We have seen a lot of
underdog movies. But in Campeones, perhaps underdog is just a matter of
perspective.
Marco Montes (Javier
Gutierrez) a second coach of a national basketball team, is at a low point in
his career. Due to an unprofessional act, he was fired from his job. On top of
that, he has to do community service as part of his sentence.
You’d think it would be
easy because he will serve as a coach for a struggling basketball team called
Los Amigos. But the circumstances do not agree with him. The players are differently-abled
and are not easy to train. Montes claims to not have the temperament to deal
with this kind of group.
Their first few meetings
are challenging because the players understand the instructions differently.
And Montes does not know yet how to teach the group. But as Montes starts to
get to know the team, he finds a way to reach out to them. He gets input from
Julio (Juan Margallo), the center director.
At some point, one of the
characters said that they are normal, too. They only have different skills. They
are also aware of what people think of them. Marin (Jesus Vidal) even said that
if he has a choice, he would want to have normal offspring.
Eventually, Montes found a
way to get the team to listen to him. They now follow his instructions. It is a
good thing because the team qualified to join the Paralympic national league. The
proof is their winning streak in the basketball competitions.
During the championship
round, almost all the characters’ issues have been fleshed out. As the Los
Amigos team walk towards the court, you will feel the excitement. The lighting,
the background music, and the character’s posturing will make the audience sit
up and expect a happy ending.
After watching, you might
ask yourself what constitutes a normal person? Does the ability to hold a
corporate job makes one normal? What about those who met an accident and had
their life changed?
Finally, this movie also
touches on the effect of drunk driving. I hope that drivers learn the importance of not driving under the influence after watching this film.
