Movie review - "Wimbledon" (2004) ***

Not many people like this film but I really enjoyed it - combining two of my favourite genres, sports movie and romantic comedy. The direction keeps it lively and the film's basic concept has the charm of the improbable - namely, a Pom winning Wimbledon. Kirsten Dunst is perfectly cast as the bratty American pro; I wasn't totally sold on Paul Bettany but he's quite likeable. Some of the supporting characters really hit the mark: the squabbling parents, the ball boy who becomes Bettany's good luck charm, his German training partner. But it throws some opportunities away wholesale - not using Sam Neill father character enough (this cries out to be turned into Damir Dokic) or the agent, the irritating brother character, the under-developed American pro rival (was the film reluctant to go for the jugular against Americans?) I note howeven though Bettany is supposed to be poor he can still afford to stayat the Dorchester (the Dorchester plugs are a little annoying)