The Longest Penalty Shot in the World (2005)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Don't listen to the negative reviews

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

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.

It's a great comedy starring Fernado Tejero, a Spanish's Famous TV Actor from "Aquí no hay Quinn viva".The actor goes back to his first jobs in the films like "Días De Futbol".The loneliness of the goalkeeper in a soccer's team is very well shown to us in this great interpretations from Mr Tejero.If you can see this movie in your country, you must seen it, because it's a wonderful movie.The amateur's soccer team in Spain is very good reflexed in this films.If you dislike soccer you must see this movie for knowledge more of this great sport.Good Job!