Wimbledon

Synopsis: Once ranked 11th in the world, now ranked 119th, tennis veteran Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) has announced his retirement, and will accept a coaching position at the local country club when he's finished his final tournament. As a wildcard entry into Wimbledon, nobody expects him to make it past the first round: not the public; not his embattled parents; nor his brother, who bets against him; and certainly not Peter himself. But when he meets the rising star of women's tennis, Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), Colt begins serving harder, running faster, and developing the focus he's lacked for the last decade.

The film's trailer seemed clear enough: a flash of Lizzie Bradbury in the shower, and Peter Colt apologising for having stumbled into her room; a press conference in which the aging player's retirement announcement is completely ignored when a younger, fitter competitor begins to speak; and Peter smashing a couple of balls towards tin cans, surprised when he hits them. To me, Wimbledon looked reasonably enjoyable, but dull. As a fan of Paul Bettany's previous work, I couldn't help thinking, 'Why, Paul, why?'

Game:
One of the rules of the romantic comedy genre seems to be that the characters' jobs mustn't get in the way of the main thrust of the film. When the protagonists are sportspeople, however, the film has to ring true to sports fans as well, and they're notoriously hard to please where their area of interest is concerned. Jerry Maguire found the right balance; you could enjoy the film whether you were a gridiron fan or not. But that's rare. And as the title of this film is refers to a sporting Mecca, the filmmakers have well and truly thrown down the gauntlet. Thankfully, they deliver. Four months training with Pat Cash during pre-production allows the actors to appear game-ready, while a range of dynamic camera techniques and access to Colt's on-court inner musings about the finer points of tennis, love and life in general, make the viewer really feel part of the action.

Set:
Like Working Title Films' previous hit Notting Hill, much of the success of Wimbledon can be attributed to its location. From the relatively low-key outside courts to the polished mahogany of the members' locker room and the deafening roar of centre court, the viewer actually feels like he/she is 'on tour', an effect that the production team went to great lengths to achieve. Following its yearly tournament, Wimbledon's hallowed grounds are usually closed to the public. In order to make their vision a reality, however, not only did Working Title manage to broker a deal giving them unprecedented access to the location, they gained permission to shoot during the 2003 Championships, infusing key scenes with the actual mood of the world's most famous tennis tournament.

Match:
Nothing is more important in a romance film than the chemistry between its protagonists; for every team of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, after all, there's a Richard Gear and Winona Ryder. Kirsten Dunst has experience in the genre, starring most recently as Peter Parker's love interest in Spiderman 2, but with his self-deprecating humour, pale skin, and intense features, Paul Bettany is perhaps not the first choice for a romantic lead. This apparent incongruity, however, is precisely what makes the central relationship so appealing. When asked how he feels about beating his first-round opponent, a kid who couldn't be more than fifteen, Colt smiles lopsidedly and says, "I expect to one day be part of the trivia question 'Who beat him in his first Grand Slam?'" I, on the other hand, expect to one day read the trivia question, 'Which major Hollywood star got a much deserved lead role in the romantic comedy ?' The combination of Bettany's world-weary quirkiness and Dunst's youthful brashness makes for a compelling romance, while an outstanding supporting cast humanise what could, in lesser hands, have been no more than a formulaic comeback story.

Game, set and match, Wimbledon is a winner.

 

 

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