Film Review: Borg vs. McEnroe

I must apologise to all sports fans reading this, because they have found a review for a tennis film written by a person that knows very little about sport. However, I am a great admirer of passion and a person that gets inspired by other people’s motivation, which is exactly why I was intrigued by Borg vs. McEnroe. I had never heard of this pair before; in fact I switch off at the sports section of the pub quiz and the only tennis I’ve ever given a shot at is on the Nintendo Wii – and yet I wanted to know why screenplay writer Ronnie Sandahl and director Janus Metz Pederson felt it was important to tell this story now. And with a passion and drive as crystal clear as the characters within the film, it’s no mystery why this is a captivating watch.

I’ve not really seen any advertisements or publicity for the film and I wondered if that would reflect on the film’s quality. With the likes of It and Kingsman 2 storming the Box Office, it’s no surprise that this film has been kicking about in the shadows a bit. But after watching Borg/McEnroe, its repression almost seems fitting to the themes of its story.

Swedish born Bjorn Borg has won Wimbledon four years in a row. He seems cool and collected, baffling his fans with how “machine-like” he behaves on court. He gets cheered at when walking down the street, he has a fiancée that cares deeply for him, and he has a winning streak that seems unbeatable. However, his story shows him as a slave to his own fortune, driven to obsessive behaviour to help him find solace in being as good as he is believed to be. He views success as something that is only within the present, with past victories being nothing but answers in a pub quiz. A new realm of fear strikes as John McEnroe, a fresh-faced American competitor that, already in his short tennis career, is second best in the rankings (one below Borg), and is storming his way to the top. McEnroe and Borg are opposites. McEnroe is notorious for flipping out in the middle of a tennis match if it doesn’t go his way, and is often booed at due to his unsportsmanlike characteristics. But how can he remain calm when the only aspect of Wimbledon that’s of any interest to anyone is Borg? No matter what though, he is described as “the perfect underdog” and wants the same as Borg: to be the best.

These are genuinely interesting characters within a film that makes their parallels clear by highlighting their most opposing attributes. Both individuals strive for gold but neither are doing it in a healthy manner. The casting was, I believe, spectacular as both of these intense roles are delivered wonderfully. Sverrir Gudnason plays Borg incredibly well, as the role demands careful attention to the layers within the character: a man coping with difficult emotions in a body that can express none. As a bit of an underdog himself, Shia LaBeouf was the perfect choice for McEnroe. His online “JUST DO IT” antics, amongst other outlandish things he’s done throughout his career have left followers a tad bewildered, and yet he redeems himself in this role.

The direction, execution and pace of this film is great. It explores themes of fame, the media, young celebrities, family and life crumbling from beneath you as you’re just in grip of the thing you want most in the world. Both characters have aspects about them I dislike, but both have a lot of aspects that I love. I was rooting for both of them, which means the conclusion of the battle between them will inevitably end in tragedy because one of them has to lose.

If you play a sport, or are a fan of this rivalry in particular, then I recommend this film. If, like me, you’re just curious to learn a little something about sport history then by all means give it a shot. Don’t expect a lot of action, because it very much explores the lives and minds of this duo. It’s even mentioned in the film that, “tennis is a gentlemen’s sport” in that it doesn’t condone wild behaviour and primal screaming, but I felt the pair’s shared frustration. I can imagine this being a cult hit: it’s a great underdog story.