Wimbledon

Rating: 5/10 (7 June 2006)

I saw this once before, and obviously couldn't have been paying the fullest attention, because when I watched it again I had no memory of what I saw, only the two lead stars in it, from director Richard Loncraine (Richard III, Firewall). Basically Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is a professional English tennis player, but over the years has gone down from a good place in rank, and knowing he is getting old and losing his ambition plans to quit after one more Wimbledon. Then he meets American rising female tennis player Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), and slowly of course he is falling for her, and while she finds him interesting he gets a boost for his tennis playing again. Lizzie herself plays great games and wins easily, and during the Wimbledon tournament she and Peter begin their love affair, to the disapproval of Lizzie's tennis coach father Dennis (Sam Neill), but to the interest of Peter's parents Edward (Bernard Hill) and Augusta (Eleanor Bron) and brother Carl (James McAvoy). There is the point when they break apart for personal reasons, Lizzie does intend to go back to America and drop out of the game, but then sees Peter declare his love for her during a television interview. Peter has managed to get to the final round of Wimbledon, having had his luck in the game change dramatically since his love affair, and Lizzie arrives just in time to see him win in the end, and they embrace their feelings for each other. Also starring Robert Lindsay as Ian Frazier, Celia Imrie as Lydice Kenwood, Penny Ryder as Sylvia Littlejohn, Annabel Leventon as Pauline Rossdale, Jon Favreau as Ron Roth, John McEnroe, Danny Baker as Radio London DJ and Chris Moyles as Radio 1 DJ. Bettany plays a nice girl, and Dunst is a likable American chick, and together the British meets American relationship does make for some good viewing, as does the tennis playing when you get into it, I don't know enough about tennis as a game, but it is still good to watch, the story is alright and the overall feel is quite nice, an alright romantic sports comedy. Worth watching!