Two stars oozing loveliness give this predictable film the extra oomph it needs...
Added 10/7/2009
Kirsten Dunst is one of my favorite actresses in young Hollywood. She is spunky, charming, beautiful, quirky, engaging and just all around delightful. She is like a sunnier Claire Danes to me (both are horribly underrated as actresses). I'll pretty much watch her in anything.
Paul Bettany is one of those actors who has garnered a huge fan base even if he has yet to really break out into the mainstream. He has graced quite a few great films, and has proven to be a steady and in-depth supporting actor, delivering great comic relief (`A Knights Tale'), supportive reliability (`A Beautiful Mind', `Master and Commander') and even disturbing romantic tension (`Dogville'). He is, in a word, brilliant.
Both of these actors are far better than `Wimbledon'.
This is not a bad film, at all, but it is not a great one either. It misses a lot of opportunities to give us something special, especially with the cast it has. It offers us nothing new, and the storyline is so predictable and cliché ridden that it is really a very unnecessary film. The one highlight here is the delightful performances by the two leads. Dunst and Bettany are stunning together and really elevate this `been-there-done-that' tale of two star-crossed lovers.
Bettany plays Peter Colt, a one time tennis champ (11th in the world) who has had a long string of bad luck leaving him ranking in the triple digits. Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst) is a young and vibrant player who is doing remarkably well. When all feels lost, Colt meets and falls for Bradbury. As to be expected, his game improves thanks their love affair while hers suffers.
The film is funny and it has charm, thanks to the impressive cast. Bettany and Dunst are not the only noteworthy actors here. Sam Neill proves yet again that he is criminally underused in Hollywood, and the young (and now extremely adored) James McAvoy makes a really nice addition to the cast, proving why he is on the cuffs of major stardom. I enjoyed this film, and I'm sure that you will too. I just wish that it could have broken out of the conventional romantic comedy mold. I wish that the script could have had the same spice and texture that the lead actors brought to their roles.
If this had stared two actors less competent and engaging I would have given this a C+, but the chemistry between the two leads alone brings my grade up to a B. There are much better rom-com's out there, but even some better films lack the lovable chemistry this film oozes.
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Strange ways love has.
Added 10/5/2009
Even though I could not rate this move with a 10, it is very nicely developed. And how love does carry on in a very hot and tense environment as Wimbledon, is wonderful. And the charm, sexy charm of Paul Bettany is another reason to see it. Watch it. You will enjoy tennis as well as the plot.Eugenia
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GREAT MOVIE
Added 8/26/2009
THIS IS MY FIANCES FAVORITE MOVIE , SHE COULDNT FIND IT ANYWHERE, LUCKALY AMAZON HAD PLENTY OF COPYS AND AT AN INCREDABLE BARGAN . DEFINITLY EARNED ME SOME BROWNIE POINTS , THANKS AMAZON
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Love, Centre Court & Everything
Added 4/1/2009
Paul Bettany's rangy, startling looks make him difficult to pigeonhole into any one sort of role. He's mostly known for period pieces and unsettling baddie parts. So it's refreshing to see him as the romantic lead in this frothy confection set in the high echelons of pro tennis. His Peter Colt, a fading player facing down his 30s reflects with much interior angst on the impending demise of his disappointing professional tennis career, in which the high point was once briefly being ranked 11th in the world. Having unexpectedly won a wild-card slot at Wimbledon, he's resigned to losing in the first round and announcing his retirement, upon which he will be forced to coach randy country club cougars for a living. But then, in a Meet Cute that could only happen in this kind of movie, he encounters rising American tennis sensation Lizzie Bradbury (think McEnroe in a skirt), and an unlikely romance ensues. What starts as a carnal fling over fish and chips develops into something deeper; even more surprising, Peter keeps winning his matches, astounding himself even more than the whole of England. Is Lizzie his soul mate--or a human good luck charm? Or both? Bettany effortlessly slips on the mantle of self-deprecating charmer unaware of his own appeal from Hugh Grant, but with a good deal less bumbling than Hugh Grant used to do. He is, after all, supposed to be an elite athlete, and he looks the part of a professional tennis player quite convincingly. He towers over his petite, considerably younger co-star, who is over-matched in both the tennis and acting departments, but these two sell their quirky blond pairing, and it works. What sets this project a cut above other attempts at `sporty romances' (think `Cutting Edge') is its air of authenticity: shot on location at Wimbledon and stuffed with real tennis talent, you can't fake this kind of detail. Is it realistic to think that a player languishing at 119th could win a berth in the men's final at Wimbledon, AND find true love on the grass courts with a brash Yankee gal he's known for all of 2 weeks? No on both counts--but that's precisely why we watch these movies, because in the rom-com universe, these kinds of happy accidents are the norm, and we can imagine they could happen to us. By film's end, Bettany has convinced us that they couldn't have happened to a more deserving bloke. From the producers of "Notting Hill" and the Bridget Jones movies, this one also boasts their hallmark bubbly score and views of a cheerful, affluent London where the sun actually shines more than it rains. While you're waiting for Roger Federer to have his next crack at the Wimbledon title, let Bettany & Co. entertain you--and have some cucumber sandwiches while you're at it.
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great chemistry
Added 2/4/2009
I'm not a fan of Kirsten Dunst and don't know a thing about tennis. But when this movie was uploaded on hulu.com I was bored and decided to watch it. I loved it! The two main characters have a great, natural chemistry that makes it fun to watch again and again. The story is also sweet. I've now watched it on Hulu several times and decided that I must own it. I'll also need to reconsider Dunst.
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