I went in with high expectations for "Challengers" because it's garnered a landslide of positive reviews from critics. For my money, it's a double fault.
Art (Mike Faist - Riff in "West Side Story") and Patrick (Josh O'Connor - Prince Charles in "The Crown") have been friends since they were twelve. At a junior tennis tournament, they both swoon over Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis prodigy who's drop-dead gorgeous. Throughout the film, the lives of these three are entwined, particularly in a now well-known bedroom scene where both guys begin to kiss Tashi and eventually each other, as Tashi sits back, observing her handiwork with obvious satisfaction. After their junior careers, their lives diverge. Patrick starts his career as a professional tennis player, while Tashi and Art go to Stanford. In Act Three, they meet again.
Moviegoers should be forewarned that the film is non-linear, with frequent (I say "excessive") flashbacks and flash-forwards that paradoxically slow the action while also adding an unnecessary layer of confusion. By the time we get to the inevitable climactic tennis match where Art and Patrick are opponents, the script has gone totally off the rails.
The tennis scenes are credible. Brad Gilbert, a former player and current coach and TV commentator, lent his expertise to the project. (He also has a brief cameo as Art's coach.) Neither the actors nor Director Luca Guadagnino ("Suspira," "Bones and All") had a strong tennis background. The creative team eventually decided to film the players swinging racket handles on the court without rackets (less wind resistance), then used CGI to create the rackets and tennis balls in post-production. In interviews, Zendaya has described her "tennis" as a series of choreographed movements.
The filming of the tennis scenes is innovative. There are shots from below the court, by drone above the court. But by the time we see the action from the perspective of the tennis ball careening across the court, the cinematography has gone from interesting to annoying.
This is not a great movie, but, to quote a movie title, the fault is not in our stars. Zendaya, Faist and O'Connor are compelling and interesting, alone and in various combinations.
Director Guadagnino is known for his sensitive exploration of emotional complexity, particularly in the coming of age story in "Call Me by Your Name." But in "Challengers," they key role of Tashi doesn't receive a similar level of thoughtfulness. Initially, she's presented as a young woman who feels attraction for both Patrick and Art. We learn that her career ended because of a knee injury and that she's living out her goals vicariously through Art's successful career. But later, she and Art have been married for years and she's still nurturing Patrick's attention. What's the motivation? Is this a simple case of star-crossed lovers? Is her "relationship" with Patrick a way of hedging her bets, aligning herself with the player with the best future? Does she simply enjoy manipulating the people around her? From the outset, who Tashi is and what motivates her remain a mystery. Because her motivations are so opaque, the emotional storyline here feels like a jumbled mess, a sensation that's exacerbated by the film's enigmatic final scene. The fault is in our script.
