Wimbledon

A bunch of people have said that Wimbledon was 'too predictable.' Well, it's a romantic comedy. Of course it's predictable: boy meets girl, they fall in love, trouble pursues, they get together in the end.

The point of seeing a love story is to see HOW all this happens. Wimbledon does a great job coming up with an original plot (love and tennis) while presenting the story in a way that draws in the audience. You really care about the characters. Kirsten Dunst, especially, creates a wonderful portrayal of Lizzie Bradbury. Lizzie is a very bold, driven, somewhat selfish character, but Dunst makes her lovable. And Bettany (Peter) plays off Dunst's performance incredibly well.

I love this movie. It's incredibly sweet, and funny without the groaning and eye-rolling junk. It is an amazingly well-directed, well-casted, and all around well-done movie that immediately made it to the top of my favorites list.

Peter Colt is a moderately successful tennis star facing the end of his career although he's only 32 years old. All he has to look forward to in life is a job giving tennis lessons to flirtatious middle aged women and fights between his argumentative parents who he still lives with. Then he stumbles into the life of young Lizzie Bradbury, a rising American star on the tennis scene. Lizzie gives him the motivation to shoot for the top, but the only trouble is that she finds any romantic involvement detracts from her own ability to play the game.

This is essentially a romantic comedy, but it is also a story about a meeting between an aging, slightly cynical British man and a motivated, optimistic young woman. It's unique to see a confident woman taking a leadership role in a film of this genre, where traditionally the male lead strong arms the woman into realizing that they are made for each other. Kirsten Dunst plays the role with great vigour even though she has admitted in interviews that she naturally has a shier disposition than that of her character. It's an amusing coincidence that Dunst is routing for a character named Peter again following on from the triumphantly successful Spiderman films. And doubly coincidental that Peter's primary opponent is a character named Jake after the actress' recent sad break up with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. This film's soundtrack features two beautiful songs "Caught in a Moment" and "Sometimes" by the fantastically talented Sugababes. It's to the film's credit that by the end most people in the audience felt sufficient emotional involvement to care who won the big tennis match. Wimbledon is an enjoyable movie that only occasionally goes over the top.

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This movie combines all my favorite film features: sports, romantic comedy, and beautiful filmography. The tennis action is sensational, with brilliant camera angles (e.g., viewing a volley from the ball's perspective). The romance is sweet and touching. The English ambience is eternally appealing. And the movie is just plain funny.

I watched it once, and wanted to walk right back in to watch it again. It was quite enjoyable.

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For me, there's nothing like a good romantic comedy, and when the story is set in the sports world, my interest level can be counted on to double. This one has a tennis theme, so naturally I checked it out as soon as it became available on DVD.

British journeyman pro Peter Colt, played in a bit of stellar casting by Brit actor Paul Bettany, has never quite made it to the top, and is now resigned to the end of a long career. He's got a wild card for Wimbledon, and plans to announce his retirement after the prestigious tournament ends. When a mistaken room assignment brings him to the suite of American star Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) romantic sparks fly as the repartee flows she behind the frosted shower glass, he bags in hand in the hall. It's all great fun, and we know right away this one's gonna be good.

When in a surprise, Peter wins his first match on court 17, things begin to look up for him. The romance is right on track too, as the two discuss the merits of fooling around on the night before a big match over fish and chips, no less.

For Peter, fooling around seems to have hurt his game. His second round match is a budding disaster. He's headed for defeat until who should show up but Lizzie to cheer him on. In a stunning turn of events, he plays for her and wins. A streak that continues when in round 3 Peter dispatches his best friend and practice partner Nikolaj (Dieter Prohl) despite the increasingly evident disapproval of Lizzie's driven father and coach, Dennis (Sam Neill), and the re-appearance of Peter's long absent agent Ron (Jon Favreau).

Meanwhile, Peter's dysfunctional family add really great touches of color. His feuding mother and father (Bernard Hill and Eleanor Bron)have reached the point where his father has moved to the treehouse in the back yard of the mansion, and his younger brother Carl (James McAvoy) provides comic relief as to the disgust of the bookies at the betting shop he bets against his brother("He's been on such a good losing streak.").

All told, Wimbledon is a light-hearted love story with a strong sports angle filled with great one-liners and several nice little plot threads that add up to an outstanding whole. I really loved it. I think it's the best sports-theme film to come along since "For Love of the Game."

Art Tirrell is the author of "The Secret Ever Keeps."

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Being a fan of British love comedies such as NOTTING HILL and LOVE ACTUALLY, when I saw the trailer for a romantic comedy set at one of my favorite places and tournaments, Wimbledon, I knew I had to see it. I really didn't know what to expect.

From the beginning of the movie, where you are given a great introduction to the tennis aspect, with heads that turn from side to side watching the game to the final match in the movie, I was captivated. As you are introduced to the unlikely Colt who is ranked 119 in the world and to Lizzy Bradbury who is seeded 2 (I think) at Wimbledon, and how they find a love for one another, you are captivated in a combination of a classic love story, and the excitement of the sport of tennis.

Being a tennis player myself, I especially enjoyed the matches in the movie. They were very well filmed, and presented the tournament well. They way they filmed the points that the players played was very well done because it helped you to get more into the matches.

Although sometimes predictable, this movie is a must see, especially for tennis players. Some friends have told me that it is hard to keep track of the score if you don't play tennis, but I think its pretty obvious who is winning when. Overall, this is a movie that I definetly recommend to everyone! Go see it!

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