Movie Review: Wimbledon

Wimbledon (2004) 

Directed by Richard Loncraine

Written by Adam Brooks, Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin

Starring Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Neill, Jon Favreau

Release Date September 17th, 2004

Published September 16th, 2004

With what I have written in the past about my disdain for the clichés of sports movie and of the modern romantic comedy, you could sense that a movie like Wimbledon would be a special sort of torture. Simply take the worst of both genres and combine them and ugh. However Wimbledon is the creation of Working Title Films, a company that has discovered it's own unique formula for romantic comedies that really works.

Working Title is the company that made Hugh Grant a star in Four Weddings and A Funeral and Notting Hill and delivered last year’s wonderful romantic ensemble Love Actually. It must be a British thing. There is something about Working Title's approach to romantic comedy that usually works. It works in Wimbledon albeit not as well as it has in the past.

Paul Bettany stars as over-the-hill (32-years-old) tennis star Peter Colt. Peter is playing Wimbledon for the final time in his fifteen-year career. In fact, Wimbledon will be his final tournament period, Peter is retiring to be the club pro at a posh resort. He only hopes not to embarrass himself and just maybe win one last match before he quits.

Before he steps on the court he has the pleasure of meeting a beautiful young American tennis star named Lizzie Bradbury. The two meet in a cute way when Peter accidentally gets the key to her hotel room and walks in while she is in the shower. From there, the two start bumping into each other and soon its a little romance, under the radar of course, the British press can be murder.

Complicating things further is Lizzie's overbearing father (Sam Neill) who warns Peter not to interfere with Lizzie's concentration. That is a subtle way of saying stay away from my daughter, something Peter just can't do. Peter especially can't stay away from Lizzie because after meeting her, he begins to play well and wins and wins again. Soon people are talking about him again and he has a shot at going all the way.

Naturally, since this is a romantic comedy you know that there will be some artificial roadblock thrown in front of the lovebirds to separate them until the big finish. This contrivance is usually where the Working Title formula separates itself from other romantic comedies but this time they fail a little. The contrivance is less than believable this time. It's saved only by Bettany who comes through in the film’s final reel to save the movie from the typical pitfalls of the romantic comedy.

In a role that many will recognize as one Hugh Grant turned down, Paul Bettany becomes a star in his own right. Not quite as charismatic as his Chaucer from A Knight's Tale, his Peter Colt is charismatic but subdued. He is weary and sees only dreariness in the near future. That is until he meets Lizzie who opens his eyes to an entirely new and brighter future. At first, the relationship is ambiguous as to whether we have a love match or superstition. Are Peter and Lizzie in love or do they get together because they play well after being together. Bettany plays the ambiguity well but plays the love and devotion even better as the film progresses.

For her part Kirsten Dunst does well to put over Bettany's starring role. She seems to act as a way for Bettany's character to get to the next big scene. It's as if she is a supporting character rather than a lead and that works surprisingly well. Especially well because of how poorly written Lizzie's backstory is written. She's playing her first Wimbledon and is one of the top players in the world but how old is she? Most champions of her ilk are 18 or 19, Lizzie seems older. This maybe a sticking point for tennis fans only.

I happen to love watching tennis. I have vivid memories of Boris Becker's first Wimbledon victory, of Jimmy Connors at the U.S. Open and Pete Sampras failing to win the French Open for so many years. My love of tennis makes this film so much more pleasurable because Paul Bettany is a terrific tennis player. Much praise must be given to technical advisor and former player Pat Cash for developing Bettany into a competent enough player that his scenes look believable.

The film’s final tennis match is spectacularly well realized, aside from the unnecessary commentary by tennis legends John McEnroe and Chris Evert. Bettany's play is excellent and director Richard Loncraine embellishes it with terrific camerawork and a plot device that let's us inside Peter Colt's head, a weary stream of conscience that is funny and endearing.

I must say what a pleasant surprise it is to watch a romantic comedy and a sports movie that is not absolute torture. Wimbledon may not avoid the cliches of it's combined genres but at the very least it embellishes them enough to make it interesting. Paul Bettany is the film’s real find and the element that lifts Wimbledon above it's many cliches and contrivances. This could be a star making and Hugh Grant had best start looking in his rearview mirror for Paul Bettany who could be scooping up a few of those roles that used to go right to him.

