Well, this is a tennis romance drama and that's what the marketing depended on. That, and Kirsten Dunsts' charm, but the real power is in its star. Paul Bettany, what more is there to say? This guy can act with the best of them, and has done wonders as an underrated character actor who deserves this lead character status. I'm still waiting for his
star status to be granted. Bettany commands the screen and is utterly scene stealing as Peter a truly likable character who we can sympathize with. The writer really lets us get in to his character with his entertaining introversion during his games, and his determination not to let himself get psyched out by his other opponents. Bettany becomes very believable as a seasoned pro tennis player and eventually we're brought along with him to the tense and very exciting climax in which he must prove to himself he's still a good player. The choreography is great and the directing is sharp courtesy of Loncraine who gives us a light and very airy romance that makes it easy on the eyes. As for John Favreau who has a too short walk on role is funny as Peter's snarky quirky agent.

It's so easy to pick apart the mainstream crap, simply because the flaws are so in your face that it's like shooting fish in a barrel, especially for a film I had high hopes for. Yes, despite the trailer, I had high hopes, but about ten minutes in to the movie, I groaned and thought "Ah, damn, it's just another romantic comedy", except the comedy part is
less subtle. But if you want to get technical, it's not much of a romance either. I like Paul Bettany, I like Kirsten Dunst, and Sam Neill is great, despite his gross under-usage, but a good film, this ain't. "Wimbledon" tries desperately not to become yet another cookie cutter romance film, but it is, it really is, and it's sad how it tries not to be from beginning to end.
Whether it's the introversion with the main character or the sub-plots, this is just another cookie cutter romantic comedy.

What keeps me from bashing it relentlessly is just how well it's directed. Regardless, this paint by numbers film is just predictable and cliché. Even the two main characters' introductions are cliché, and wildly predictable, with Bettany being the rather stuffy British tennis player Peter meeting the sassy change of pace free-spirited American Lizzie in a rather outrageous misunderstanding that gives us an idea of both their personalities, and then the fireworks go off between them... for no apparent reason. We never get even a logical reason or explanation as to their attraction to one another, and they never have a real connection other than tennis which doesn't really prove to be a powerful enough connection. Peter and Lizzie also have zero chemistry with one another; considering that Dunst gives a subdued and boring performance never able to hold her own against Bettany, the two characters are oddly mismatched and boring.

Their romance is sleepy from beginning to end with the cliché obstacles like the resistant father who wants the best for her daughter and doesn't want a man to interfere, to another love interest it's all here for the picking and it was so uninspired to watch. The scenes with Lizzie and Peter together attempting to create sparks are boring and often times very forgettable as not a single spark or believable bit of line ever comes out of their many scenes with each other. And then there is the bane of the romantic comedies, the musical montage, and we get it here, too. I can take solace in the fact that the montage is short, but damn is it still ever so obnoxious. The fact remains is we never believe in anything going on with these characters, and we never care to, and seriously, was anyone really surprised by the end?

Paul Bettany is underrated yet again going almost unnoticed amidst Dunst's attempts to outshine him, but as hard as it tries, it's ultimately a disappointment becoming yet another cookie cutter romantic comedy.

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