Review of Wimbledon (2004) by Dimitri F — 29 Dec 2011

It's nearly impossible to make a sports movie that's original simply because the genre is so wrought with cliches, and "Wimbledon" magnifies the peril by doubling as a romance. And as expected, this is a predictable, by-the-numbers film that nevertheless won me over thanks to the charm and chemistry of the two stars.

Paul Bettany is obviously channeling fellow Brit Hugh Grant, and the part was actually written for him, but it's nice to see a fresh face instead. He's a natural actor, not yet a household name by an engaging presence all the same. Co-star Kirsten Dunst gives a winning performance as well, and even though she's relatively new to the romantic genre, it's a natural fit.

Oddly enough, I found the story of Bettany's rise from the ashes even more appealing than their budding relationship. Much like everything else in the movie, it ends predictably, but you root for him all the same. There's a few too many sub-plots that could have been eliminated to clean the film up some, like the parent's marital problems and Jon Favreau's semi-smarmy agent whose motivations aren't always clear. There's a lot more going on than needs to be.

Director Richard Loncraine has a knack for tis type of film, but there are a lot of arty visual touches that are more distracting than anything else. There's enough drama in the game and the story, making those annoying camera shots completely unnecessary.

"Wimbledon" isn't a great film, or a very memorable one, but I liked it enough at the time to recommend it. Bettany and Dunst make a cute couple and the tennis is exciting enough to counteract all of the cliches and familiarity.