CHALLENGERS, US, 2023. Starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor. Directed by Luca Guadagnino. 131 minutes, Rated M (Coarse language, sexual references and nudity)
Anyone for tennis? The title comes from a tournament in New Rochelle, the Challengers. And we are introduced to an intense match between two men, clearly rivals.
Quickly the narrative goes back two weeks, the explanations of the characters, then the film goes back 13 years, with many time shifts, sometimes flashbacks within flashbacks. For the audience it is something like watching a match, continually switching from looking at one end to the other. Sometimes this requires an effort. And some of the photography and editing of the tennis play, sometimes swift and sharp, sometimes in slow motion is not always effective for movie concentration.
While the focus is on tennis, at the centre is a triangle relationship. Because the film opens in 2019, we see the three protagonists in some kind of conflict, two men facing off each other in the finals of the tournament. The woman, Tashi (Zendaya), who has been at the centre of their lives for many years, is sitting in the stands, watching intently. When the narrative goes back in time, we are aware that matters have not turned out so well over the period of 13 years, heightening the drama of our watching the characters, their meeting, two men in love with the same woman, her choices, changes, tennis rivalries . . .
This is a film for younger audiences; that is, audiences in their 20s, especially. We see the characters at 18, follow their progress till the end of the film when they are in their early 30s.
One of the difficulties is the three characters are not all that interesting. Nor are they particularly likeable, making it difficult to have a care for them in their conflicts. The performances are effective, showing the complexities and ambiguities of the characters. Tashi is a tennis champion, strong-minded and determined. It is different with the two men. Patrick (O’Connor) is easy-going in many ways, not as good at tennis as he might hope, wanting to be liked, more than a touch self-absorbed, and developing into something of a cad. The other man is Art (Faist), more talented at tennis, friends with Patrick since they were boys. They have been successful in doubles, but both are smitten when they see Tashi and make a bid for her attentions.
The musical score is often techno beat, intense beats, sometimes obscuring the dialogue.
The film is rather long. We spend quite a time with each of the men, with Tashi, and the ups and downs of the relationships. Audience enjoyment is likely to depend on how interesting it finds the characters.
Warner Bros
Released 18 April
Image: Mike Faist as Art, Zendaya as Tashi and Josh O'Connor as Patrick in Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.
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