Movie Review: Definitely, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe (2008) 

Directed by Adam Brooks

Written by Adam Brooks 

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Derek Luke, Kevin Kline

Release Date February 14th, 2008 

Published February 13th, 2008 

In his first mature leading man performance Ryan Reynolds becomes a star before our eyes in the terrific romance Definitely, Maybe. Call it his Sleepless In Seattle moment, Reynolds becomes the new millennium answer to Tom Hanks as he establishes his romantic leading man street cred opposite not a single Meg Ryan but three tremendous young actresses on three completely different star tracks.

There is the capital A actress Rachel Weisz, already a hairs breath away from Oscar. Elizabeth Banks, the comic character actress. And then there is Isla Fisher, who is still too young to know where her career is headed. Reynolds sparks with each and makes you believe that indeed one man could get that lucky in his life.

Definitely, Maybe stars Reynolds as Will Hayes an ad exec who has just received his divorce papers. He's been headed for divorce for awhile it seems. Will see's his daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) on Wednesdays and Fridays and is on his way to pick her up as the opening credits wrap. On this particular Friday Maya's school is abuzz. Today the kids took a surprise sex education course and all are bursting with questions. All of this talk of sex has Maya wondering where she came from, not necessarily the technical details, she learned all too much of that, rather about how mom and dad met and how they are where they are today.

Dad is not so hot on telling the tale and thus devises the story as a romantic mystery, leaving Maya to guess which of three women from his past is her mother. There is Emily (Elizabeth Banks) not her real name, who was his college sweetheart. They split up when he went to New York. It's more complicated and messy than that but that comes later. Then there is the copy girl aka April (Isla Fisher). She makes copies for a living in the Bill Clinton for President campaign office where Will has come all the way from Wisconsin to work. Politics of the early to late 90's play a big part in Definitely, Maybe.

And finally there is Summer Heartley (Rachel Weisz), a woman from Emily's past who Will meets when he delivers a present to her from Emily. What that present is has all sorts of surprises attached. Summer is an aspiring journalist sleeping with her esteemed professor (Kevin Kline) when she meets Will. They bounce around each other a little before the girly crush on the professor passes and Summer wants to get serious. She and Will share a relationship with many twists and moments you will not see coming.

So which girl is really mommy? Which girl is also the ex? That is the mystery and the secret charm of Definitely, Maybe.

Writer-director Allan Brooks isn't teasing the audience or screwing with us just to keep us off track. What he devises, structurally and with these terrifically charming and smart characters, is a romantic mystery that in-trances and enchants.This seemingly typical romantic comedy defies convention by mixing three different romances and allowing us to guess, take sides, and hope for our favorite to win out. Leading the guessing game is 12 year old Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin. In yet another devastatingly cute performance, Breslin charms us into a romantic journey that would be lonely and a little dreary without her hopeful, doe eyed presence.

The humor of Definitely, Maybe is warm and comfortable. It emanates naturally from these characters without the force of set ups and punchlines. The skill of Brooks' script may not occur to you until much later when you realize just how invested you are in the outcome of this mystery. Listen for the subtle ways Brooks uses politics as an undercurrent of Will's emotional state. His optimistic investment in President Clinton's promise of hope in 1992 juxtaposed against his disillusionment with his love life and the scandal that engulfs Clinton's presidency. This sets up a final moment in the movie so subtle; blink and you'll miss it. It's a minor scene but it means so much if you follow the context of the film as a whole.

Definitely, Maybe doesn't necessarily break the mold of the traditional romantic comedy. Rather, like the best of the gentrified genre lot, it takes the typical and improves upon it. The formula is familiar, it's just better performed, filmed and crafted in Definitely, Maybe. Rather than limiting himself to what is expected of the romance genre, Adam Brooks goes in slightly off kilter directions. He tweaks the formula, changes the expectations and, by creating wonderful characters with just the right actors, he changes the dynamics of the formula romantic comedy, bends it to the will of his story and creates something special.

Indeed, Definitely, Maybe is something special in the romantic comedy genre.

