Wimbledon is a charming, unassuming romantic comedy that uses professional
tennis as a backdrop. While much of it plays like the familiar underdog
sports movie, it is the romance that takes center court.

Paul Bettany is Peter Colt, a veteran tennis player who takes one last shot
at Wimbledon. From the get-go he decides that, win or lose, he will hang up
his tennis shoes following the grueling competition. What he doesn't expect
is to be bit by the love bug during the process. The twinkle in his eye is
Lizzie Bradbury (played by Kirsten Dunst), a fellow tennis pro who has
aspirations of her own.

When these two get together, sparks fly. Lizzie becomes a muse of sorts to
the likable Colt. He begins winning matches he never thought he was capable
of winning, and assumes the mantle of dark horse. Unfortunately though, this heated relationship has an opposite affect on Lizzie. Quickly, she begins to lose focus and this ultimately takes a toll on her game. In tennis 'love' means zero.

Paul Bettany is really terrific in a part that was originally written for
Hugh Grant (no surprise there), and with each passing role (be it A
Beautiful Mind, A Knight's Tale or Master and Commander), he continues to
impress me. His Peter Colt is articulate, charming and without an
egotistical bone in his body. Through the course of the film, it's easy to
see why Lizzie falls for him. It's for the same reason fans begin to cheer
this underdog on--He's just a really nice guy and people sense that about
him. Bettany's best moments are the ones in which we hear his thoughts
while he's engaging in a match. Beautifully played.

Kirsten Dunst is cute and determined as Lizzie Bradbury. In Wimbledon, she
carries herself gracefully and is able to generate chemistry with her
co-star. I did have some issues with her overly aggressive nature early on
in the film - she seemed to rush the net alot. Still, I suppose this is the fault of the writing. And I couldn't shake the feeling that at some point in the picture she might walk up to Bettany and say; "Go get em' tiger." Adding to
the Spider-Man confusion is the fact that the hero of this story is named Peter. That's where the comparison to the superhero opus ends, however, Dunst's
Lizzie is much stronger than the damsel-in-distress Mary Jane.

I have to say, I really enjoyed this movie for what it is. Simple and sweet.
It succeeds where movies like the recent Laws of Attraction failed so
miserably. Wimbledon doesn't feel compelled to be anything more than a
gentle piece of entertainment (meaning it doesn't go for the intellectual
gold - like Vanity Fair does), and while I did feel some of the jokes were far
too easy (the John McEnroe supporting role was cute but obvious - listen to
his response following a bogus call made by a tennis ref), I still had a
good time.

I'd also like to point out that Wimbledon has one of the funniest sex scenes
I've ever seen (actually, I really didn't see anything and that's what was
so damned hilarious about it). You'll know what I'm speaking of when you
see it. It's an absolute riot.

Some of the early tennis sequences in Wimbledon are clumsily executed, but
the climactic match is a crowd pleaser in every sense of the term. I
couldn't help but applaud the outcome even if it was predictable. I also
found it quite refreshing that this is a sports movie in which the underdog
isn't necessarily overflowing with self confidence. I really liked that
aspect of the story because it was unique, especially for a sports film.

Wimbledon doesn't work on the same level as other sports films, particularly
the works of Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, Tin Cup). He has an uncanny ability
to bring the world of relationships and sports together in quite the
engaging fashion. But this flick's harmless nature and light comedic touch
make it incredibly entertaining. And Paul Bettany really proves himself a
solid romantic lead.