Sverrir Gudnason is superb as the ice-cool Swede struggling to contain a cauldron of emotion – and Shia Labeouf’s not bad either as his voluble opponent
A tale of sporting rivalry is given a brooding, introspective Scandinavian twist by Janus Metz, hitherto best known for his award-winning documentary Armadillo. Stoic, seemingly unflappable Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) and volatile, temperamental brat John McEnroe (Shia Labeouf) competed for the Wimbledon title in 1980. On paper, it was a clash of opposites. But in fact, this film argues that the two men had more in common than anyone suspected at the time. Ice-man Borg, the main focus of this film, was in fact a volcano; his obsession with detail, his superstitions, were all part of the meticulous control mechanism he constructed to prevent the eruptions of anger that so tarnished McEnroe’s early reputation.
Whether or not you know the outcome, this is a cracking watch.
A tale of sporting rivalry is given a brooding, introspective Scandinavian twist by Janus Metz, hitherto best known for his award-winning documentary Armadillo. Stoic, seemingly unflappable Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) and volatile, temperamental brat John McEnroe (Shia Labeouf) competed for the Wimbledon title in 1980. On paper, it was a clash of opposites. But in fact, this film argues that the two men had more in common than anyone suspected at the time. Ice-man Borg, the main focus of this film, was in fact a volcano; his obsession with detail, his superstitions, were all part of the meticulous control mechanism he constructed to prevent the eruptions of anger that so tarnished McEnroe’s early reputation.
Whether or not you know the outcome, this is a cracking watch.
- 9/24/2017
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
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