'Foosball' - the story of passion for the round ball

Inspired by the short story “Memoirs of a Right Wing”, “Foosball” revolves around the round ball of friends who share a passion for the football field.

Although football is still known as the king of sports in the world, in Hollywood (USA), the round ball seems to be inferior to the rugby ball. Foosball can be said to be one of the first animated films inspired by the king of sports - football. In particular, the adventure from a one-square-meter football field to a thousand-square-meter football field by director Juan José Campanella has brought memorable emotional experiences.

The film begins with an "unbelievable" story about wooden men in a table tennis game, who escape from the skewers, can laugh, talk, think and especially have the ability to chase the ball on the field like real players. The main character of the film is a shy but talented and kind-hearted boy named Amadeo. To regain his village and protect his close girlfriend - Laura, Amadeo assembles an unprecedented amateur football team to fight Grosso - a young man from the same village who has a childhood grudge and now becomes a professional football star. Revolving around the confrontation between the boys that year and the rescue of the village, the film brings to the audience meaningful stories about friendship, teamwork and the spirit of "fair play" in sports.

Poster of the movie "Foosball".

Foosball is the film project that marks the return of director Juan José Campanella after he won the Oscar for “Best Foreign Film” with The Secret in Their Eyes (2009). This is also the first time he has experimented with the animation genre because he himself realized that he had no talent for drawing. “But fortunately, animation is now linked to the computer world. I can sit down with an animator to discuss the general rules, then we start working. For me, that is more than creative,” the director shared.

It is the creativity of an “amateur” that gives the film its unique color in terms of appearance. The “wooden players” escaping from the skewers on the foosball table are recreated quite elaborately with angular lines, rough scratches on the face, impressive hair or costumes with a strong sports spirit. In particular, Amadeo’s silly football team with the participation of different players, from old to young, from the priest to the anonymous priest, the policeman to the criminal… will delight the audience.

The character designs in the movie are quite funny.

Each character has a unique personality and all are brought to life through impressive identifying features such as the autistic young man with long hair covering his face, the cheerful Taoist priest with a waist-length beard or the muscular, cheerful policeman.

In addition to the eye-catching graphics and images advised by Sergio Pablos - the father of the beloved animated film Despicable Me, Foosball will also surprise and delight viewers with an unpredictable ending. Although the story of a talented but shy boy becoming a hero to save the community is no longer new, the director's handling of the ending as well as the way the film recreates miracles will make the audience feel completely convinced.

The movie is fun.

Amadeo fought and was honest until the last minute with his teammates - the people of the village who stood side by side to protect the beloved land where they were born and raised. That is what the audience will remember, not the goals or the final score of the match.

“Women may come and go, but the team will always stay” - the declaration of those lovely wooden players may not be agreed by Amadeo and the audience. However, the sportsmanship and passion for the round ball that the little guys bring will surely make the audience unable to sit still from the first minute to the last minute of the film.

Foosball (Vietnamese name: King of table tennis) premiered in Vietnam from April 10.

According to VNE