Calling Borg vs McEnroe the first truly great tennis movie may seem like damning with faint praise considering the competition – Paul Bettany/Kirsten Dunst romcom 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Wimbledon (2004) an🐻d… er, that’s about it. But it’s a statement meant at face valueꦉ.

Exploring the rivalry between imperturbable world number one Björn Borg and volatile contendꦍer, John McEnroe, in the lead-up to their legendary 1980 Wimbledon final, it’s a clash of the tennis titans that’s infatuated wᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚith the formative psychology of sporting icons off the court.

In 1980, Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) was at the top of his game, and on course to win a record fifth consecut🍷ive Wimbledon title. But behind the sweat bands it was a different story. Pre-match superstitions increasingly alienate his nearest and dearest, while suppr♔essed childhood anger issues threaten to derail Borg’s dominance of the sport he’s dedicated his life to.

In contrast, McEꦛnroe (Shia LaBeouf) is a firecracker. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, his explosive tantrums make him an easy target for the controversy-hungry media and public, who delight in openly booing him. The pair are perfectly matched combatants – the baseline player and the net rusher, the hot-headed American and nitrogen-cool Swede, the Ice Borg and the Super Brat.

Director Janus Metz (Armadillo) has previous form with the all-tim𓆉e-great tennis rivalry: he helmed✱ an episode of ’90s documentary series Clash of the Titans on Borg and McEnroe, and reunites with writer Ronnie Sandahl for a film that lasers in on the moments that made the men.

The movie jumps back and forth between the 1980 Wimbledon championship and the pair in their youth: Borg is seen learning to keep his career-threatening temper under control, while the source of McEnro🌠e’s rage is left to fester. Th🎶e thesis: maybe the famous rivals aren’t so different after all.

It’s a compelling case study, and effectively burrows under the skin of Borg in particular. Methodically paced and shot, it perfectly straddles a line between arthouse sensibility and mainstream subject matter, with the match of the ♈century providing a racket-string-tense climax.

But there’s a reason why Borg comes first in that dichotomous title. San꧃dahl and Metz are enamoured with their Scandi cousin at McEnroe’s expense, dedicating a much meatier chunk of screentime to the Swede. And sops to the tennis-oblivious can come across as patronising.

Not quite a Grand Slam then, but ace nonetheless.