Challengers

The release of a genuine crowd-pleaser would mark Guagnino's most unexpected move. Challengers, Luca Guadagnino's most recent film, is brimming with energy. The hybrid of erotic thriller and sports drama is about a love triangle in which "all corners touch," is a provocative and stressful watch because of its filmmaking showmanship and all three stellar lead performances. The two up-and-coming tennis players, Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor), are best friends and maintain an amicable rivalry that keeps their skills sharp. They both fall hard for tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), which only intensifies the rivalry. Following a sultry hotel room night shared by the three of them, Art and Patrick compete for her attention. Tashi is forced to retire by a career-ending injury just as she starts dating Patrick. Art then makes the next move by asking Tashi to be his coach, giving her the chance for an unlikely career comeback. This, of course, sets the stage for their romance to develop. The plot then unexpectedly shifts by picking up almost ten years later. In the realm of professional tennis, Art and Tashi are now a dominant duo. Nevertheless, their marriage is strained by Art's diminishing significance and his remarkable losing streak. In an attempt to restart his career and their relationship, Tashi enters Art in a tennis challenger event. He will be facing off against his former best friend who just also happens to be Tashi’s former boyfriend, Patrick. The competition between the previous tennis champion and washed-up Patrick heats up on the court, as does their wicked game for Tashi's love.

What really takes this story up a notch is the delivery. Guadagnino told this story like a tennis match. The mirror between the court and the love triangle between the three lead performers is not a shy coincidence. The entire film, all Tashi expressed was how tennis was a relationship and all she ever wants is to play (and watch) some good fucking tennis. The movie also has amazing visuals. In contrast to the times when a lot of films and television series end up being (literally) too dark, this film is vibrant and colorful. The movie, which takes place between 2006 and 2019, also acknowledges that anything that happened before 2020—even in the 2000s—is currently considered a period piece. In 2007, Art was typing away on a Blackberry, while Tashi in 2019 uses an iPhone X. Tashi dances away in a strapless minidress as a teenager before changing into a pink velvet hoodie. As an adult, she dresses nicely for business casual. The attention to detail in every aspect of this movie was cared for so deeply.

Speaking on the technical side,The movie opens with Tashi's gaze flitting between Art and Patrick. The men are briefly shown on screen as the camera quickly switches between them later in the same match. We get a view of the tennis ball as it bounces up and down that almost makes you feel motion sick, as well as a mid-game Go Pro-style view from Patrick. Typically, I feel this wouldn't work, but in this case it's effective because of the film's constant use of uncommon shots and how closely it resembles live sports coverage. The slow motion and dramatic shots only heighten the tension that the rest of the film has built up to this one tennis match. The film's sexuality has a competitive edge, even though the tension is primarily sexual. Tashi encourages this by letting the boys kiss her simultaneously and forcing them to contend for her attention.

It is meticulous and intentional in every aspect a one of the most artistic sports movies I have seen in a long time. I think it is worth the watch in and out of the theater. It’s worth the re-watch! I hear that you end up siding with someone new every watch…

Ratings: 9.9/10

I can’t say it’s the perfect movie, but this movie is perfect.

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