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Final Set - Film Review (Alliance Française French Film Festival 2021)

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A test of mental strength
final set film review, Alliance Française French Film Festival 2021, french film, subtitled film, community event, cultural event, cinema, entertainment, date night, night life, actors, quentin reynaud, 22h22, fiction, alex lutz, ana girardot, kristin scott thomas
Image - AFFFF 2021

final set film review, Alliance Française French Film Festival 2021, french film, subtitled film, community event, cultural event, cinema, entertainment, date night, night life, actors, quentin reynaud, 22h22, fiction, alex lutz, ana girardot, kristin scott thomas
Image © 22h22

Final Set was written and directed by Quentin Reynaud and stars Alex Lutz as Thomas J Edison, Ana Girardot as his wife Eve, and Kristin Scott Thomas as his mother Judith. Once renowned as a young tennis prodigy, Thomas was on the path to becoming a world champion, but never achieved the career he had hoped for. At the age of 37, he is determined to get his one last shot at winning the French Open aka Roland-Garros, even though he is hampered by injuries and past his peak fitness levels.

In his one last attempt for glory, Thomas pushes forward in spite of his physical pain and without the support of his wife or mother who put him under pressure to quit. Not receiving a wild card, he has to play the qualifications the week before the beginning of the tournament. The intense qualifying rounds are gruelling not just for the body, but his mind as well, as he fights his own demons and faces a young player half his age and in peak condition.


There is nothing rushed about this film. It's slow and purposeful and concentrates on the three main characters. Character driven, there's no where to hide as the camera pans in for close ups and rests on every expression; every expressed word and its nuances. This is not so much your traditional tennis movie as it is an emotional ride about mental challenges, facing ageing, and internal and external pressures. Tennis is just the background. Kristin Scott Thomas plays a rather quietly overbearing mother who tells it like it is. She does well as a mother who loves her son, but holds back emotionally, as she doles out tough love.

Ana Girardot holds her own as the wife who feels she didn't quite get the chance for her tennis career to take off, when motherhood and taking care of a toddler took precedence. Love and resentment sit on the crossroads of supporting her husband and asserting her self worth. Both the female leads are well cast but the star of the show is unequivocally Alex Lutz who jumps every emotionally hurdle expressively and handles all the close ups without flinching! He is believable as the guy who has regrets, is fighting his own demons, plus all the pressure put upon him till he finally decides to break free. This is a strong film with a strong lead. You will however have to come to your own conclusion about the end. You may think "Oh No", but could you realise any other way? Find this and many other wonderful films at the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2021



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When: During the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2021 - 2 Mar to 20 Apr
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