barely passable rom-com

Rating: 6/10 (27 September 2013)

Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is an aging English tennis player. His ranking has slipped from 11th to 119th in the world. He is considering what to do next after this final Wimbledon. Then he encounters Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst) when he enters the wrong hotel room. She's a rising American tennis star. Sam Neill plays her controlling father Dennis.
For a sports movie, it just doesn't have the energy. The action isn't that compelling. It's just isn't shot well.
Peter is a tired character, and it infects the movie especially early on. And his nagging narrations do not energize it in the least. Kirsten Dunst is doing her flirty best. The chemistry between the leads isn't all there. As a rom-com, it's barely passable.