No croquet in this picture

Rating: 7/10 (8 September 2013)

The tennis matches were well faked in this flick, with glimpses into the mind of the lead player (Paul Bettany) that we were not granted for his love-match (Kirsten Dunst), who is mainly presented on her back in bed. As usual, her role is seriously underwritten: she has no friend (as Bettany's character does), she has no car, and misbehaves during the competition by drinking, eating and shagging. Why he is able to win in his early 30s in spite of this behaviour, while she loses in her mid-20s is incomprehensible. Anyway, they both get out of tennis "it's only a game", get married and have two children in a highly traditional manner that probably made many female movie-goers vomit into their popcorn. Yes, it's a highly traditional movie, all about a male winning and a female worshipping him and having his babies, but it's all right because it's only entertainment, right? Seven for entertainment value. BTW, Wimbledon is the All-England Tennis and Croquet Club --- the croquet got well neglected in this particular picture.