Casting problems that lead to a better film

Rating: 8/10 (23 June 2008)

Originally intended for Hugh Grant, who I feel would be have been too old, they got Paul Bettany who was younger and in a great vein of form after "Master and Commander" to pay the dashing, yet faltering, Peter Colt, who had watched his younger years go by without the triumph he so wanted. Now about to retire and settle down to a life of quiet obscurity teaching tennis to middle-aged women in an exclusive tennis club. However, wanting one last Hurrah, he decides to enter Wimbledon as a wild card, and after a pleasant encounter with Lizzie Bradbury in a shower (Lordy, Kirsten looks good naked) he starts to regain some of the form that he hasn't seen for some time.
This is a surprisingly entertaining film that is notable for its two charming lead performances by Paul Bettany, who is great in the lead and plays the role of the dwindling tennis hopeful to perfection, and Kirsten Dunst as the up-and-coming tennis star with all her life before her. The script is far better than many would give it credit for with some really touching stuff about the ageing process, and both the cruelty and the joy of it, which for many people, will be something that they will be too young, or too old, to understand.
The direction is handled ably by Richard Loncraine who manages to blend both the romance and the comedy with equal aplomb creating a delightful mix that works well. Good Sunday afternoon fare for anyone who understands what life is about and how to grab onto the good things while they are still there.