By Mike McIntyre
Finally we have a tennis film that delivers for both die-hard fans and outsiders alike. Borg vs McEnroe premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night and received a rousing round of applause at its conclusion from those in attendance.
While the title leaves much to the imagination, the drama in the hour and forty minute flick did not disappoint as director Janus Metz Pedersen succinctly captures the intensity that fueled both Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe as they collided in the legendary 1980 Wimbledon final.
The film (unsurprisingly given its Swedish backing) focuses primarily on the inner conflict of the World No. 1 Borg as he attempts to capture his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title. The obsessive-compulsive routines that Borg puts himself through in order to escape the horror of defeat is painful to watch and one cannot but feel pity for the tormented champion. We see a legend who is unable to enjoy his success and who bottles-up almost all of his fears and insecurities as he attempts to thwart the up-and-coming McEnroe. The role of Borg is played convincingly well by look-alike Swedish actor Sverrir Gudnason. It truly did feel like watching the real Borg in action both on and off the court.
On the other side, Shia Labeouf, the more recognized actor of the two, holds his own as the Super Brat American McEnroe. Despite the often distracting side-show that Labeouf's personal antics seem to cause in real-life, he admirably channels McEnroe's on-court theatrics and off-court jealousy that he held for his rival. It seemed almost fitting to have someone who is so volatile off-camera, portraying someone who was so equally unstable on the tennis court.
Both players are shown to be misunderstood in their own unique manner. For Borg, his ice-man demeanor is actually a front that hides his inability to release the emotions that slowly torture him inside. McEnroe meanwhile is misunderstood as an unfocused and entitled brat when really it is the only way he knows to compete at full intensity without holding anything back. As the Vitas Gerulitas character states about Borg during a bar scene with McEnroe, "They say he's an iceberg but really he's a volcano." Meanwhile Borg shares with his fiancee that McEnroe, "...looks unfocused but it's the other way around."
The film does concentrate excessively so on Borg while leaving us wanting to learn more about the inner demons that McEnroe is also surely fighting. Tennis fans will possibly lament the lack of on-court action until the culminating five set marathon between the two title characters, although the tennis scenes we do see effectively capture the strengths of both athletes in their prime. The title of the film also does not endear itself to non-tennis aficionados and could have been strengthened prior to the official release.
That being said, those in attendance seemed overwhelmingly satisfied with the end product despite the fact that the majority in the audience were unaware of the stature of the Borg vs McEnroe rivalry as well as the outcome of the match. A man sitting near me during the film was regularly fist pumping and cheering for every McEnroe winner during the match versus Borg and there was a collective murmur when it was revealed on-screen that Borg chose to retire roughly a year after his final Wimbledon triumph.
I believe that the film will be well received by critics and movie-goers alike, regardless of whether there is any great familiarity with the characters or their real life exploits past or present. The quality of the acting coupled with the sheer drama that builds throughout and culminates with what seems like an improbable fifth Wimbledon victory for Borg is enough to make this not only a solid tennis film, but a solid film period.
Comments