The Final Game (2022 film)

The Final Game
Theatrical release poster
Spanish	42 segundos
Directed by	Àlex Murrull Dani de la Orden
Screenplay by	Carlos Franco
Produced by	Alberto Aranda Toni Carrizosa
Starring	Álvaro Cervantes Jaime Lorente
Cinematography	Pau Castejón
Edited by	Alberto Gutiérrez
Music by	Óscar Araujo
Production companies	Playtime Movies Sábado Películas Imminent Produccions
Distributed by	Universal Pictures International Spain
Release date	2 September 2022 (2022-09-02)
Countries	Spain Andorra
Languages	Spanish Catalan

The Final Game^[1] or Olympics^[2] (Spanish: 42 segundos; transl. '42 Seconds') is a 2022 Spanish-Andorran sports drama film directed by Àlex Murrull and Dani de la Orden from a screenplay by Carlos Franco which stars Álvaro Cervantes and Jaime Lorente as Manel Estiarte and Pedro García Aguado. It is a dramatization of the Spain men's national water polo team's run at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Plot

The plot is a dramatization of the Spain men's national water polo team's run at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, delving into the personal stories of Pedro García Aguado (and his substance addiction) and Manel Estiarte (coping with the tragedy of his sister's suicide).^[3] Despite opposing personalities, they end up reaching an understanding built upon the shared suffering under coach Matutinović,^[4] characterised by inhuman training methods that earned the latter the team's animosity.^[5]

Cast

• Álvaro Cervantes as Manel Estiarte^[6]
• Jaime Lorente as Pedro García Aguado^[6]
• Pep Ambròs [ca]^[6]
• Àlex Maruny [es]^[6]
• Roger Casamajor^[6]
• Joan Sentís^[6]
• Christian Valencia as Jesús Rollán^[6]
• Tarik Filipović as Dragan Matutinović [es]^[7]

Production

The screenplay was penned by Carlos Franco.^[8] A Spanish-Andorran co-production,^[9] the film was produced by Playtime Movies and Sábado Películas alongside Imminent Produccions, with the participation of RTVE and collaboration from ICEC and Govern d'Andorra.^[10] Filming had already wrapped in November 2021.^[11] Shooting locations included Barcelona and Andorra.^[11]

Release

Distributed by Universal Pictures International Spain,^[10] the film was theatrically released in Spain on 2 September 2022.

Reception

David Pardillos of Cinemanía rated the film 3½ out 5 stars, considering that the helmers "manage to maintain the tension until the last second and demonstrate that sometimes great stories also emerge from defeats".^[12]

Fausto Fernández of Fotogramas rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, welcoming the delivery of a Spanish-cinema equivalent to Hoosiers whilst citing "certain digital tweaks" as a negative point.^[13]

Ekaitz Ortega of HobbyConsolas rated the film 63 out of 100 points ("acceptable"), considering that even if Olympics suffers from a certain standardization in the way the story is told, it is a sincere film that entertains throughout, highlighting the work by Lorente and Cervantes and the adaptation of the historical context.^[14]

Manuel J. Lombardo of Diario de Sevilla rated the film 2 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "a film of basic values and soaked testosterone that is only missing a touch of locker-room homoeroticism to be a true product of its time".^[15]

See also

• List of Spanish films of 2022

References

1. "42 segundos". Catálogo de Cinespañol. ICAA. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
2. "Post-Production". New Spanish Films. Summer/Fall (PDF). Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte. 2022. p. 124.
3. "Dani de la Orden i Àlex Murrull roden a la Barceloneta un film sobre la selecció espanyola de waterpolo del 92". Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals. 18 November 2021.
4. "Jaime Lorente y Álvaro Cervantes ruedan en Barcelona y Andorra '42 segundos' sobre el waterpolo de Barcelona'92". Europa Press. 18 November 2011.
5. "Jaime Lorente y Álvaro Cervantes viajan a la Barcelona del 92 en '42 segundos'". rtve.es. 14 June 2022.
6. Dios, Marisa de (19 November 2021). "Jaime Lorente y Álvaro Cervantes recrean el mítico equipo de waterpolo de Barcelona 92 en '42 segundos'". El Periódico de Catalunya.
7. Reić, Zdravko; Rožman, Klara (24 June 2022). "Tarik Filipović u španjolskom filmu glumi vaterpolsku legendu: 'Zvao me sto puta, tražio silu detalja'". Jutarnji list.
8. "Tráiler de '42 segundos', el duelo de waterpolo entre Álvaro Cervantes y Jaime Lorente". Cinemanía. 7 June 2022 – via 20minutos.es.
9. "42 segundos. The Final Game". Spain Audiovisual Hub. Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
10. Boquerini (26 November 2021). "'42 segundos': la hazaña de la selección española de waterpolo en Barcelona 92". El Correo.
11. "Finaliza el rodaje de '42 segundos', la épica de la selección de waterpolo que hizo historia en Barcelona 92". rtve.es. 26 November 2021.
12. Pardillos, David (31 August 2022). "Crítica de '42 segundos'". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
13. Fernández, Fausto (1 September 2022). "Crítica de '42 segundos', trabajo en equipo". Fotogramas.
14. Ortega, Ekaitz (25 August 2022). "Crítica de 42 segundos, película que narra la gesta del equipo nacional de waterpolo en Barcelona 92". HobbyConsolas. Axel Springer.
15. Lombardo, Manuel J. (3 September 2022). "Crónica de una medalla anunciada". Diario de Sevilla. Grupo Joly.