Luca Guadagnino is a filmmaker with impeccable taste. He knows how to draw out a good story and his previous works has proven just as such. Cult classics such as Call Me By Your Name, Bones and All and even A Bigger Splash all were small independent character driven pieces of art. All of which explored romance in some way shape or form, which makes sense considering Gudagnino’s heritage. His eroticism and complexity within his characters is what fans of his want from his work and his latest film turns this up a few notches and then some! His latest film, Challengers, is steamy, sweaty and oh so sexual, all while set against a backdrop that involves tennis. Challengers is also quite possibly his most mainstream film yet, but does he still hold on to those values he holds so dear? Yes, he does!
Challengers on the surface is a film that feels like it was made for the beautiful and starry Zendaya in an award-baiting performance. It is know that Zendaya has delivered some truly magnetic and human performances in some big films from The Greatest Showman to Spider-Man: No Way Home, but here Guadagnino gives her the chance to explore more of her acting talents in a film based on a three-way romance. Mike Faist and Josh O”Connor play the love interests and formidable friends on the court as Art and Patrick, two other competing tennis players. The story interweaves Zendaya’s character Tashi Duncan and her life with Art and Patrick from when she was an amateur tennis player, to a horrible injury and then up to her escapades as a Coach for her husband. To tell you who her husband is would spoil the surprise - only slightly.
Challengers is also non-linear. The film centres mainly around a Challenger match between Art and Patrick in their late 20s after some unresolved history between them thanks to Tashi. Tashi does not come across as manipulative but her actions say otherwise. Zendaya plays Tashi in a very restrained way and as a woman unto her own. Tashi is a strong, capable woman who is unfortunately suffering from a big injury that happened at one point in her career. Thanks to this injury she is relegated to becoming a supportive wife, a role she believes doesn’t fit her not that she would admit it. Faist and O’Connor share a lot of chemistry that makes you question their sexuality. From their brotherly feuds to some intimate one-on-one arguments, it is one of the biggest highlights of the film seeing these two play off each other. Yes there is a sexual element, but it is only merely suggested and talked about instead of shown, which is refreshing for a film like this to explore.
What amazes me about Challengers is that Guadagnino’s knowledge of the sport was minimal until he started work on the film. His unique perspective on the sport allows for some truly immersive, unique and memorable shots and camera angles of the tennis players sparring off each other. The slow motion, the electric soundtrack from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and the close-up’s of the character’s faces between swings all combine to make something truly unforgettable. Some of these elements, including the structure of the film, may feel a little reductive but it all comes together in a way that feels necessary and vital to the visual style. It ends with another hit film from Guadagnino and the talent involved in one of the most immersive and erotically charged tennis films ever made.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Challengers proves that both Luca Guadagnino and Zendaya are forces to be reckoned with. The story and characters are artfully crafted to create a film that feels unlike anything else. Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist also help to elevate the film in interesting and complex ways as their relationships are explored with each other. The consequences of love in a competitive sport is addressed in such a visually striking way. Challengers is a film you will feel emanating off the big screen in many ways and it proves that tennis films are still highly entertaining too.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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