Starring: Paul Bettany, Kirsten
Dunst
Cert: 12a
Released:24th September 2004
An underachieving, well spoken,
good looking, nice, English guy has his life turned around after meeting an
attractive, spunky, American girl.
Sound familiar?
Take Four Weddings and a Funeral, swap the
weddings for four rounds of the English Summer tennis tournament; replace Hugh
Grant and Andie MacDowell with Paul Bettany (A Knight’s Tale, Master & Commander) and Kirsten
Dunst (Spiderman, Drop Dead Gorgeous), include the
standard, well defined supporting roles that add to and not detract from the
main plot line and there is Wimbledon.
There are no real surprises in
the plot; the sporting backdrop requires a pretty hefty suspension of disbelief
(mediocre player gets consistent lucky draws to get him through to the
denouement); and you have to try to ignore that the ‘ball’ seems to defy the
laws of physics during some of the rallies. It’s a generic rom-com that is
probably the ‘funniest British film since The Full Monty’™ but don’t let that put
you off; it is funny and the games are gripping. It's the romance that seems to
lack credibility. Bettany is convincingly cast as last-chance-100+ seeded Peter
Colt and Dunst is unchallenged by her role as spirited and focussed Lizzie
Bradbury, but there is just something not quite right about the pair getting it
together.
The cameo’s from John Mckenroe,
Chris Evert and the rain added to the atmosphere and believability.
Wimbledon
could only have been more authentic if Cliff Richard had been spotted in the
crowd.
But
that might not necessarily have been a good thing.
