A tale of love, passion, ambition and drive to dominance.
Challengers, the newest release from director Luca Guadagnino, finally hit theatre this Spring.
Prior to its release, there was much hype and speculation created by its trailer and cast, most prominently Zendaya.
Guadagnino is well-known to movie buffs for the deep psychological analysis of his characters in previous movies (Suspiria, Call Me by Your Name) and Challengers is no exception to the rule. The director manages to precisely depict the physical and emotional intensity of tennis and it is easy to feel the toll of every serve and volley as if you are on the court.
The story is essentially a coming-of-age drama focused on three aspiring tennis players. At the beginning of the film, Tashi Duncan, played by Zendaya, is the rising star of the tennis world. Upon seeing one of her games, Patrick (Josh O’Conner) and Art (Mike Faist), players and long-time friends, both fall madly in love with her.
After a night of drinking and partying, the boys ask Tashi for her number and she promises it to the winner of the tennis game due between them the next day.
Patrick wins the game and also the girl and they start dating for a while.
Their relationship is a bit of roller-coaster and when Tashi’s tennis career comes to an unexpected and bitter end because of an injury – with Patrick being emotionally distant – Tashi leaves him for Art and becomes his coach.
Art has difficulty advancing his career, but under Tashi’s passionate guidance he starts to make a name for himself.
Eventually, the three cross pass again. Dormant emotions and rivalry, both professionally and personally, awaken, further developing the love triangle.
The cast deliver exemplary performances. Zendaya manages to balance vulnerability of a young woman who shall never fulfil her dream of stardom and fame with fierce determination to win in life off the court. The two male leads are quite successful in adding layers to their characters and highlighting their respective flaws and unresolved complexes.
It is impossible not to mention the fascinating ending of the film without spoiling it in some measure.
This being said, it is a masterclass of story-telling without words as it concludes the movie without a single line of dialogue. Yet, it seems to come as a natural and satisfying conclusion to such a complicated and multi-faceted story.
Challengers is what critics would call a “genre bender” as it goes beyond a classic sports movie and dives deeper into a study of human ambitions and inter-personal relationships.
As such, it is an enjoyable watch in more than one aspect. It is a thought-provoking story about the obsession to succeed and an analysis of the human condition in the world of sports.
