Plot: What’s it about?
In the realm of sports movies, there aren’t that many about Tennis. Let’s face it, most are either about Baseball or Football. Tennis is a sport that I played for at least 15 years and I was happy to see a movie made about Wimbledon – one of the four tennis majors. Unfortunately, it’s a romantic comedy whereas I’d have liked to see a more dramatic movie. This isn’t a bad thing, though as it features Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany. Dunst we all know from the “Spider-Man” movies which is why she probably chose this role; as a departure from her more mainstream films. Bettany is an actor who has grown on me as of late. I wasn’t really sure what to make of him in “A Beautiful Mind”, though I did like him more in “Master and Commander”. It looks as if he’s prepared to step out of the Supporting Actor role and take a chance at the spotlight. All of that aside, what could a movie about Tennis really be about? It’s no secret that the word “Love” will no doubt have more than one meaning here…
Bettany plays Peter Colt, currently ranked at #119 in the world; he’s starting to get old (at the age of 32) and is ready to retire. Peter has a posh job at a reclusive Country Club awaiting him after he retires – complete with horny older women already after him. He’s drawn a spot in Wimbledon and has one last shot at glory. By sheer mistake, he is given the keys to the wrong hotel room and walks in on Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) showering. They meet up again while practicing for Wimbledon and the two hit it off. Lizzie has a bit of a reputation for a hothead on the court and has had her share of flings while off it. Peter is the latest “Flavor of the Month” and the experience gives him just the motivation he needs to win his first couple of matches. As his attraction for Lizzie grows, her father (Sam Neill – doing his best American accent) steps in and warns him off. Will Lizzie and Peter be together or will they both lose their matches and Peter retires?
Gee…I wonder. I really didn’t have anything negative to say about “Wimbledon”, not that I’m looking for negative things to say anyway. If I had one word of improvement for the screenwriters, it’s that the movie felt very formulaic and predictable. We know that Peter will go far in the tournament because this is his last “hurrah” and movies often don’t show us that failure is the way that most of us go out. Additionally, Peter’s British and Wimbledon is the English major in Tennis (the others are the Australian Open, French Open and the U.S. Open) – so he has that on his side as well. For those who are drawn to romantic comedies, this one fits the mold perfectly. There are a few genuinely funny scenes in it and its one of the few movies about Tennis that’s been made. Still, even though enjoyable I felt that I knew the outcome halfway through the movie. At any rate, it’s good for a rental and I’m sure Tennis fans will enjoy it too.
Video: How does it look?
As a new to DVD title, Universal has released this in separate Widescreen and Full-Screen versions. The widescreen was reviewed here and the 2.35:1 anamorphic image is stunning. The palette varies, but the Tennis scenes look fairly good. The dull green of the Wimbledon grass is brilliant, though the yellow tennis ball does appear to be CGI (one of the drawbacks of watching this tournament is that it’s hard to see the ball, short of being there). The clarity in some scenes is amazing and I marvel at how much definition we can see in the background, faces and everything else in the frame. I always hesitate to give out a perfect score for “Video” or “Audio”, but I was blown away at how good this looks. A wonderful transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
As with most Universal titles, there are dual Dolby Digital and DTS tracks to choose from. Granted, most romantic comedies don’t use a lot of the surround channels, but this one also combines a sport with an audience. I was pretty taken by how good some of the scenes sounded, the surrounds kicked in on more than one occasion and the crowd cheering really added to the feel of the movie. The rest is dialogue and some soundtrack music that we get fairly tired of. For the most part, I’d have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the way “Wimbledon” sounded and the inclusion of a DTS track only sweetens the deal. Advantage “Wimbledon”.
Supplements: What are the extras?
There is an assortment of supplements on the disc, but none of too much substance. First up is the commentary track with Paul Bettany and Director Richard Loncraine. The two are both British, so they share a few inside jokes and are very talkative throughout. I would have liked to hear Dunsts’ comments, but she was probably caught in a web somewhere. Three featurettes are also included; “Wimbledon: A Look Inside”, “Welcome to the Club” and “Coach a Rising Star”. All of these are fairy standard, with some behind the scenes footage and comments from the cast and crew. What I found more interesting was “Ball Control” which concentrated on the special effects of the movie. Being a tennis player, I could tell that Bettany and Dunst weren’t very natural (though Bettany looked like he’d played before) and my suspicions were confirmed about the CGI use of the tennis ball. A theatrical trailer is also included. Oddly enough, they don’t promote the commentary on the back of the box, you have to find it on the Special Features menu. All in all, a nice little movie that delivers more than meets the eye.
