Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Alan Cumming, Elisabeth Shue, and Jessica McNamee
Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Written by Simon Beaufoy
Summary (in 500 words or less): In 1973, former professional tennis player Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) challenged the popular Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) to a tennis match. This battle of the sexes received much media coverage with the outspoken and braggadocios Riggs certain he'd prove victorious against the quiet, resolute King who was battling her own demons at the same time as she contemplated her sexuality when she begins to fall for a hairdresser (Andrea Riseborough) traveling with the ladies' pro tennis tour.
- Great performances from both Emma Stone and Steve Carell are the highlights of Battle of the Sexes. Together, they lift this otherwise generic biopic to a greater level.
- The flick works very well during its first half as we get to learn about the private lives of Bobby and Billie Jean, but the actual Battle of the Sexes tennis match which makes up a large chunk of the final third feels a bit anticlimactic as most in the audience will already know the ending. Tension never really mounts and the film unfortunately suffers because of the (admittedly necessary) emphasis on the titular match.
- Nice production design definitely creates a 70s aesthetic that proves quite charming
The RyMickey Rating: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment