An Enjoyable Sports Romance

Rating: Null/10 (29 September 2004)

"Wimbledon" is a creditable addition to the sports romance genre.
While not dethroning the all-time champ "Bull Durham" or even "Tin Cup" because it's not particularly sexy, it plays well with such films as "Wind" and "Cutting Edge."
Paul Bettany is simply charming as an almost over-the-hill tennis player capable of getting through just one more tournament.
But he has more chemistry with his German practice partner guy than with Kirsten Dunst as an up-and-coming American dynamo, though there is more tennis and droll tennis commentary about underdogs than romance. At least their age and cultural differences are dealt with as part of the plot and character motivations. (I got a kick out of her tending to get into the wrong side of the car.)
James McAvoy gets to once again enthusiastically represent the randy younger generation, with at least his third participation this year on film in tabloid journalism.
It was delightful to see Eleanor Bron as the amusing matriarch, for those of us who will always fondly recall her in the Beatles' "Help!".