Battle of the Sexes - Movie Review

I was a bit young to follow sports when the epic Battle of the Sexes happened in 1973. But I remember it. Probably because it was an epic event that was larger than just sports. It was a cultural anchor point. It served as a historic benchmark for equality, particularly in the area of sports. The film attempts to recreate the circumstances that led to the epic tennis match, delving into a bit of backstory on competitors Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. I only knew the baseline facts of the story. This film digs a little deeper into the story. Although I am fairly certain some of the timing was adjusted for cinematic reasons (to suggest cause-and-effect).

Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was a hustler. Past his tennis prime, the 55-year-old resorted to hustling rich people by handicapping his game. He would play holding an umbrella, or with sheep on the court, or with chairs, or dogs obstructing his game. He would play with a frying pan or an oversized racket. Racket. That's appropriate. When his wife (Elisabeth Shue) kicks him out, he sets out on a new quest. Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) has just left the pro tour in protest. The significant pay gap for women tennis players set her at odds with the association. Along with Gladys Heldman (Sarah Silverstone), the women players form their own association. Backed by Virginia Slims, the women hold their own championship. Complete with a purse significantly higher than what they were previously offered. Riggs sees this as an opportunity to create a contest to see if men are really better tennis players than women. Self-described as a "male chauvinist," Riggs challenges Margaret Court (Jessica McNamee) to a match, which he easily wins. Riggs ups his game and offers a $100,000 prize to any woman who can beat him. King steps up to the challenge, training diligently for the match. Riggs, larger than life, does everything but train. He is bathing in the limelight. He continues with his stunts to create buzz, a marketing coup to say the least. But his lack of preparation shows when it comes time for the match. The rest, literally, is history.

Battle of the Sexes included a decent backstory. I didn't know that Court was actually the reigning women's champion and that Riggs had battled her first. I did not know that Riggs was a compulsive gambler. I did not know that Billie Jean King was married. The backstory weaves that family relationships into the film, which created an interesting dynamic. But it also created a choppiness that made the film feel uneven to me. Also, the film dwelt a bit long on some topics while ignoring others. I guess that is artistic license, but I would have liked to have seen a smoother, more complete story. The character development of King was okay, but her relationship with her husband seemed awkwardly addressed. Riggs seemed a bit one-dimensional. The "establishment" was also portrayed with a bit of bravado that seemed overdone. There was no subtlety to it. The narrative arc led to the epic match, which made sense. The loose ends were tied together with end notes on the screen that filled in relationship details and other accomplishments. A decent historical recollection that had a muted heartbeat.

This is a film that I would not expect to win any awards, other than the typical politically motivated ones. But there was one performance that stood out to me as worthy. Steve Carell. I don't even like him that much. But his over-the-top performance actually seemed credible. He had Riggs nailed. I just enjoyed watching him at times. High speed, low drag, always working an angle. Carell brought the right energy to the role. I really like Emma Stone. But I couldn't reconcile her as Billie Jean King. Emma Stone is fairly attractive, even with the bad wig and glasses. Her performance was solid, but not award worthy. She was just okay, almost a bit distracting to me. That was a casting issue more than her performance. The look of the 70s seemed to be worked in nicely. I felt swept back to the era. The one cinematic trick that failed for me was Howard Cosell. They inserted Natalie Morales as Rosie Casals into archive footage of Cosell calling the match. They used a prosthetic hand to complete the weird scene, but her movements were incongruous with the hand at times, ruining the illusion for me.

Battle of the Sexes eked out a PG-13 rating. Although the film dealt with Billie Jean King's sexuality at times, those scenes did not include nudity. The only nudity I recall was Steve Carell recreating a Bobby Riggs pose wearing nothing but glasses and a tennis racket. There was some language and alcohol consumption as well. Nothing overtly offensive. The rating seems well placed.

Battle of the Sexes was mildly entertaining. We get to learn a bit more about the events that led up to the historic tennis match, watched worldwide by an estimated 90 million viewers. It is a decent film, but it felt a bit choppy and rigid at times. The tennis establishment portrayal seemed a bit flat. Some of the dialogue lacked heart. The relationships were glazed over, with the exception of King's lesbian experimentation. Overall, this film has a mixed-bag of qualities. Ultimately, I was entertained enough to recommend the film. But I would recommend waiting for it to stream. Free. 7/10.