Love doesn't have to be a zero

Rating: 8/10 (3 May 2006)

Playing on the tennis term "love" added a couple of good lines to this feel-good romantic comedy/sports movie. In fact, the dialog between Peter Colt and Lizzie Bradbury(Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst) was one of the well-done elements of this movie. The tennis scenes were extremely well done, particularly Paul's many court scenes. The internal dialog added to the suspense, even though we know early on that Paul will play above himself. I'd bet Bettany plays a pretty mean racket himself. There were a few stereotypical characters, but also some off-beat roles, such as Peter's family that added an element not often seen in sports movies. While I was not sure of Kirsten's true feeling at times, Paul did an outstanding job in his role, from physicality to emotional reactions. The Wimbleton setting was as authentic as one could hope for, although at times I wondered about the prescient comments of announcer John McEnroe reflected in Paul's internal dialog. Noentheless, the final match had as much tension as the real thing, and I very much admired Paul's handling of it. It isn't every day a movie comes along that is engaging, fun, and leaves one with a warm sense of satisfaction. This one won't test your critical faculties, but it will be time well spent.