"Wimbledon" is a charming little rom-com that relies more on the actual sport than it does on the romance; maybe that wasn't a bad thing, as the sport of tennis and the grandeur of the Wimbledon grand slam tournament get thrust into the limelight and received some extra exposure via Hollywood. Paul Bettany shows off some super acting talent playing the roll of a posh pro tennis player who is coming towards the end of his career and has dropped to 119 in the world rankings.On the other end of the spectrum we have Kirsten Dunst who's character is just starting out in her career, a girl with big ambitions who has already set her sights on winning Wimbledon, with help from her overbearing father who also manages her career. Sadly the two young leads don't particularly share a vast amount of on screen chemistry and watching them share the screen together felt a little awkward, in a romance film the couple have to appear to really be in love with each other and the viewer shouldn't have to suspend their belief, sadly in "Wimbledon" this wasn't the case. The vast majority of supporting characters seemed to be critically misplaced, none more so than the cameo appearance by British sitcom star, Robert Lindsey, for the life of me I cannot understand why he was cast in this film. The one stand out supporting star was Pete's (Paul Bettany) younger brother Carl, played by a young James McAvoy, his on-screen time was minimal but he added some much needed comic relief, such as the scenes in the bookies when he insists on always betting against his brother in his matches. Not a great film by any means but completely inoffensive nevertheless, a decent enough film to watch if you're bored and happen to come across it on TV, Netflix etc

If anyone has ever felt that 'Working Title' films have a formula then this is a fine example. Posh Brit meets American girl, throw in some oddball secondary characters played by well known faces and you're off to a winner, aren't you? The fact is no. Despite all the right pieces 'Wimbledon' fails to match the big 'Working Title' hits like 'Love Actually' or 'Notting Hill', mainly because you can see the formula a mile away. The fact that the tennis scenes look notably faked and Bettany and Dunst don't have much chemistry doesn't help either.It should be a big hit, but as this film proves, sometimes the big names don't produce the goods.

Before I traduce this film, ~ I have to point out how much I admire the cast of great actors. Betany gives a flawless performance, as usual, but is working with an awfully outdated attack on the class system, which Mr. Allen has no real conception of being one of the elite and not a native of the British Isles. The premise of a society riven, and divided by class runs along clankingly throughout. After the killings in the film, it meanders on aimlessly until, trying to seek some resolution, Allen comes up with: horror of horrors the corpses of the dead materialise like some Homeric decent into the underworld. Maybe Allen might have succeeded had he followed Homer's lead and made Betany descend like a mystic elevator into Hades, but no. Sadly the dead materialise in the Kitchen illuminated by the open fridge.The wait for this resolution was not worthwhile, and to save myself embarrassment I had had to leave the cinema.Has Woody Allen lost the plot? Yes, and for some time.

"Wimbledon" would be the typical romantic comedy if it were not about tennis. This makes it both a romantic comedy and a sports movie at the same time. It would not be original at all in case tennis were not the main issue in the plot. In general, it is a very nice comedy with very good length and pace and fine actors and acting. Another strong point in the movie is its nice photography of London and a nearby English town, specially the first, which is a city I like a lot. Paul Bettany is the main actor and plays the role of a relatively veteran tennis player who is not at his best. In Wimbledon, he meets a younger player portrayed by Kirsten Durnst. Sam Neill is in the movie her father and there are a couple more well-known actors doing decent jobs in their respective roles. I am not a particular fan of any of these actors, but they are all good. Paul Bettany shows he is versatile: comedies, action, dramas, mystery; diverse roles, etc. I think the tennis scenes are pretty well.-made. Probable, tennis fans will enjoy more than I did or will find more defects, but surely, everyone who does not demand too much and enjoy this kind of comedies will like it. I insist on that it is not so innovator and the end is predictable, like in most romantic comedies, but enjoyable indeed. 7.