Review of Battle of the Sexes (2017) by Glenn G — 23 Sep 2017

LITTLE MS. SUNSHINE - My Review of BATTLE OF THE SEXES (4 Stars).

I love the films of Hal Ashby, particularly his 1970s stretch which included HAROLD AND MAUDE, BEING THERE, SHAMPOO, COMING HOME, THE LAST DETAIL, and BOUND FOR GLORY. His best work felt so natural, yet you never thought you were watching a documentary. There was real art in his frames. I especially loved the sun-dappled quality of his images, how you believed his characters lived in their spaces.

Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, in only their third feature (!) since 2006's LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, clearly have a love for Hal Ashby, and they expertly latch onto his aesthetic for the altogether wonderful, exhilarating BATTLE OF THE SEXES, one of my favorite movies of the year. Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) juggles a lot of balls in the air here and nearly sticks all of the landings. Set during the infamous 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, this goofy stunt of a game would somehow turn out to be a watershed moment in the women's equality movement, and definitely one which paved the way for such highly paid and decorated stars as Serena Williams.

Of course, when you're a hero, you don't always recognize it right away. You're just living your life. That's when we meet a late 20s King (Emma Stone), who, as the world's top tennis champion, gets interrupted at a function by her manager Gladys (a hilarious Sarah Silverman), who informs her that their current tennis tournament will yield the women players a small fraction of what the men get paid. In full activist stance, she takes her grievances to the head of the tennis commission (a feisty Bill Pullman), but he stands behind his sexist policies. In turn, Gladys and King break off from his association and start their own tournament.

Simultaneously, we meet Riggs (Steve Carell), former tennis champion, who at 55 has been reduced to working a dead end job with his father-in-law while hiding a secret gambling life from his wealthy wife (an assured Elizabeth Shue - welcome back!!). A man who lives for the hustle and a return to his glory days, Riggs zeroes in on King and challenges her to an exhibition match to prove that men are superior to women. What followed, as tacky and as silly as it could be, changed the paradigm. Ok, not completely. Sexism still rules and this film feels so current considering how an immensely qualified woman was treated by a boorish, racist, sexist pig in a certain high profile election. Regardless, Billy Jean King made history.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES takes its time getting to that match, like any good sports movie should, and delves into King and Riggs' lives. On the surface, King was happily married to her handsome husband Larry (Austin Stowell in a beautifully understated performance), but a chance meeting with Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough, warm and perfect), a hairdresser, awakens sexual feelings in her, leading to a sweet, quiet affair. With so much at stake personally and career-wise, King feels the need to keep this relationship in the closet. Stone masterfully navigates the complexities of King's circumstances while keeping her bold, brash, fearless and interesting despite the daunting situations. She fully inhabits King's butch characteristics and I couldn't help but be reminded of Jodie Foster. Stone nails this role. It's a career best so far in her still young career and there's no doubt she'll get an Oscar nomination again this year for her stellar work.

Carell is equally mesmerizing and much more complex than the surface level buffoon he plays. He shares a beauty of a scene with Shue that makes you fall in love with this clown and the very perceptive wife who has had to put up with his nonsense. Carell's funny-sad performance features comic highs such as his wonder of a speech at a Gambler's Anonymous meeting and a beautifully shot scene at an escalator with his disapproving adult son, well-played by Lewis Pullman, Bill's son.

In fact, this is one gorgeously shot movie. Linus Sandgren, who won the Oscar last year for LA LA LAND, also clearly worships at the altar of Hal Ashby. The film may be set in the 70s, but it's not presenting itself in a campy manner. You feel the rhythms of hearts racing, every solar flare feels evocative of a time and place, especially in a great driving scene with Billie Jean and Marilyn, as their hair flies around with each gust of wind. Elton John's "Rocket Man" plays on the radio, which, in the context of this week, gives it an odd meaning, but it works so well to evoke budding love and yearning in this moment. It's one of those classic scenes along the lines of another Elton John moment, when everyone sings along to "Tiny Dancer" on that bus in ALMOST FAMOUS. A seduction scene in a disco as "Crimson And Clover" plays on the soundtrack has a trippy, woozy quality. I loved the use of an obscure Bach-inspired instrumental track called "Joy", a long-forgotten early 70s hit and the images that accompany it. The film is shot with such energy. It has spirit. It's alive.

Special mention must also go to Mary Zophres' period perfect costumes and especially Judy Becker's production design. She's had practice with this era by way of AMERICAN HUSTLE, but I wanted to bow down to her simply for the coin-operated mini-TVs at the airport. We've come a long way baby!

The fact that BATTLE OF THE SEXES is a winning sports movie coupled with an astute look at sexuality and sexism, all told with a deceptively simple breeziness, adds up to one highly entertaining movie. Yes, it's populist entertainment, but you feel for these people. Additionally, it has an incredible supporting cast. In addition to those I've mentioned, I loved Natalie Morales (PARKS AND RECREATION) as Rosie Casals, a wisecracking fellow tennis player who ends up playing a major part in the big match...complete with well-realized FORREST GUMP-like trick photography. Fred Armisen is distracting and slightly wasted in a thankless role as Riggs' vitamin supplier, but it's not a big deal.

Where the film goes very wrong is with Alan Cumming as the outfit designer for the women's tour. Cumming plays a real life designer/tennis pro named Ted Tinling, who came across much more plain spoken than the BOYS IN THE BAND-level caricature Cumming brings to the role. It's not that he's bad. He's actually commanding and memorable, but it feels a little unreal given the naturalness of everyone else's performances in the film. Cumming also gets saddled with a terrible line towards the end of the film that almost sinks the whole soufflé. It's horribly on the nose and hokey, especially considering it follows an extremely strong, wrenching scene of King alone in a locker room. Perhaps test audiences wanted a moment of catharsis for Billie Jean's sexual struggles, but the reality, for me, proves far more interesting than the fantasy of a dumb summation line.

Luckily, it cannot spoil the good will this movie has in droves. Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs changed the world, and they did so with all the bravery and tackiness and show biz ridiculousness they could muster. King may have improvised her way through this part of her life, but the impact of her deeds still matters today. This joyous, wonderful film turns the silly into the sublime.