Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

Having loved the original book I finally got round to seeing the film version recently on DVD and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is as you would expect from Tony Hawks, a whimsical and gentle light comedy but with a very moving heart as it introduces us to the reality of life in a post-communist third world country in a forgotten part of Europe.

There are some nice cameos from Angus Deayton, Laura Solon and Morwenna Banks and Steve Frost is an excellent choice as the Arthur Smith character.

Tony is an OK actor - he's never likely to win an Oscar - but his tennis skills and the fact that we know he actually did everything in the film make it very believable.

It is fascinating to see glimpses of life in Moldova and it is the local cast who are the true stars of the film, in particular the outstanding Anatol Durbala who plays Iulian the translator.

Overall a good and unusual watch and one I'd recommend.

I watched the film in 2021 while in Chisinau. I recognized several areas that Tony visited and am impressed with the improvements in the country's infrastructure since the film was created in 2012.

As a family, we had enjoyed Round Ireland with a fridge. Its quirky sense of humour had greatly appealed to both my daughters (10 and 12). We were therefore looking forward to this film (which has been in production for a long time).

The distribution model for this film seems largely to be via internet streaming. There appears to be a tour from Tony Hawks of the film and a very limited cinema release. I personally don't believe that the film is anywhere strong enough for a wider cinema release.

So what's wrong with it?

1. It's not nearly funny enough. There are many smiles, but few big laughs. 2. The book is good. It revealed that the author learned a lot about himself from his experience in Moldova. This only vaguely transfers to the screen. 3. The plot is reasonably but not compellingly constructed. If the streaming had stopped half way through (it didn't, it worked well), I am not sure I would have felt any need to find it again to see the end.

In summary, it's an OK film. This is a shame, because Tony Hawks has funded the film himself from his retirement savings. All proceeds (and these will be low) go to a hospital for mentally handicapped that Tony himself has founded in Moldova.

Had it been a better film (perhaps by involving others in the production? NB Tony performed most jobs himself to keep costs down), maybe it would have raised more money?

Please buy it anyway; treat the £4 streaming cost as a charitable donation