Movie Review: Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason

Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason (2004) 

Directed by Beeban Kidron

Written by Adam Brooks, Richard Curtis, Andrew Davies, Helen Fielding 

Starring Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones 

Release Date November 12th, 2004

Published November 11th, 2004 

When Renee Zellweger was announced to play British singleton icon Bridget Jones from the enormously successful book by Helen Fielding, the reaction was less than exciting for fans of the book. How could an American actress, from Texas no less, capture this essentially British character. Amazingly, not only did she pull off the accent and some serious weight gain, Zellweger went on to be nominated for an Oscar, a remarkable feat for a comic performance.

With that much success it is no surprise that there is now a sequel, it's also no surprise that that sequel is not quite as good as the original. It's called sequelitis and no matter how good the original film may be, few sequels can escape the sequel curse.

It's been five terrific weeks since Bridget Jones (Zellweger) landed the man of her dreams Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Five weeks, 35 glorious days, 70 spectacular shags. However, in every passionate relationship, eventually; you have to get out of bed and when Bridget and Mark finally get up and get dressed the problems begin.

At first it's little things like Mark's need to fold his underwear or his insistence that she quit smoking. Soon, it's bigger problems like Mark's stodgy stuck up lawyer friends and his surprisingly conservative politics. Then it's Mark's new assistant a leggy, gorgeous, 22 year old named Rebecca (rising star Jascinda Barrett).

Bridget's circle of friends, Shazzer (Sally Phillips), Tom (James Callis) and Jude (Shirley Henderson), certainly don't help matters by fueling her paranoia over Mark's new assistant. While Bridget's only married friend Janey (Lucy Robinson) raises questions about why Mark hasn't asked her to marry him. Then there are Bridget's wacky parents, flighty Mom (Shirley Dixon) and put upon Dad (Jim Broadbent), who shock Bridget by announcing they are renewing their marriage vows.

Finally one last big obstacle for Bridget and Mark comes from Bridget's job where, as a reporter for Sit Up Britain, she has become a celebrity for smiling her way through one humiliation after another. This leads to a big promotion but one big complication. Bridget will co-host a travel show that will take her all over the world but her co-host is her former boss, and lecherous boyfriend, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).

That is the bare bones set up; but the plot in reality is contrived and episodic. Four writers including novelist and creator Helen Fielding, director Beeban Kidron, romantic comedy genius Richard Curtis (Love Actually,Four Weddings and a Funeral) and Adam Brooks, another rom-com vet who wrote this years charming tennis movie Wimbledon, all combine to give the film that to many cooks in the kitchen feeling. A lot of conflicting ideas come together to create a mishmash of good and not so good scenes. The final product is something that might make for a good sitcom but not a great movie.

Fortunately these writers are blessed with a cast that is to die for. Renee Zellweger is once again her Oscar-worthy self. Patterning her performance after Lucille Ball and the gals from Sex and The City Zellweger combines physical comedy with a terrific ability to win our hearts she makes this lackadaisical story and script work, to a point, because no matter what we absolutely love her.

For his part Colin Firth is likable but as his role is written he is somewhat hamstrung. His character is stuffy and rigid with little spontaneity. Opposite Zellweger's bubbly Bridget he looks even more stiff than he's written. Firth does what he can with the role but for the most part he is pushed along by the plot. Hugh Grant also suffers somewhat from plot manipulation but his charm and razor sharp wit make even his most strained moments work. The final fight scene between Firth and Grant is terrifically funny for the awful way the actors carry it off.

Fans of Renee Zellweger will find lots to love in Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason as will faithful fans of the book. For the uninitiated though the film will feel disjointed and overlong. The characters are often ridiculously lost and befuddled which leads to much audience confusion until the end when predictability and a touch of schmaltz rule the day.

Where the original felt fresh and vibrant this sequel is rote and simplistic. The various attempts at salvaging it by bringing on a different writer only served to muddy the waters. All of this seems like it may have been to much for first time director Beeban Kidron. The director often seems as overwhelmed by problems as Bridget herself and the only way out was to stick close to sitcomic formula.

Even with all that goes wrong I would not mind another Bridget sequel and I'm sure I'm not alone. Edge Of Reason does not fail because of Bridget the character who remains wildly, lovably, daft and it only benefits from Renee Zellweger's portrayal. It is the developments behind the scenes, the direction and scripting that went awry. Fix the script and keep the characters and you may just have another funny story to tell in the next Bridget Jones adventure.