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IMDbPro

John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection

Original title: L'empire de la perfection
  • 20182018
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
778
YOUR RATING
John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:41
2 Videos
11 Photos
DocumentarySport
A documentary set at the final of the 1984 French Open between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl at a time when McEnroe was the world's top-ranked player.A documentary set at the final of the 1984 French Open between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl at a time when McEnroe was the world's top-ranked player.A documentary set at the final of the 1984 French Open between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl at a time when McEnroe was the world's top-ranked player.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
778
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Julien Faraut
  • Stars
    • John McEnroe(archive footage)
    • Ivan Lendl(archive footage)
    • Mathieu Amalric(voice)
  • Director
    • Julien Faraut
  • Stars
    • John McEnroe(archive footage)
    • Ivan Lendl(archive footage)
    • Mathieu Amalric(voice)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 7 nominations

    Videos2

    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection
    Trailer 1:41
    Watch John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection
    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection -  U.S. Trailer HD
    Trailer 1:40
    Watch John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection - U.S. Trailer HD

    Photos11

    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)
    John McEnroe in John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John McEnroe
    John McEnroe
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Ivan Lendl
    Ivan Lendl
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Mathieu Amalric
    Mathieu Amalric
    • Narrator
    • (voice)
    Gil de Kermadec
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Jacques Pernod
    • Self
    Cédric Quignon-Fleuret
    • Self
    Nicolas Thibault
    • Self
    • Director
      • Julien Faraut
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      References Amadeus (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
      Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      Performed by Christian Zacharias, piano

    User reviews4

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Get into the head of tennis's "superbrat." One of the best docs ever.
    "When I walk out there on court, I become a maniac... Something comes over me, man." John McEnroe

    John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection is the documentary we have waited a lifetime for: The titular tennis titan was photographed decades ago by cinematographer Gil de Kermadec but never so well displayed as in this perfect documentary by Julien Faraut using Kermadec's footage. Call it a "found footage" doc if you will.

    Faraut's engaging approach is to have minimal but incisive voiceover while using often the ¾ view to concentrate on McEnroe's body and language to understand the range and passion of his perfectionism. Few documentaries are able to get inside the artist's head the way Faraut does.

    Along the way is a good portion of entertainment as McEnroe berates line judges, chair referees, cameramen, and spectators, all of whom he probably believed couldn't know the sport as well as he.

    His petulant "superbrat" mien makes engaging sports viewing, and Faraut's doc is equally so but with a deeper desire to understand the tennis bad boy's motivations. Although seeing this film brings us closer to McEnroe's demons, it doesn't completely explain them.

    Faraut seems to believe that McEnroe's constant competitor is himself with the understanding that everyone should know that the forces of competitiveness and perfectionism account for his eccentric and erratic behavior. Given Serena Williams' recent outburst, this remarkable doc helps us understand better our gifted athletes.

    "What is the single most important quality in a tennis champion? I would have to say desire, staying in there and winning matches when you are not playing that well." McEnroe
    helpful•8
    2
    • JohnDeSando
    • Sep 11, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 22, 2018 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • In the Realm of Perfection
    • Filming locations
      • Roland Garros Stadium, Paris 16, Paris, France
    • Production companies
      • UFO Production
      • Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)
      • La Région Île-de-France
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $90,964
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $7,878
      • Aug 26, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $114,289
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1

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