Borg Vs McEnroe, film review: Game, set and match to Shia LaBeouf

​Bjorn Borg (Sverrir Gudnason) was the Ingmar Bergman of tennis. It’s 1980 and our hero, literally, is at the top of his game. Agonisingly thin-skinned, he contemplates suicide and is bewildered, even repulsed, by his adoring fans. The man retired at 26.

Wondering what Bjorn Did Next, I pictured him and his wife Mariana (Tuva Novotny) picking wild strawberries on a lonely isle. Here’s what really happened: Borg accepted an invitation to judge a wet T-shirt competition and had sex with one of the teenage contestants. Hmm... Those looking for an “s” word to describe the man might not pick “soulful”.

Anyway, the film works (for much of its running time, at least) because the myth being peddled is an appealing one. It helps too that Gudnason is beautiful and charismatic. And it’s a novelty to have subtitles in a high-profile, international picture. Every time Bjorn, Mariana and/or his coach Lennart (Stellan Skarsgard) break into Swedish the biopic thrums with authenticity.

Last but not least, there’s the Shia factor. Shia LaBeouf, as Borg’s antsy rival John McEnroe, is simply ace. Maybe it’s because he has his own bad/mad boy reputation. Maybe he’s just a brilliant actor.

Sure, he’s a tad old for the role. McEnroe was 21 when he first played at Wimbledon. LaBeouf is 31 and looks somewhat wrecked (when wearing a headband he resembles an understudy for Stella Street’s Keith Richards). Yet every time he opens his mouth you take his character seriously. At one point, McEnroe’s friend and doubles partner Peter Fleming (Scott Arthur) accuses him of cheating. Would McEnroe stoop to hiding his pal’s ankle support? LeBeouf’s McEnroe seems capable of anything.

Director Janus Metz Pedersen wants us to understand that Borg and McEnroe, far from being poles apart, had a lot in common. Flashbacks show that Borg, as an ambitious child and a teen, was prone to tantrums. The adult Borg, with Lennart’s help, controls the anger. McEnroe exploits it — the film makes the excellent point that flying off the handle during matches wasn’t self-destructive: such episodes allowed him to re-group.

The stage seems set for a study of how neurosis and fame can (temporarily) dovetail. Alas, the stage is just set for a replay of the pair’s most celebrated match. Sigh. One, there’s no suspense (everyone knows who came out on top). Two, there’s no grace. All the quick editing in the world can’t disguise the fact that the actors, and their doubles, are prosaic movers. Nor does cutting to the players’ supporters work. Team Borg are on the edge of their seats! It’s not infectious.

Cert 15, 108 mins