Challengers
Directed by:
Luca GuadagninoScreenplay:
Justin KuritzkesCinematography:
Sayombhu MukdeepromCast:
Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, A.J. Lister, Naheem Garcia, Hailey Gates, Nada Despotovich, Bryan Doo, Mary Joe FernandezPlots(1)
Tashi, a tennis player turned coach, has taken her husband, Art, and transformed him from a mediocre player into a world-famous grand slam champion. To jolt him out of his recent losing streak, she makes him play a “Challenger” event — close to the lowest level of tournament on the pro tour — where he finds himself standing across the net from the once-promising, now burnt-out Patrick: his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend. Tensions run high on and off the court as old flames are reignited, competition builds, and love and careers hang in the balance; it’s anyone’s game. (United Artists)
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Reviews (2)
I'm not a fan of sports-themed films, but Challengers managed to win me over thanks to its story, the core of which revolved around a dynamic and plastic love triangle, whose individual vertices interacted with each other at the speed of a tennis ball. I commend the structure of the plot, where the framework was the decisive match, while the filler was what led to this great match. In fact, I ended up liking the sporting aspect of the film - the quick shots between faces, ball hits and rackets really drew me into the action, almost onto the tennis court, you could say. Last but not least, I have to highlight the incredible soundtrack, whose electronic tones fit the story perfectly.
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A heated tennis love story full of ego, unrequited love and the desire to win. Zendaya, as the tennis goddess who gets her hand pecked by Prince Charles of the Decreased Manners and his good second in command, is flawless. Ditto for the plot, where you don't know how it's all going to turn out until the last moment. I could have done with fewer slow-motion shots, they do make sense for filming a fast-paced sport like tennis to dramatize the hits, but by the end Luca Guadagnino uses them so much that it paradoxically dulls the climax of the story a bit. Yet the matches otherwise don't lack punch at all, as both the score and the soundtrack, as well as the flourishes with the camera during each exchange, give the film a liveliness that I've missed in tennis films for many years.
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