Borg Vs. McEnroe

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Nudity    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens April 13, 2018

Runs 107 minutes

Leading up to the iconic 1980 Wimbledon match between John McEnroe (Shia LaBeouf) and Björn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason), this is the story of their rivalry. Björn Borg was the number one tennis player in the world, gunning for his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title. John McEnroe was a brash American trying to win his first. Borg was loved by everyone and mobbed everywere he went. McEnroe was booed by the crowds for his obnoxious antics on the court. As they work their way toward the finals, Borg's normally icy demeanor is shaken by McEnroe's confidence. Both players delve back into what made them the players they are - hardship and determination, smarts and raw ability. Borg, with his fiance Mariana (Tuva Novotny) and his mentor Lennart Bergelin (Stellan Skarsgård) by his side and McEnroe, with his Dad both fight to win their early matches, looking forward to a monumental final. In fact, the Final between McEnroe and Borg is considered one of the greatest of all time. If you don't remember who wins, you will be on the edge of your seat. This is the story of the "Fire and Ice" rivalry and what made these players so great.

This is a great movie. It was nice seeing Shia LaBeouf in a role that fits him (he is pretty volatile himself so he was a good choice to play McEnroe). A lot of the movie really focuses on Björn Borg and his rise to the top. It was interesting watching his story. He definitely had a lot of "firsts" in his career - youngest Davis cup winner, youngest French Open winner, etc. He was taught to channel his rage and take it all out on the court - thus the "icy" demeanor. I never really knew his backstory. I was a little more familiar with McEnroe's story. However, it is fun to watch how smart he really was and how he plotted out his path to winning Wimbledon. Overall, just a fantastic sports movie. So fun and exciting. Definitely worth seeing so go see it (or watch it on VOD).

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