Borg McEnroe - Duell zweier Gladiatoren

We are currently seeing a vogue for movies about famous sporting rivalries. I think this was kicked off by the excellent Senna (2010), which could have been a fact-of-the-matter biography of Senna but ended up (wisely) focusing on the rivalry between Senna and Prost, which brought an unintended emotional richness to the story. This was followed up by the almost-as-good Rush (2013) which goes back a decade to tell the story of dashing gentlemen racer James Hunt versus the cold, calculating Nikki Lauder. Now, a Swedish-led production effort is telling the story of one of the great tennis matches of all time: four-time champion Bjorn Borg versus the fiery tempered young John McEnroe at the Wimbledon men's final of 1980.

As a strange pre-note: I watched Borg vs McEnroe in a completely empty theatre. Clearly, this movie is not getting the attention it deserves. I think it definitely affected my viewing experience; I was able to completely shut off and see it my own way. Which is good, as this film has a real psychological edge.

In short, it was an excellent movie. Surprisingly so, in fact. It got to the point where I forgot I was watching a film and really seemed to be inside the heads of the two leads, right there with them, through every match, every up, every down, every argument, every triumph. This is quite the achievement for a film based in historical fact that can't take too many liberties with the story.

Within the first couple of scenes, I could tell this was going to be my kind of movie: a real character study. We see a day in the life of global heart-throb mega-star Bjorn Borg, who is beginning to tire of the trappings of fame. I noticed the filmmaking technique of filming Borg in tight, claustrophobic interiors with shadowy men in suits hanging around in the background. It suggests that his life is beyond his control, is being lived for him, and maybe he wants out ... but doesn't know how to do that. All he knows is tennis, and winning.

Enter the young and fiery John McEnroe, who is a major blip on Bjorn 'Ice'-Borg's radar. If Borg was the ABBA of tennis, McEnroe was the Sex Pistols. Known for ranting at umpires and crowds, he had whipped London's easily baited tabloid newspapers into a frenzy, they could smell blood in the water, and as McEnroe battled his way into the final with a combination of luck, talent and verve, a fairytale match (and perhaps a major upset) was being set up.

Borg is unquestionably the main character of this film. I think we get about a 70:30 time share between the title characters. This is something of a shame, as I thought that McEnroe was perhaps the more interesting character. How does a New York wiseguy from a good family and lots of opportunities end up pushing himself into becoming a tennis world No. 1? The movie never really tries to answer this question. It focuses much more on Bjorg's backstory as a trouble kid who was recruited - some might say brainwashed - into channelling all his anger into his tennis. In perhaps the movie's best scene, McEnroe makes the link between them clear, and spots that Bjorg may seem like an iceberg but really he's a volcano waiting to go off.

Shia LeBeouf was an inspired choice to play McEnroe. LeBeouf has always faced fierce criticism of his acting, his suitability for the kind of roles he wins, and has run the tabloid gamut lately with a string of bizarre stories about his life and behaviour. In scenes where McEnroe rants at the press, you feel LeBeouf is really getting something off his chest here. Also excellent is Stellan Skarsgard, who plays a tennis coach with just the right amount of highly questionable morality in pushing youngsters as hard as it takes to produce a champion.

My one criticism of the film was the cheesy title cards, which spell out explicitly what's supposed to be happening in the movie with things like "The rivalry would affect the players for the rest of their lives." Show, don't tell, is the first rule of filmmaking. However, the movie's technical excellence - the tennis sequences were utterly spellbinding - and surprising emotional heft and depth make this a wholehearted "Yes - see it" recommendation from me.

I was fortunate enough to see "Borg McEnroe - Duell zweier Gladiatoren (2017)" on opening night for the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival. Without giving away too much (especially if you're like me and you didn't know much about this 1980s tennis rivalry coming into it), I will say that this is a fabulous film and everyone involved in the making of it should give themselves a huge pat on the back. They have done an incredible job in crafting a story that successfully explores, analyzes and pays homage to two contrasting albeit equally fascinating personalities in sports history.

Both of the titular characters are played to perfection thanks to virtuoso performances from Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf, the latter of whom was practically made for the role. Regardless of what you think about Shia, his commitment to any role is always awe- inspiring and here he gives a performance that so perfectly combines loud-mouthed arrogance with an icy determination that he actually makes it difficult for you to route against him. He creates a fascinating character alongside the calm, cool and collected persona of Björn Borg, played exquisitely well by Gudnason. Another performance that deserves a mention is that of Stellan Skarsgård, whose quiet loyalty really helps to anchor the film in the more pivotal emotional moments.

