Tashi was a tennis prodigy as a teenager but a horrific injury would prevent her from reaching stardom as a professional, she turned to coaching and turned her husband Art Donladson into a world champion but to overcome a losing streak he must come up against his former best friend and Tashi’s ex-boyfriend the struggling Patrick Zweig.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Challengers is a compelling journey into love, passion, life and sport. Tennis is just the sub-plot really isn’t it! Although it all moulds together into a rather incredible and impressive journey. The story unfolds with a small tennis tournamnet and the final match going on between Art and Patrick, with Tashi watching them both more than the tennis! We are then given flashbacks to many different time periods and events which have happened at different stages in their lives.
Art and Patrick had been friends since rooming together in boarding school, where they also focused on tennis being doubles partners at junior level and being successful with that. On first meeting Tashi they even had a final against each other the next day, which Patrick had agreed to let Art win as he could never beat him. Although when Tashi states she will give her number to the winner that plan then changes. As will the relationship between the two lifelong friends.
As we flash backwards and forwards we learn more about the complex relationships and everything going on with Tashi going to Stanford where Art attended and Patrick attempting the professional circuit as soon as he possibly could. It was actually near on impossible to have much sympathy for any character at different times as they all screwed the other over at some point for self gain and satisfaction which gives the film an extremely real life feel.
Tashi being unable to play tennis then turns her focus on Art who had always been in love with her and a personal relationship came with the coaching and they became a brand within Tennis. He played for them both and would do anything for her, but was that enough? Some of the choices will push the morals of the viewers not being able to understand why she would take some risks, but I guess some lust and love never fades.
The final scenes within the tennis match are so incredible tennis and shot in spectacular fashion, the differences in the angles and the close ups of both men giving it their all. That movement of the tennis ball for the serve, that we all knew was coming but the build up and tension was truly incredible, not to forget the sweat dripping everywhere! Also a reminder that this triangle did have that impact between the two men.
I felt as though this film was very impressive in all possible ways, giving passion and love for people and sport. The tennis was very good and the training of the actors to be able to take on these roles included a grueling training schedule with real tennis coaches being part of the film.
Zendaya was great in the leading role and that was impressive throughout, with Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor both taking on their characters in spectaluar fashion. This really was a triangle that had to handled in such a manner. The chemistry between all three actors had to work and it really did!
