Final Set (2021)
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Why watch this film?
Although the use of competitions is something commonplace in movies, given the almost natural energy that is passed on to the viewer, tennis is very little represented. Off the top of my head, you can only remember 'Borg vs McEnroe', 'The Battle of the Sexes' and 'Game, Set, Match'. But, with the exception of the first one, they are films that are not focused on the game itself. That is why 'Cinquième set' is an interesting attempt. An exclusive Netflix feature film, the French feature tells the story of Thomas (Alex Lutz), an experienced tennis player who saw his life stop. After all, he started as a very young promise and, after a historic defeat, saw his rhythm drop and confidence disappear. So, at 37, he tries to win his last Roland Garros. Under the direction of Quentin Reynaud (from 'Paris-Willouby'), the feature film is getting more and more into the intimate of this character in search of final redemption. Above all, we follow how his life and behavior change as his fame returns and he advances in the competition - his relationship with his wife, with his mother, his way of acting on the court, with the press. With a modular performance by Lutz ('The Happiness Doctor'), we follow these transformations with an interesting naturalness. However, Reynaud exaggerates a bit when, in the second act, he puts an excess of questions around the protagonist's head. The relationship with the mother and wife does not resolve, as well as external discussions are lukewarm. Still, with good actors and a daring conclusion to the story, simulating the conventional transmission to TV of a tennis match, it is a good surprise in the representation of the sport in cinema.
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Plot summary
Thomas was once renowned as a young tennis prodigy, but never had the career he hoped for. At 37, despite his declining physical fitness, he decides to compete in the qualifying rounds of the French Open for one last attempt at glory.
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