2988. Wimbledon (2004)

Starring: Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Neill

Director: Richard Loncraine

Running Time: 98 mins

Wimbledon is an American/British film about a washed-up tennis pro and a rising star who fall in love during the famous championships, while their fortunes on the court seem to become interlinked.

I had a whale of a time with this movie. Wimbledon may not be the most intellectual film ever made, but with a perfect blend of romance, humour, intrigue and sporting excitement, it’s an enormously entertaining watch from beginning to end.

One of the main reasons for that is because there’s just so much at play in this film. If you’re a sports fan, you’ll love the underdog story of a washed-up player giving his all one last time, as well as some gripping on-court exchanges throughout the movie.

If you like your romantic comedies, then Wimbledon has the perfect brand of cheesy, pseudo-melodramatic romance mixed with light, fluffy humour. The central relationship is about as far-fetched as can be, but it’s delivered with such sweet and bright energy that it’s difficult not to love.

This film is so much more than just a sports movie or just a romantic comedy. It may be fluffy, but Wimbledon manages to link the two genres together in effortless fashion, contrasting the on-court fortunes of its two leads with a topsy-turvy romance that builds in drama and intrigue brilliantly throughout.

What’s more, with thoroughly likable performances from Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, the film really has a great enjoyability to it, even if the lead duo don’t have the most spectacular romantic chemistry.

Also, in tandem with its great humour and engaging story, Wimbledon is actually rather impressive on a cinematic level. Its pitch-perfect pacing makes it so much fun to watch, while its fantastic editing and visual effects lend thrilling intensity and excitement to the on-court sequences.

The story may be cheesy, but with such strong style throughout, the film builds to a genuinely thrilling finale, with a heart-stopping sporting conclusion played out on Centre Court.

Overall, I absolutely adored Wimbledon. A hugely enjoyable film that’s an undeniable guilty pleasure for its fluffy and often far-fetched sensibilities, it still provides more than enough excitement, drama and laughs to entertain viewers of all persuasions, and that’s why I’m giving it 7.8.