Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #928 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-03
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Professional tennis makes an unlikely but surprisingly effective backdrop for a lively romantic comedy in Wimbledon. Peter Cort (Paul Bettany, Master and Commander), once ranked 11th in the world, has slipped to 119th and is heading into his last Wimbledon tournament when he runs into Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst, The Virgin Suicides, Spider-Man), a rising star. The two strike up a whirlwind romance that gives his game new life--but she insists it's going to be nothing but a passing fling. Their affair heats up and Cort finds himself steadily rising through the competition while Lizzie stumbles... Of course, the ending is never really in doubt--but Bettany is a unique cinematic presence, pale and lithe, doubtful of life but also hungry for it. Thanks to him and the ever-engaging Dunst, Wimbledon is funnier, more suspenseful, and more touching that anyone might expect, turning a conventional flick into a genuine charmer. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
Richard Loncraine's 'Wimbledon' is a lighthearted romantic comedy set in the high-pressure world of professional tennis. Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) is a 31-year-old Englishman who was once ranked 11th in the world, but has now dropped to a pathetic 119th. Realising that his days are numbered, Peter intends to retire from the game after playing in one final Wimbledon. But when he accidentally walks into the hotel room of rising American star Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), sparks begin to fly and Peter begins to find his touch on the court once again. Unfortunately for Peter, Lizzie's overbearing father, Dennis (Sam Neill), is well aware that Lizzie's game suffers when she is distracted by love, and he bans the two from seeing each other. This doesn't bode well for Peter, who is about to play in the final against cocky American superstar Jake Hammond (Austin Nichols). Not to mention the fact that Peter has the hopes of an entire nation riding on his shoulders. Loncraine's breezy comedy is fuelled by the chemistry between Bettany and Dunst, and also features several memorable supporting characters including Peter's bickering parents (Bernard Hill and Eleanor Bron), his goofy brother (James McAvory), his practice partner (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and his cell phone-wielding agent (Jon Favreau).

Customer Reviews

Playing by numbers
Okay, a British romantic drama comedy, lets just make sure everything is in place; Stuttering English male lead? Check. Sexy American female lead with a strong character? Check. Quirky upper-middle class relations? Check. Obligatory scene in the grounds of Kenwood House? Check. Romantic fall-in-love/Problem/Happy-Ever-After template used? Check.
The chemistry between Dunst and Bettany is good and the Tennis scenes surprisingly gripping, everything else is pretty routine, except for the conclusion which is revoltingly sickly.

I was unexpectedly surprised by this film :)
"Wimbledom" is told from the point of view of Peter Cort, a player that at the beginning of the movie defines his place in tennis quite accurately. In his words, "Presently ranked 119th in the world. Sport is cruel. Now I know it doesn't sound too bad. Four million tennis players in the world, and I'm 119th. But what that really means is this - 118 guys out there are faster, stronger, better and younger. And it gets you thinking".

The plot of this movie is simple: two professional tennis players meet at Wimbledom, and start falling in love. One is Peter Cort (Paul Bettany), playing his last tournament before retirement, and very accustomed to losing. The other is Lizzie Bradbury (Kirsten Dunst), a budding tennis star playing her first Wimbledom, a young woman that loves to win and is good at it. Their relationship starts to have unexpected results, as Lizzie impresses on Peter some of her on-court aggressiveness, and he stars to win, to the amazement of everybody (including himself). Of course, there is more to the plot of this film than that, but what would be the point of watching it then?.

All in all, I can say that I was unexpectedly surprised by this film. The truth is, it is really good, even if you are not much into tennis (and yes, that is my case). It isn't a classic, and it isn't perfect, but it is an excellent choice if you like movies that are a good mixture of romance and comedy. If you do, I highly recommend "Wimbledom" to you :)

Belen Alcat

Not even if I was completely loved up....
Being a fan of Paul Bettnay I thought despite the thin plot and lukewarm reception this film received, I was hoping that the main man and woman could pull it off, especially as I am also a tennis fan. That was the problem. I kept thinking, 'that could've been done better'. There was no chemistry, the leads looked very forced, the script was poor - I really must stop myself from going on! I love so called chick flicks, among others but there wasn't much here.