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BATTLE OF THE SEXES (2017)
Battle of the Sexes poster

CAST
STEVE CARELL
EMMA STONE
FRED ARMISEN
ALAN CUMMING
JESSICA McNAMEE
NATALIE MORALES
ERIC CHRISTIAN OLSEN
LEWIS PULLMAN
BILL PULLMAN
ANDREA RISEBOROUGH
ELISABETH SHUE
SARAH SILVERMAN
AUSTIN STOWELL

WRITTEN BY
SIMON BEAUFOY

PRODUCED BY
DANNY BOYLE
CHRISTIAN COLSON
ROBERT GRAF

DIRECTED BY
JONATHAN DAYTON
VALEIRE FARIS

GENRE
BIOGRAPHY
DRAMA
SPORT

RATED
AUS:PG
UK:12A
USA:PG-13

RUNNING TIME
121 MIN

Battle of the Sexes image

Transparent in its politics and engrossing in its storytelling, Battle of the Sexes effectively delves behind the scenes of the people and stakes behind one of the biggest spectacles in sport.

Think of the biggest sporting events of time. There was the “Fight of the Century” where Muhammed Ali lost to Joe Frazier in 1971. The “Miracle on Ice” when a United States hockey team comprised of amateurs, defeated the dominant Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Then there was the “Battle of the Sexes”, in which in her prime female tennis champion Billie Jean King took on long retired Wimbledon champ Bobby Riggs.

Looking back now, it’s hard to fathom what competition there could possibly be between the two. King had hit her stride as a champion and a trailblazer, while Riggs made a name for himself as a hustler coasting on name recognition and an outrageous, loudmouthed public personality. Think of today if Serena Williams battled John McEnroe. There would be no denying who would win. But back in 1973 things were different. The idea of what a “sportsman” was compared to a “sportswoman” was egregious. It wasn’t simply a matter of equal pay. It was a matter of gross self-imposed superiority of one gender above the other.

The opening scenes of Battle of the Sexes portrays as such, when a justifiably angry King (Emma Stone) confronts former tennis great turned ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) president Jack Kramer (Bill Pullman), over another decrease in women tournament prize money. In turn, King along with her loyal manager Glaydys Heldman (Sarah Silverman) break away from the rank and file, and begin their own women’s tennis tournament to much controversy. On the other side of this spectrum is Riggs (Steve Carell), a gambling addict whose far-fetched get rich schemes are patiently tolerated by his well-to-do wife (Elizabeth Shue). With King blazing her way across the US, Riggs comes up with the idea: “Male chauvinist pig versus hairy legged feminist”. After initial reluctance from King, the match, and indeed the spectacle, is on.

As directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) much is made of the stakes at play in this match between genders. For Riggs it’s another shot at fame and a rescue from an unfulfilled life. But for King she understood the statement that could be made, even by beating an over the hill hustler. By proving to be a draw (52 million tuned in to watch), and by making a stance through physical  and symbolic win, King was determined to not let this opportunity pass her by.

Stone plays King with a steely determination, confronting and staring down those who attempt to block the progress of her professional life. Stone also beautifully portrays the internal struggle of a personal life in tatters, the result of a same-sex affair with hairdresser Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough). If being a professional sportswoman in 1973 was a hurdle, imagine also being gay, a fact that Dayton and Faris focus on as a further enhancement of those stakes.  

Carell in turn plays the buffoon role with ease, yet adds some depth to Riggs’ braggadocio. It is with credit to screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) that Riggs was not presented as a straight forward villainous character. There is an understandable method to his nonsense, and sympathy for his plight as a man who would rather lose it all than coast by in life.

The biggest weakness in Battle of the Sexes is that as a sports film, the reality of its history doesn’t supply much in the way of on-court dramatics. While the lead up to King v Riggs was drama filled, the match itself was a wash, with King streaming to victory in straight sets. For the films conclusion to end with such an anti-climax doesn’t make for the most riveting of third acts. Yet it also says much about the ridiculous nature of the whole spectacle and the minds behind it. Then again, maybe that’s the point.

***1/2


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