Wimbledon (2004)
Directed by Richard Loncraine
Britain’s Peter Colt has never quite lived up to his dreams of tennis stardom. Once ranked as high as number 11 in the world, the journeyman veteran has watched his number slip to 119 as his confidence on the court slowly ebbs away. Now, on the eve of his leaving the world of professional tennis, he’s granted a wild card, allowing him to play his final Wimbledon tournament…make that his final tournament ever.
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4 films that influenced Wimbledon
What critics say influenced Wimbledon
The Anglo-American culture clash has been a common theme of numerous recent Britcoms, from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" to "Notting Hill" to "Love, Actually."
"Wimbledon" is refried "Notting Hill" with a Teen People glaze.
As Paul and Lizzie both seek but also resist their celebrity, Wimbledon opts for the most common, most Notting Hill-ish resolution.
As I watched the film, I thought about how Hugh Grant in the role of Peter – especially since the producers are credited with “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill.”
To say that Wimbledon borrows from other more successful Working Title romantic comedies, like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, is putting it mildly.
Presented by the same producers of incredibly successful British comedies like “Notting Hill” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” director Richard Loncraine makes sure to include the same peculiar humor that set apart the aforementioned films from other comedies, but it won’t necessarily have the audience rolling around on the floor with laughter.
The Anglo-American culture clash has been a common theme of numerous recent Britcoms, from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" to "Notting Hill" to "Love, Actually."
Working Title, the company that brought us Four Weddings and a Funeral and now serves up Richard Loncraine�s Wimbledon, can be depended on for films with an affable, low-key charm.
As I watched the film, I thought about how Hugh Grant in the role of Peter – especially since the producers are credited with “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill.”
To say that Wimbledon borrows from other more successful Working Title romantic comedies, like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, is putting it mildly.
This insufferable rom-com from the production team responsible for Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill is built around the ludicrous notion that the best way for a tennis player to improve his game is to shag a young nymphet, preferably Spider-Man’s girlfriend.
Faring considerably better is Paul Bettany in "Wimbledon," a high lob of romantic fluff from the producers who confected "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill."
The Anglo-American culture clash has been a common theme of numerous recent Britcoms, from "Four Weddings and a Funeral" to "Notting Hill" to "Love, Actually."
Working Title seems to have a corner on British romantic comedies (Bridget Jones, Notting Hill, you name it), especially when combined with British wish-fulfilment fantasies (a prime minister to be proud of in Love Actually, an English tennis champ here).
All these ingredients are present and correct for Wimbledon, but happily – at least for anyone who felt Love Actually was like being trapped in a sugar factory - the words “Richard” and “Curtis” do not appear on the writing credits.
Putting it mildly, these folks are not in the Richard Curtis (Love Actually) class but in the Romantic Comedy 101 league.
Call it cinematic magic, but what Wimbledon really lacks is that quirky English wit that helped make Love Actually such an irresistible charmer.
A product of the team behind "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually," it's a rousing athletic-underdog story about low-ranked, self-stymied pro tennis player Peter Colt (Bettany, from "A Knight's Tale," "A Beautiful Mind" and "Master and Commander" ) who finds his groove by falling in love with Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst), the rising-star queen troublemaker of women's tennis.
The British actor, who made an impression with American audiences playing the oh-so-witty Chaucer in A Knight's Tale and then wowed them in Oscar winners such as A Beautiful Mind and Master and Commander , doesn't disappoint in his first lead role.
Admittedly, a lightweight, romantic comedy-drama set in the world of tennis does seem like an unlikely choice for Bettany, an underrated character actor who was terrific in both "A Beautiful Mind" and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World."
Moviegoers began to notice him when he played Russell Crowes roommate in A Beautiful Mind , and Bettany exhibited the breadth of his talent when he played Dr. Stephen Maturin in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World .
A product of the team behind "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually," it's a rousing athletic-underdog story about low-ranked, self-stymied pro tennis player Peter Colt (Bettany, from "A Knight's Tale," "A Beautiful Mind" and "Master and Commander" ) who finds his groove by falling in love with Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst), the rising-star queen troublemaker of women's tennis.
Paul Bettany, the charming scene-stealer of "A Beautiful Mind" and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," has long deserved his own starring vehicle, but the romantic comedy "Wimbledon" serves him poorly.
Bettany is a familiar face, having been seen in films like A Beautiful Mind and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.