Wimbledon Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)September 20th, 2004
"Wimbledon"
Tennis pro Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) has seen better days as a player. Once ranked #11, he is now rated 119th in the world, which means there are 118 players that are younger, stronger and faster than he. But, he has played well enough to earn a wild card spot in the upcoming All-England Lawn Tennis Championship, better know to the rest of the world as "Wimbledon."
Tennis is not one of the sports that come to mind when I think in terms of excitement and action. I, personally, find the game to be only marginally more interesting than watching a golf match – which is only slightly better than watching paint dry. But, Paul Bettany had peaked my interest since I first noted him, as Geoffrey Chaucer, in "A Knight's Tale, then in "A Beautiful Mind" and "Master and Commander." He showed his acting chops in all of these, and other, films but I was curious to see if he could anchor a romance/comedy/rags-to-riches story.
"Wimbledon" is only a fair sports flick, but it does affirm my thoughts that Bettany is an acting force to be reckoned with. As I watched the film, I thought about how Hugh Grant in the role of Peter – especially since the producers are credited with "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill." I found out later that Grant was actually the first choice for the Peter Colt role (a bit too old to play a tennis pro trying to make a comeback). Paul Bettany has the same self-effacing temperament as Grant and I found his droll wit to be a plus in the role of Colt.
Kirsten Dunst gives an assured performance as rising young American tennis star Lizzie Bradbury. While I like the romance between Peter and Lizzie, I wasn't bowled over by the chemistry between the two. Dunst has obviously worked hard to get the tennis moves down and does a good job with the physical aspect of her talented, athletic rich kid character.
Supporting cast helps to flesh things out a goodly bit. Veteran thesps Bernard Hill and Eleanor Bron, as Peter's father and mother, put an amusing spin on their characters as they are shown growing farther and farther apart, only to be brought back together because of their son's game. James McAvoy gets good mileage as Carl, Peter's ne'er do well younger brother who keeps betting against his older sibling for the duration of the Wimbledon matches. Sam Neil is only OK as Lizzie's protective and surprisingly tolerant dad. Jon Favreau gets some hilarious moments as Peter's fast-talking, sleazy American sports agent, Ron Roth. John McEnroe and Chris Evert have a good time as the Wimbledon broadcast commentators.
As I said, I'm not a big tennis fan, unless you count my fondness for Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train." The liberal use of CGI during the matches helps to give a believable look to the games that blends with the live action.
Helmer Richard Loncraine, who is previously known for his modern take on Shakespeare's "Richard III" starring Ian McKellan in the title role, works well enough with the romantic sport/romance script by Adam Brooks, Jennifer Flackett and Mark Levin. While the story holds few surprises on or off the court, it is well-paced tale that intersperses tennis match with the budding love match. The wrap up ties all the loose ends together into a neat bow but the and-they-all-live-happily-ever-after smacks of cliché and lack of imagination. The real draw, for me, is seeing Paul Bettany fill the romantic comedy shoe that Hugh Grant has long grown out of. I give Wimbledon a B-.
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