Game, set…match

Johnson Thomas

Borg was at the height of success when he came into the 1980 Wimbledon, having won four previous back-to-back titles at the haloed turf and gunning for a fifth. He already had a record-breaking slew of French Open victories behind his name, while his immensely gifted challenger McEnroe was looking to usurp the coveted throne that Borg held on to so tenaciously. So who won is not necessarily the point of this thriller, rather than who held it all and achieved the heights. For those of you who follow tennis, you know the answer already, but for those who don’t this could be just the kind of see-saw sports thriller you are anxiously awaiting for.

Director Janus Metz Pedersen spares us much of the on-court battle while digging deep into the off-court mechanics, fashioning a unique thriller format that is entertaining, exciting and inspiring. This film therefore is more about their psychological make-up. Both present divergent personas to the world of tennis but within, they are shown to be same - a roiling mass of emotions. While Borg is controlled to the point of seeming cold, McEnroe is freely ventilated in public, earning him the nickname ‘superbrat.’

While Borg’s older persona is essayed by implacable Swede Sverrir Gudnason, McEnroe is ironically played by the controversy ridden ‘enfant terrible’ of Hollywood Shia Le Boeuf; both do fantastic impersonations of the real deal. It’s a case of perfect casting; even the tempo of the narrative is impressive.

Borg’s influencers are shown to be his coach Lannart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgård) and his fiancée Mariana Simionescu (Tuva Novotny), while for McEnroe it’s his parents largely. Interestingly, a young Björn is played by Leo Borg, his real-life son. 

The rivalry is played up through banner headlines and the match is played under the magnetic assemblage of stunt choreography, smart editing and camera work - all distinctly gratifying. This is a match made up of sterling memories and great insight.