Stephen Bird
"Wimbledon" is a charming little rom-com that relies more on the actual sport than it does on the romance; maybe that wasn't a bad thing, as the sport of tennis and the grandeur of the Wimbledon grand slam tournament get thrust into the limelight and received some extra exposure via Hollywood. Paul Bettany shows off some super acting talent playing the roll of a posh pro tennis player who is coming towards the end of his career and has dropped to 119 in the world rankings.On the other end of the spectrum we have Kirsten Dunst who's character is just starting out in her career, a girl with big ambitions who has already set her sights on winning Wimbledon, with help from her overbearing father who also manages her career. Sadly the two young leads don't particularly share a vast amount of on screen chemistry and watching them share the screen together felt a little awkward, in a romance film the couple have to appear to really be in love with each other and the viewer shouldn't have to suspend their belief, sadly in "Wimbledon" this wasn't the case. The vast majority of supporting characters seemed to be critically misplaced, none more so than the cameo appearance by British sitcom star, Robert Lindsey, for the life of me I cannot understand why he was cast in this film. The one stand out supporting star was Pete's (Paul Bettany) younger brother Carl, played by a young James McAvoy, his on-screen time was minimal but he added some much needed comic relief, such as the scenes in the bookies when he insists on always betting against his brother in his matches. Not a great film by any means but completely inoffensive nevertheless, a decent enough film to watch if you're bored and happen to come across it on TV, Netflix etc
Dan1863Sickles
This is such an adorable movie that it's hard to understand at first why it wasn't a huge hit. An underdog English tennis star (Paul Bettany) falls for a strong-willed rising woman's champ (Kirsten Dunst.) The funny thing is, I think cultural differences between England and America really stifled this movie's appeal. The hero is such a nice guy, but I think his willingness to be sort of pushed around and second best comes across as weakness to American audiences. Perhaps not so much in England where it's more acceptable to know one's place and settle for whatever society deems appropriate. And then there's the moment where he considers taking work as a country club tennis pro, and a little group of very attractive society ladies (of mature years) make it very clear they're looking forward to having him as a stud for hire. And the movie sort of bungles the moment, since what comes across is not how attractive he is but how he's too timid to say no to anyone! At the same time, it's interesting that Kirsten Dunst plays a very strong-willed and determined young woman and that in itself seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable, perhaps more in England than America. And it's hard to tell whether it's modern women or Americans of both sexes who are being stereotyped as selfish and crude.Then again, there are some minor touches that are slightly creepy. Sam Neill, dark and sinister and aging very badly, is quite off-putting as the American girl's manipulative "stage father." You keep getting the impression he doesn't know this is a comedy! Maybe they told him it was OMEN V: ANTICHRIST AT WIMBLEDON. Or maybe he's just royally ticked off that his face has dropped five inches in the last twenty years, giving him the look of a mountainside after a mud slide. Whatever the cause, Sam Neill is glowering and snarling in every . . . single . . . scene . . . and coming across more like late period Bela Lugosi than anyone you'd meet at Wimbledon . . . or anywhere else outside the crypt.
stancym-1
Awful is the lowest rating so that's my subject heading, sorry. I am a fan of the Wimbledon event, and there's nothing I'd like better than to see Andy Murray or another Brit win it. And "our hero" in this film is a struggling British tennis player trying to win it.But this movie is dreadful. The lead characters do not have a convincing romantic relationship AT ALL. The female lead does not seem like a real person, and is not developed well. The plot is extremely contrived, predictable, and trite, with a tacked-on ending that is way too glib and phony. Paul Bethany is good looking, and it's fun to see Evert and McEnroe, and that is just about ALL that is good in this movie!
copperncherrio
Following two fine tennis players at Wimbledon and how their career changes as a result of their love affair. First of all, I'm not a big Dunst fan but I love Paul Bettany, but have never seen him in a love/romance film or role.Also there are some amazing tennis shots throughout this film, and some great filming concepts. The chemistry was believable and so was the plot. Both do a great job and there are great tennis scenes that correlates with the plot as well as a entertaining story. Of all the chick flicks that I've forced myself to watch, I think this one has the most of what I want from chick flicks: unique background and real conflict.
AD
