos Kaniowsky, or Enrique Villén. Benito Sagredo is a discovery here as the titular goalie, while Marta Larralde shows that she is no longer a promising actress but a fully skilled performer. However, I had the impression that the writers had lost a great opportunity to get deeper into the social aspects surrounding the character. After all, the film deals with unemployment, racism, and life in a working-class without getting any deeper into the topics. Thus, the film would have offered another layer to the film's topic, making it a lot more interesting.In any case, this is a perfectly decent movie for those who want to have a good time watching a genuinely Spanish comedy that offers sheer entertainment and nothing else.