REVIEW: BORG vs. McENROE

3.5/5

You CAN Be Serious.

100 Mins. Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Tuva Novotny & Stellan Skarsgard. Director: Janus Metz Pedersen.

More than the ball is on the line here as Center Court plays center stage in this cinematic recap of one of the greatest games to ever be played on grass at Great Britain's hallowed turf of Wimbledon, the cathedral of tennis. Let for this Swedish films service, as Danish director Janus Metz Pederson (who brought dark depth to the Colin Farrell, buckshot death defying dream of his father in his evoking episode of the cruelly, critically overlooked season 2 of 'True Detective') takes us right between the evergreen blades of grass. So much so you can almost taste the squash, smell the rubber in the volley and hear every taught twang and thwack of the racket for racket, ratchet tension as heads go back and forth, to and fro like next typewriter lines changing ends. In 1980 before Lady Diana married Prince Charles, or the Berlin Wall fell, a simple, but decade setting and making, historical game of tennis took place. Where Bjorn Borg looked to awe-inspiring amazingly win his fifth straight Wimbledon title before shockingly retiring at the tennis tender age of just 26 years old. But the brash rebel of the United States superstar in the making, John McEnroe's cause stood threateningly in the sweet Swede gentelman's icy demeanoured way. As did the wonder of eight match points, more breaks than Ross and Rachel and sets too. But this deuce battle of love was a game of will and endurance for these two polarizing figures and pillar pioneers of their sport who turned out to be much closer in spirit than we or they first thought. From the emotion of the trademark tantrums thrown like balls and racquets of McEnroe. To the devotion of Borg, so highly strung he spent countless, restless routine hours before matches walking over the very baseball bat like, before its time, backhanded instruments of ace weaponry he was set to wield the very next day. But when it comes down to the baseline to baseline face/off of the Federer and Nadal of their time who had the ball in their court?

FAULT! There has been less films holding court in this game then matches played on a foggy London Summers day. Of course there's 'Wimbledon' with Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst falling in love in a movie that was 'Notting Hill' on grass. And soon we still the 'Crazy. Stupid. Love' of Steve Carell and 'La La Land' Academy Award, Oscar winner Emma Stone do the 'Battle Of The Sexes'. But for every 'Rocky' there's an 'Ali'. Every 'He Got Game' a 'Coach Carter'. And every 'Any Given Sunday' a 'Blind Side'. But we're yet to see a solo Sampras or Agassi film, although the U.S. 'Open' stars legendary quote on tennis terms begins this pictures piece. And you can bet sooner rather than later, or mens singles they'll do a Williams sisters movie that will be out of this world like Venus. This game for the audiences of the movieworld just works better as doubles mixing it up. Advantage 'Borg/McEnroe', otherwise known as 'Outlander' star Sverir Gudnason and the man who says "just do it" so many times Nike should actually sponser him for this event, Shia LaBeouf. And together chalked up in the texture of Pedersen's 'Atomic Blonde' 80's cartridge and cassette powered movie, they give us the best edge of your seat, slow burning tense, thrill ride from the personal life to the press conference and all the games between since marvels Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl changed lanes of pole position as James Hunt and Niki Lauda in Ron Howard's Formula 1 race, 'Rush'. And with adrenaline pumping hard and fast like quick blood to the head, this intense contest on grass and off court is more than the fitting, old school as Fila look of headbands and the hair underneath that like the perplexing personalities behind can't quite be tamed. The recreated tennis scenes, game set and match like an ESPN Classic rewind are aces especially the final rallies and cries. But it's the mortal men behind the God like status, captured by private and personal scenes by Sverrir and Shia that are the makings of sheer brilliance. Advantage...us.

"You can't be serious" we hear you cry! Yet down the line no one is more serious than Sverrir Gudnason's gargantuanly great performance of the guarded Bjorn. Gudnason bringing genuine grit and gravitas to show the struggling humanity of a public persona dubbed "robotic" so much by the press that Borg may aswell have been a alien villain upgrade on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. But behind this amazing athlete was more a man of privacy invaded by worldwide, household name and familiar face fame. And a perfectionist of his courted craft, so much so he majorly won all his young life until he called it quits after a loss affected his ability to maintain his own lofty standards of unbelievable excellence. I mean here's a guy whose morning routine includes performing push-ups on the rails of the balcony of his penthouse, rooftop Monaco apartment like he was running suicides, with only floors of stories and a swimming pool below to break his fall. What more could you expect from a man whose bag, room and car rental must all be packed the same? The naked truth of a former wild child who only shows any evoking emotion the moment he hits the showers and his eyes pour like the faucets. Sverrir severely not only catches this all in all its complexity, but he also looks exactly like Bjorn. Besting his international opponent and mastering his own like Daniel Bruhl as his lauded Lauda. So much so in his and this movies native Sweden, this movie is just called 'Borg' like a trekkie's dream movie. You can tell from the development of on-screen love in the form of singer/songwriter Tuva Novotny's narcissistic negligent, loyal suffering girlfriend. In a sportsworld of egos she won't even let her husbands socks clash. Or 'Avenger' and 'Pirate' Swedish legend Stellen Skarsgard's father/son like terrific trainer relationship, fresh off the clown shoe heels of son Bill as 'IT's' Pennywise carrying on the family legacy proudly 27 years later. Still, even if a young John's background is sidelined for the native Swede, a shimmering Shia LaBeouf makes up for all that as a mirror reflection to the manner of McEnroe. This former Disney rebel knows all about tempered troubles and beyond his famous youtube video and what would be John's if that smartphone enabled medium was available back around the, he sounds exactly like the man he's screaming to play here in every shout. But behind the marrow embedded rage and raves is a caged heart of matters and a bruised soul that LaBeouf delves deep down with both hands to clutch at. Looking at the reason behind the maddening rhyme, Shia shows that behind every flame of anger is the match that lit it and whose hand it belongs to. And this is why in one hell of a transformation from his toy robot Bay age, the 'Lawless' and 'Fury' standout is an animal of an actor. Shia who gave Sia his everything in a music video is seriously good in this dual biopic character study as McEnroe. And who has as much character as Mac? Perhaps this kid. Because behind every heart of a champion is a soul of a contender and just like John back then Shia is more than a worthy one scrapping away at this mental boxing match until the knockout. Even bottling all the post-adolescent, angst aggravation in the final frames to the calm of a quiet storm tornadoing beneath his torpedo serve. Sounds epic? Well that's just how 'Borg vs. McEnroe' was. And if the 'Battle Of The Sexes' set game between Billie Jean-King and Bobby Riggs can match this...ACE! TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Wimbledon', 'Battle Of The Sexes', 'Rush'.