Directed by:
Richard LoncraineCinematography:
Darius KhondjiComposer:
Edward ShearmurCast:
Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Robert Lindsay, Austin Nichols, James McAvoy, Eleanor Bron, Bernard Hill, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jon Favreau, Sam Neill (more)Plots(1)
British romantic comedy about a washed-up tennis player who scores a wildcard entry to the Wimbledon championship and finds his game reinvigorated after he meets one of the top American female stars. Richard Loncraine directs Paul Bettany as Peter Colt, a once-great British player who is sliding futher down the world ranking every year. Once ranked 11th in the world, he is now placed at 113th and it seems as if his career has come to an inglorious end. Winning a wildcard entry to the Wimbledon tournament seems like Peter's last chance, although when he accidentally stumbles into the hotel room of Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), a rising star in the women's game, he finds his luck beginning to change. Even though he is warned off Lizzie by her father Dennis (Sam Neill), the more he falls for her, the more his game improves, until it seems as if he might just have a chance at the title. Also featuring performances from Bernard Hill and Robert Lindsay. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (6)
The criminally routine screenplay is livened up by the actors, music and visual delights during the tennis tournaments. Wimbledon is slighly better than most American romantic comedies, but significantly weaker than the better British ones.
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At first glance, Wimbledon looks like another of the many above-average romantic comedies that we have seen plenty of, but unlike most similar films, it has original and unobtrusive humor. Additionally, it takes place in a new and unexplored setting of tennis, which is another big plus. What can be considered a “classic” was the soundtrack, composed of a mix of classic romantic pop songs mainly performed by female interpreters – nothing against it, because overall the film works quite well and that is the main thing.
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Visually excellent and narratively pleasant spectacle, but it proves that even a British machine for unforgettable romantic comedy gems can get stuck. In my eyes, Wimbledon can never reach the quality of a Notting Hill, let alone a Heavenly Love. I don't mind that a potential hit turned out to be a forgettable snack. Rather, I have been thinking for a while about when exactly the time came when the main couple would just spend a night together shortly after meeting, instead of it being one of the emotional peaks. Not to mention that Paul Bettany is an excellent actor, but he absolutely does not fit as a romantic hero. Fortunately, Kirsten Dunst is as gorgeous as ever, and her lighthearted performance can cover up many plot hiccups.
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An enjoyable film that doesn't impress with anything, but pleases with its depiction of the unglamorous environment of elite tennis and the extremely likable central duo Bettany – Dunst. The ingredients are mixed in the right proportions, with a bit of unobtrusive humour, a bit of match suspense (though given with a predictable outcome the plot development, and Bettany's match comebacks were more from the realm of science fiction), a bit of overdone (yay!) romance. The legendary John McEnroe can be seen as a sports commentator, and to make the actors look like real players, the Australian Wimbledon winner Pat Cash worked as an advisor and coach. I believed Bettany as a top tennis player, Dunst less so (weird loop on the serve)......All in all, three and a half*.
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I could not help it, but this movie did not impress me at all. While I like Dunst and Bettany, I found this to be an incredibly vacuous movie, dominated mainly by typical cinematic conventions, stale dialogue, predictability, and boredom. Ninety-eight minutes felt incredibly long to sit through, and if it were not for the above two actors, I probably would have fallen asleep from boredom. I am awarding this a weak two stars.
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