Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Sverrir Gudnason | ... | Björn Borg | |
Shia LaBeouf | ... | John McEnroe | |
Stellan Skarsgård | ... | Lennart Bergelin | |
Tuva Novotny | ... | Mariana Simionescu | |
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Leo Borg | ... | Young Björn Borg - Age 9-13 |
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Marcus Mossberg | ... | Young Björn Borg - Age 15+ |
Jackson Gann | ... | Young John McEnroe | |
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Scott Arthur | ... | Peter Fleming |
Ian Blackman | ... | John McEnroe Senior | |
Robert Emms | ... | Vitas Gerulaitis | |
David Bamber | ... | UK Commentator George Barnes | |
Mats Blomgren | ... | Rune Borg | |
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Julia Marko-Nord | ... | Margareta Borg (as Julia Marko Nord) |
Jane Perry | ... | Kay McEnroe | |
Demetri Goritsas | ... | Björn Borg's Agent 1 |
It is the 1980 Wimbledon tennis championship. Bjorn Borg is the number 1 tennis player in the world and the undisputed king of Wimbledon. He has won the tournament four times in a row - a fifth consecutive time would be a world first. However, a new face has appeared in the tennis world and presents a serious threat to Borg's title hopes - John McEnroe. Written by grantss
I felt a bit robbed after watching the recent lacklustre Australian Open final. My summer tennis fix craved something a bit more satisfactory. Coming across Borg vs McEnroe was good timing.
If possible, I think it's best going into this movie somewhat blind. I didn't know the outcome of the 1980 Wimbledon final depicted here. I had little knowledge about Bjorn Borg, and what I knew about McEnroe just consisted of temper tantrums. My lack of knowledge really helped make this film quite gripping.
Shia Lebeouf delivers perhaps his career best performance as McEnroe. He perfectly captured the attitude and personality of the man. The film has more of an emphasis on Borg's journey which is completely fine though, given he's portrayed by a captivating Sverrir Gudnason. Stellan Skarsgard rounded out what was an exceptional cast. The film really settles into a nice rhythm once coach Skarasgard teams up with the young Borg.
The rock n' roll McEnroe scenes provided a welcome contrast to the often serious, brooding scenes of Borg. I also had no idea McEnroe was so intelligent! This film is really an in depth character study that does more than just skim the surface of who each man was. The ending was fantastic and the friendship which developed between the two was surprisingly heartwarming.
Borg vs McEnroe has a very similar feel to that of Ron Howard's Rush - so if you're a fan of that, you will probably like this. Tennis fans should love this too! A very serviceable sports film.