"Borg vs. McEnroe" - the film that showed that cinema is ready for tennis

“Borg Vs McEnroe” – the film that showed that cinema is ready for tennis

How, with simple tricks and not particularly strong acting, can you attract serious attention?

Making a sports film based on a real event is a curious phenomenon and very difficult indeed. However, the Danish director Janus Metz managed to cope with this extremely difficult task, telling about the rivalry between two excellent tennis players, namely John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg in his film called "Borg vs. McEnroe". For those familiar with their 1980s Wimbledon history, the film will be an attempt to match the true events with their knowledge and supplement the game elements with moments that happened outside the scenes. For other viewers, it will be a real experience of a real moment in sports history.

If you don't know who wins this Grand Slam tournament, you better not check because you risk knowing the ending of the movie already. But what you need to know is that Borg was a four-time Wimbledon champion at the time, and at just 24, he had already secured his place among the best in tennis. He is extremely calm, a typical representative of the Scandinavian peninsula, whose tactical game from the baseline and two-handed backhand would be hard to impress the fans. On the other side is the more temperamental, grumpy and aggressive American who moves very quickly on the court and likes to play serve-net. Only 21, he is among the young tennis players, but he stands out not only with his plays, but also with his not particularly decent behavior.

In the role of McEnroe in the film is Shia LaBeouf, who tries in every way to spoil Metz's work. The actor seems forced to play the American tennis player's on- and off-court outbursts and seems more insecure than aggressive, which John actually is. At times, he even overdoes this behavior, which makes it comical to people who know the story and McEnroe himself. Although he is immature and impulsive, the press likes to cover his outbursts, and LaBeouf makes it so that the dramatic center of the film falls on Borg.

This is also the difference with the actual events, but it does not seem to take away from the power of the film for those who have not seen the fight between them. Played by Sverir Gudnason (as well as his son Leo and Markus Mossberg in moments that show his younger life), Borg is shown as a man whose apparent serenity comes at an extremely high cost.

Realizing the acting possibilities, Janus Metz and screenwriter Ronnie Sandal focused on the melancholic Swede and, as if out of sympathy, paid more attention to him. The film shows us the childhood of both, but more time is definitely devoted to the Swede. He is portrayed as a working-class boy who tries to break into the genteel world of Swedish tennis, but is kicked out of his club because he is considered to be of poor quality, as well as the aggressive behavior that his future opponent is better known for .

McEnroe admits this and shares that Borg is a dormant volcano that can erupt at any time. However, the Swede has the incredible ability to suppress emotions and present himself on the court like a real machine. This is already very well presented and acted out and Borg's behavior is due to the amazing relationship with his trainer Lennart Bergelin who is played by Stellan Karsgaard of Good Will Hunting fame. Bergelin is the man thanks to whom Borg is one of the great discoveries in tennis, who managed to achieve significant success until the summer of 1980 in question.

However, the film also perfectly reveals the strained relationship between the Swedish tennis player and his fiancee Mariana Simionescu, played by Tuva Novotny. A bunch of events that happen off the court are also revealed, such as the "vintage" hairstyles, tracksuits and visits to discos are extremely classily done.

However, it is also time for the finale itself, until the beginning of which the viewers do not stop wondering who will explode first and that will play a joke on him. The match is recreated as exciting as it really is, and the climax can really be felt on the big screen.

One thing is certain. This film shows that cinema is ready to create creations for tennis. Of course this is also due to advances in digital editing and image creation that allow actors to be inserted into the action without much trouble.

In Borg vs. McEnroe, you won't see anything particularly spectacular, nor will you be treated to anything hugely historically significant, but you can easily get the most out of the battle between the two tennis greats. It's a modest, tactful film that shows us the rivalry at the foot of the peak of both their careers.

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