Sunday, October 8, 2017

Movie Review … Battle Of The Sexes

Since humanity first crawled out from the dust, the battle between man and woman has been eternal.  Who is smarter?  Who is the strongest?  Are we all equal?  These questions have befuddled people for eons.  ‘Battle of the Sexes’ toys with this issue with a quirky and fun look at gender politics.  Set during the 1970’s where universal equality was a merging entity, it may not answer all viewers’ questions but it’s an entertaining ride hitting goals.

In 1973, the tennis match between Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) is hotly anticipated.  Both giants in their field, the duo’s rivalry extends beyond the court.  Matching wits in all possible ways, King and Riggs stir up plenty of publicity for their looming court-side showdown.  When the media get hold of their opposing views, all bets are off.  With man vs woman on the tennis field rapidly looming, this battle of minds hurtles towards a finish where winner takes all.

‘Battle of the Sexes’ is much better than trailers suggest.  Whilst primarily using the typical ‘man vs woman’ motif, it’s a lot more than that.  Exploring themes of sexuality, love, rivalries and being comfortable in one’s skin, ‘Battle of the Sexes’ has a densely multi-layered script.  It would have had little value had it just been about one thing with the rich screenplay effectively making the most of its true-life premise. 

Backed by a solid story, ‘Battle of the Sexes’ also succeeds due to its sympathetic portrayals.  As King, Stone conveys the conflicted emotions of her role well and genuinely gets under the skin of an interesting person.  Carell is less memorable due to him making Riggs more of a caricature than true person.  But both work well together in their scenes and their co-stars aid in evoking the 70’s era well.  ‘Battle of the Sexes’ isn’t all about disco and flares with its emotional core more engaging than any surface trimmings.

In an era where equality for all has been making headlines, ‘Battle of the Sexes’ is timeless despite its period setting.  Sharply directed and well written, it’s a movie worth watching.  It may not settle the constant gender debate but it proves how equality and fairness for all are always things worth fighting for.

 
Movie Review Rating out of 10:  8

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

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Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie releases in Australia.

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