Borg/McEnroe

Tennis isn't really a sport I’d seek out, but if I can passively watch it, why not. After all, the time of Borg and McEnroe is a bit beyond me because I wasn't even born yet, but I liked this film about two tennis personalities presented in this way and I watched it with suspense until the last minute. The acting is excellent, and so is the direction. (2018.01.26)

The defining tennis match of the 20th century yes, Borg and McEnroe in the lead roles no. It ends up somewhere halfway between a Borg biopic combined with Rush, and the result grinds. The American troublemaker is woefully underused off the courts, and his few room scenes or interviews are not enough to portray character. Shia can curse all he wants, but it's no use. The whole film is relies on Sverrir Gudnason, who is the Ice Borg as he should be. The legendary match itself has its limitations in terms of tennis, but the tension could be cut. It's a shame that the finale simply isn't preceded by more balanced character exposition, which is doubly disappointing when even McEnroe himself admitted after the premiere that he would have been able to pull off better stories than the ones that appeared in the film. (2018.03.04)

It’s a shame that the movie was done by Scandinavian creators. Even though they tried to portray the lives of both Borg and McEnroe, which they actually succeeded in, they still prioritized Borg. And that is a terrible pity because Borg is presented here as an emotionless and focused robot that pulls off miracles on the court. The character of McEnroe seemed several times more interesting to me and you could really tell in the first half of the movie. But as soon as the tennis match of the century began, I understood the prior introduction of both tennis players to the letter and I enjoyed an unbelievably precisely handled match that was a pleasure to watch. The finale then hit me completely and it confirmed to me that this small-scale film isn’t completely useless, as it seemed to me in the beginning. (2018.03.18)

For someone who doesn't watch tennis and barely understands it, Borg vs. McEnroe is very entertaining, brisk, engaging and pretty exciting in the end. Both Shia LaBeouf and Sverrir Gudnason are excellent, the retro vibe is great, and overall I had a lot of fun. Solid stuff. 8/10. (2021.02.03)

Five from the heart, because the ratio may argue that Ronnie Sandahl's screenplay drowns a little confusingly in the turns in the middle passage. A comparison with Rush is necessary. But Borg vs. McEnroe is a better drama, because instead of a superficial conflict between two poster icons, they work with a more subtle type of tension – it is about two types of overcoming inner tension, about two types of self-acceptance. Machine vs. Whippersnapper; but internally, two similar types of volcanoes, who choose different paths to the goal. The film is dominated by precise acting creations. LaBoeuf has to play a jerk to finally find acting discipline, and what the human needle Sverrir Gudnason's does is simply phenomenal. He can be captivating even when he is standing with his back to the camera. The film is primarily about BORG, but still finds enough space to show special sympathy for McEnroe in the end. The last half hour is amplified by a huge weapon in the form of a dynamic cut, great artistic use of the court and Niels Thastum's personal camera. An elegant, captivating and intelligently layered drama that is not brought down even by its lower budget. A pleasure to the last ball. Game, set, Metz. (2018.01.04)