In a lot of ways this film reminded me of "Rush - Alles für den Sieg (2013)", another excellent film that deftly explored an iconic sports rivalry and how each athlete helped to shape the other. Like Rush, "Borg McEnroe - Duell zweier Gladiatoren (2017)" transcends the sport at hand to become an exploration of human suffering, resilience and, ultimately, redemption. Aside from the themes at hand, the technical brilliance of the film completely grabs your attention and never lets go until the final frame. In what is the first full-feature length film of Janus Metz, he creates a film that perfectly captures a game-changing moment in sports history and the contrasting personalities of the men who changed it.

I really enjoyed this film and encourage anyone reading this to go see it!

Sports dramas seem to be on the rise and there have been quite a few prime examples in real life that serve in the story department. This is one of them. And Borg McEnroe is really something to enjoy, with some powerful performances. I myself had not the results in the back of my head while I watched it. So I was kind of unprepared and could enjoy what was going on in the movie at all times, without being spoiled.

Having said all that, the movie concentrates more on the off court drama, rather than the game itself. But you will get iconic moments from the game(s), don't worry about that. It may not have gotten any recognition from the Academy Awards, but that spot was already taken by I, Tonya. Also a good movie and probably a good double bill with this one ...

It is the 1980 Wimbledon tennis championship. Bjorn Borg is the number 1 tennis player in the world and the undisputed king of Wimbledon. He has won the tournament four times in a row - a fifth consecutive time would be a world first. However, a new face has appeared in the tennis world and presents a serious threat to Borg's title hopes - John McEnroe.

Good movie, and surprisingly so. Seeing Shia LaBeouf in the credits, as McEnroe, made me set my expectations quite low. However, it turned out to be an interesting and exciting movie.

What made the movie good was that it is not a dry, join-the-dots docudrama. There is character development, showing Borg and McEnroe's backgrounds, how their sporting mentalities and personas were formed and how these influence, to the point of determining, their game. Very engaging.

The choice of rivalry contributes to the engagement of the movie. There could not have been more opposite rivals in the world of sport. Borg: the ice-cold, emotionless base-line player. McEnroe: the temperamental, irascible, serve-and-volleyer. The contrast, and how their personalities affect their game, makes for enthralling viewing.

I'm no tennis expert, but the tennis scenes seem very well done and realistic. Also, the mental side of playing sport at the highest level is covered fairly well.

Good performances from Sverrir Gudnason as Borg and Shia LeBeouf as McEnroe. Good support from Stellan Skarsgard and Tuva Novotny.

On the negative side, the coverage of Borg's mental side state seems overwrought and slows down the momentum of the movie. Yes, it was necessary, actually vitally important, to the movie, as it showed the pressure Borg was under and the downsides to fame and being the world Number 1 (at anything). It also provides a good explanation to what would happen later in Borg's career. However, too much of the movie is showing how Borg wrestles with these demons - we got it the first time round, no need to repeat it several times.

In addition, the focus appears mostly on Borg. McEnroe's background is sketched very basically. A bit more balance was necessary.

I felt a bit robbed after watching the recent lacklustre Australian Open final. My summer tennis fix craved something a bit more satisfactory. Coming across Borg vs McEnroe was good timing.

If possible, I think it's best going into this movie somewhat blind. I didn't know the outcome of the 1980 Wimbledon final depicted here. I had little knowledge about Bjorn Borg, and what I knew about McEnroe just consisted of temper tantrums. My lack of knowledge really helped make this film quite gripping.

Shia Lebeouf delivers perhaps his career best performance as McEnroe. He perfectly captured the attitude and personality of the man. The film has more of an emphasis on Borg's journey which is completely fine though, given he's portrayed by a captivating Sverrir Gudnason. Stellan Skarsgard rounded out what was an exceptional cast. The film really settles into a nice rhythm once coach Skarasgard teams up with the young Borg.

The rock n' roll McEnroe scenes provided a welcome contrast to the often serious, brooding scenes of Borg. I also had no idea McEnroe was so intelligent! This film is really an in depth character study that does more than just skim the surface of who each man was. The ending was fantastic and the friendship which developed between the two was surprisingly heartwarming.

Borg vs McEnroe has a very similar feel to that of Ron Howard's Rush - so if you're a fan of that, you will probably like this. Tennis fans should love this too! A very serviceable sports film.