Challengers

The only reason I went to see this movie was to see if Zendaya could hang with the big dogs. To see if she can carry a film all by herself. She has the talent, she has the looks. She has it all. I think this movie is a good start to launch her career as a bonfide movie star. That being said, the movie itself was okay. Just okay. Not great, not bad but okay. I thought Zendaya was good. Her performance was something I expected, which I guess is a good thing. Didn't blow me out of the water but overall good. The actor who played Patrick, in my opinion did a great job. However everything else about this movie just fell short for me. Too much style and not enough substance.

Luca Guadagnino means something to me. Elegance and daringness for instance. His movies introduce you to something new even when it feels terribly familiar. Challengers is no exception. Tennis? Well yes whatever Luca Guadagnino wants to tell us because I know is going to be a portal to something unique, something personal. Zendaya is. I don't want to say revelation because I already knew she's very, very special. Josh O'Connor too. What moment for this wonderful young actor. I've already seen him in in two or three parts that I will never forget and. Mike Faist, I must confess, is totally new to me but I already love him., The first three way scene they have at the motel is just sublime. I know I will watch that many time. So I haven't said anything about the film yet and I'm not going to. Discover it, just like I did. I loved it.

Forget Match Point, even Paul Bettany's Wimbledon is better. If you are not a fan of Zendaya, I would never reccomend this "movie" to anyone. It lacks absolutely everything but occasional beautiful scenery.

I remember Zendaya since Shake It Up and although she is a smart and lovely woman with indeniable star quality, her acting has never been convincing. She always positions herself perfectly for the shot, has the needed movement or expression, but it is always with more connection for the camera than with the character (even in Euphoria). I also never found her use of her voice adequate, it is usually one note. It sort of works here because Tashi is a character as flat as a pancake.

The two other leads are no better and it is an already very far fetched idea that they would attract the attention of anyone, let alone of someone like the Tashi character.

And if this was a movie to attract tennis fans... well it won't. None of the tree leads looks like they have ever played sport. Any sport, any kind, not professionally, just any at all. In school, in the backstreet with friends. The director is either very incapable of his job or hasn't either. They hired Brad Gilbert to consult and help. Ok, but he helps with the wrong aspects. In the end of the day a general viewer would not care if the serve technique is correct, or if the movement and speed is accurate. But he would care about the absolute lack of any engagement with the game. No passion, no desire, no will, no care. Even Ivan Lendl has visibly shown more connection to the game and he was infamous for cool attitude. Or Andre Agassi or Nick Kyrgios who have stated many times they hated tennis. These actors look and act like they are trying not to trip, not to make a wrong move and not like playing for anything (not just the tenmis aspects of the movie). And from this there is no loud enough music to make you care about their game or desires.

The music is terrible allthrough, loud and without having any connection with the supposed story. The overly in your face "metaphors" are just tiring at this point. Filmmakers might wanna try some new and fresh approach to get the point across. And the overuse of slow motion... it just makes the movie even less.

In a time where we care about sparing resources, resources for movies like this shouldn't even be be considered to be spent.

First of all, this movie has an 80s-style vibe that we have seen many times before that could have well been told in a conventional 90-100 minute movie. This movie truly was not "important" enough to tell it over 131 minutes. Add to that there were pointless extended shots that you were begging to end. At about 100 minutes in, audience members were looking at their cellphones either to check the time or they were getting restless.

Second, there were excessive timeline jumps. It is often a useful story-telling device, but here it was excessive and distracting - so much so that when they did another timeline jump there was a consensus "groan." Making matters worse, is that there were time jumps as long as 13 years. However, Zendaya --- bless her heart --- as much as they tried to "age" her and "de-age" her through hair and make-up, she never looked, to me, older than about 17 years old regardless of the time era.

Third, while I credit Zendaya for tackling such a meaty role, and as much as I otherwise adore her, she just simply seemed to young to be so "weathered" and "jaded" and "cynical" and "ruthless" and "calculating" as she was. Further, I really don't remember her smiling once throughout the movie. And as I have read in other reviews, she seemed to have a resting "scowl" throughout the movie - ironically very much similar to the scowl she had throughout both Dune 1 and 2.

And lastly, by the end of the movie, none of the three characters were likeable, and, perhaps, oddly, sadly, Zendaya was, to me, the least likeable. And from a film character study point of view, the viewer is never given a reason or backstory for this.

With all these distractions in mind, I was so eager for the movie to end that I lost all investment whatsoever in who won or lost in the story's big moment.

I felt that three of them were good but Guadagino chose to focus on (a) the product placement (god.. could they be more obvious?) (b) the annoying soundtrack accompanying the endless scenes in slow motion of people staring at each other, and (c) cool camera angles. Don't get me wrong. I understand film is another language in itself but I think the acting is far from the priority of the filmmaker. In the few moments where we get to see them interact with each other there is chemistry. I don't understand why he (or Amazon) chose not to focus more on that. I was so over that annoying soundtrack of gay 90s club. Did he choose to cut the story like that because he knew there was not much story to tell to begin with?