Review of Gender Wars (2015) by Will C — 20 Oct 2017

A by-the-numbers, predictable and linear story - which is especially a problem for the first half of the movie because it is made worse by on-the-nose dialogue that lacks subtext. Billie Jean King's character arc feels too straightforward. Her budding lesbian romance feels flat and her lover's character is annoying. Bobby Riggs's story in the early going fares better because he is an unapologetic hustler with a flair for the absurd. However, once we reach midpoint, the movie takes off and never looks back.

In its second half, characters (except for the girlfriend, Marilyn) each have wonderful moments, Billie Jean and Bobby are more strongly rendered and there are great moments as the old white men who've gathered around their TV sets realize that men are not universally superior to women. Watching their discomfort is a delight.

On the technical side, the production design is just ok and the score is overused in too many scenes.

The script is uneven. Given screenwriter Simon Beaufoy's brilliant work with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, one has to wonder what went wrong. Would it have been stronger had he used a back-and-forth time structure? Was he given constraints by the directors and/or producers that weakened the final draft? Or did he just miss the mark?

The acting was solid, given what they cast had to work with. Emma Stone did the best anyone could do with the role and, for me, she delivered more than what was on the page. Steve Carell was spot-on.

In all, this was a frustrating movie to watch for the first half. There were some wonderful moments, particularly between Billie Jean King and her husband & Bobby Riggs and his wife. From midpoint forward, much of the weaknesses from earlier in the story were forgiven. However, this film will likely play much better once it's available on whichever streaming service picks it up.