Emma Stone

Steve Carell

Andrea Riseborough

Sarah Silverman

Bill Pullman

Elisabeth Shue

Alan Cumming

Austin Stowell

Eric Christian Olsen

Natalie Morales

Lewis Pullman

Jessica McNamee

Martha MacIsaac

Wallace Langham

Mark Harelik

Fred Armisen

Chris Parnell

John C. McGinley

Mickey Sumner

Bridey Elliott

James Mackay

Tim Ransom

Frank Lui Geo

Chip Chinery

Cooper J. Friedman

Enuka Okuma

Agnes Albright

Bob Stephenson

Nelson Franklin

Amy Holt

Tom Kenny

Dinka Dzubur

Lauren Kline

Fidan Manashirova

Ashley Weinhold

Kaitlyn Christian

Doug Dean

Jamey Sheridan

Matt Malloy

Bill Blair

Eli Jane

Karen Baxter

Craig Reed

Christopher Ferguson

Simon Beaufoy

Valerie Faris

Jonathan Dayton

David J. Frederick

Ketty Gonzalez

Alec Contestabile

Pamela Martin

Camille M. Bratkowski

Jason Miller

Robert E. Kay

Nicholas Rymond

Matthew Flood Ferguson

Akiko Matsumoto

Bart Lipton

Dwayne Grady

Ben Greaves

Ai-Ling Lee

Christian Colson

Kim Davis-Wagner

Davon Slininger

Chris Baugh

Matt Dunkley

Judy Becker

Lufeng Qu

Torsten Witte

Chris Diebold

Galen Goodpaster

Justine Arteta

Alexander Linde

Danny Boyle

Gregg Szabo

Gregory Byrne

Erik Solky

Mark Avery

Leigh Bell

Staci Pontius

Mary Zophres

Alyson Black-Barrie

Mildred Iatrou

Linus Sandgren

Natasha Marcelina De Poyo

Jen Fregozo

Haruyo Sawada

Robert Graf

Yukiko Kinkel

Faryn Einhorn

Laura Wolford

Karen Ruth Getchell

Albert Elizondo

Wes Hottman

Scott Balkcom

Brad M. Hazen

Vince Manocchia

Alexander Wei

Thomas Patrick Smith

Danielle Osborne

Anthony Cady

Lars Petersen

Lisa Pinero

Brad Hazen

Paul Belenardo

Elizabeth Tyson

John Finklea

Lyn Matsuda Norton

Chris Raines

Jo Kissack Folsom

Audrey Evans

Mandy Friedrich

Jared Marshack

David Robinson

Sam Dean

Lynda Foote

Derek Drouin

John Stewart

Paul E. Stroh

Edson Williams

Robin Borman-Wizan

George Doering

Darin Devonshire

Melinda Sue Gordon

Brent Studler

Jessica L. Lopez

Russell Parks

Frank Annunziata

Hunter James Cox

Scott Gastellu

Michael Lowrance

David V. Butler

Nicholas Britell

Carlos Sotolongo

Charleen Richards-Steeves

Jennifer Dawson

Nick Jimenez

Doug Hemphill

Jenna Hoffman

James Ashwill

Chris Navarro

Drama

Comedy

History

Battle of the Sexes

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Decibel Films

Cloud Eight Films

Ingenious Media

United Kingdom

United States of America

English

sports

tennis

1970s

tennis player

biography

based on true story

femme fatale

female athlete

determination

women's rights

chauvinisim

tennis match

exhibition match

Gimly

FULL DISCLOSURE: I saw this while I was working my ass off in a foodtruck at an outdoor cinema. I missed whole chunks of it, and it certainly didn't have my full focus. I'll give it a proper chance at a later date, and alongside that, another review. However, of what I saw, _Battle of the Sexes_ seemed to be little more than a collection of stereotypes played for comedy in a movie that not only wasn't funny, but probably shouldn't have even tried to be.

_Final rating:★★ - Definitely not for me, but I sort of get the appeal._

I'm not saying women are better. I've never said that. I'm saying we deserve some respect. 

Battle of the sexes is directed by  Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Simon Beaufoy. It stars Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Morales, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Eric Christian Olsen, Alan Cumming and Elisabeth Shue. Music is by Nicholas Britell and cinematography by Linus Sandgren.

Back in 1973 there was a tennis match - a show event - where self proclaimed media hustler Booby Riggs (Carrel) took on supreme ladies champion of the era Billie Jean King (Stone). It would be tagged as The Battle Of The Sexes and the importance of such has echoed through time to still be relevant today.

Here we have a film running at two hours in length that actually plays more as a King biography than it does a piece about the tennis match at pic's closure. Why not just call your film Billie Jean King? That would still have worked and been more closer to the themes playing out. On the King biography terms it's a fascinating and engrossing film, her battle with her sexuality issues - and the media threats that such a thing of the era would produce - and her wonderfully stoic stance for women's acceptance rights in sport. Unfortunately since the focus is more in this area the film becomes repetitive and over stuffed, and crucially it sadly puts the Bobby Riggs story firmly into the background.  

However, there's a lot to like on show here if one can forgive it its ill thought out unbalancing act. The cast performances across the board are top line. Stone and Carell are kind of a given, the latter really nailing the characterisation, but key turns by Riseborough, Olsen, Silverman and a wonderfully flamboyant Cumming light up the period play. The last third as we head towards the match of the title is excellent, characterisations have been set up for maximum impact, while the writers do not pander to gloating or PC banner waving to leave us on a positive and thought provoking note. If only the Riggs axis had been given more meaty substance, and the mid-section not practically slow to a snails pace, then we would have had a better movie more befitting the title - and historical event - than the one we get. 6/10

Emma Stone and Steve Carell are terrific.

<em>'Battle of the Sexes'</em> is an interesting look on the famous tennis match from 1973 between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. I'm sure it takes all the usual creative license that biopics tend to do, but that's doesn't bother me - especially with this type of event.

Stone (King) and Carell (Riggs) are definitely what hold this film together, without those two I don't believe it would've been as enjoyable. Sarah Silverman (Gladys) and Andrea Riseborough (Marilyn) are alright, though the main attraction here are the two leads.

Talking of Marilyn, I didn't really care for the love stories on show - with Marilyn, but also those involving Larry (Austin Stowell) and Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). The rest is sufficiently entertaining, though.

It's sometimes a little too on the nose with the (obviously positive) message it's portraying, but that's just a small thing to note. Overall, this is a production I'd recommend you watch - tennis/sports fan or not.

Battle of the Sexes( 2017)

He made a bet. She made history.

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A review by Gimly

Written by Gimly on Tue Nov 28 2017

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