Review: Borg McEnroe

Borg McEnroe is a study in contrasts of two of the greatest tennis players that ever played as they prepare to meet in one of, if not the greatest tennis matches of all time. The players in question are Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) and John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf), the battlefield the 1980 Wimbledon final.

Going into tournament, Borg was the four-time Wimbledon men's champion gunning for a record-breaking fifth consecutive title. Described as "pure perfection, zero emotion," the Swede was like playing against a sledgehammer., it was impossible not to be crushed by his brutal efficiency. McEnroe, on the other hand, was an American on the rise, the hotheaded superbrat who would slice and stab until his opponents bled to death, and who was hungry for his first Wimbledon title.

The stakes are obviously high on the professional front, but even higher personally. Both men want to be the champion, to be deemed the best in the world, but there can only be one winner. For a time, the intrigue lies in observing how both predictably different and surprisingly alike these two personalities are. As a teenager, Borg was every bit as volatile a player as McEnroe is - throwing rackets about, challenging calls, foaming like a rabid dog - but coach Lennart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgard, taking on his first native-speaking role in nearly a decade) teaches him channel that into his gameplay, to be, as the other players note, an iceberg on the outside, but a volcano waiting to erupt on the inside.

McEnroe, meanwhile, catches all the attention for being the enfant terrible of tennis with his foulmouthed, disruptive antics on the court. He's constantly having to keep his temper in check off the court as well as the press are more interested in what he thinks about Borg than in asking him about his own game. Yet beneath all the bad boy behaviour there lies an extremely disciplined athlete, which Borg recognises along with the hunger and passion that used to drive him. Borg may still love the game, but he's tired of everything that comes with it - the constant attention from press and fans, the loss of privacy, his life being scheduled with games and sponsorship appearances for the next several years.

Though the title gives Borg and McEnroe shared billing, the film itself is ever so slightly slanted towards the former (not unexpected considering it is a Swedish-funded production). Initially, this focus works against the film if only because Borg is such a stoic figure that LaBeouf's well-depicted McEnroe is the more compelling character by default, but the balance is redressed with Gudnason's portrayal, which suggests the turmoil simmering behind the Swede's sphinx-like facade. The rivalry between the two is palpable along with the deep respect that would be the foundation for their subsequent friendship.

Strangely, the much-heralded showdown is not quite as rousing as one would hope, though director Janus Metz certainly makes it an engrossing match to observe with creative camera angles and commentary whose urgency elevates what is happening onscreen.

Borg McEnroe

Directed by: Janus Metz

Written by: Ronnie Sandahl

Starring: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård, Tuva Novotny, Robert Emms, Jason Forbes, Tom Datnow, Jane Perry