Short: A complex love triangle between two male and a female tennis player that offers complex compelling characters for the 21rst century and Generation Z.
Medium: If you have 19th century morality this film isnt for you. The R rating is for authenticity rather than shock value for a surprisingly chaste film given where it DOESNT show nudity or sex. Make no mistake, the sexual tension exists in ever element of this film but the well paced non linear timeline slowly doles out twists and turns that makes the stakes between the three protagonists (with no antagonists) compelling and fascinating to behold.
Maximum Verbosity: The most fascinating thing to me about this movie is the courage it has not to turn into a sex film. Three fit, charismatic individuals are all attracted to each other with a different dynamic in each act. The narration is well done but the cinematics and visual appeal of the film make it more art than sports film. Most sports films are a study of the culture of the sport just as much as a heroes journey of the protagonist, but in this case the only element of sportsball that comes to fore is the competitive nature of the three protagonists, and there are no wasted frames. It is tightly edited but ensures that no character is 'the good guy' while each character's choices matter and impact the trio in complex ways.
The Lincoln style friendship between Patrick and Art is hit by a wrecking ball as the two fall all over to please and win the favor of Tashi Donaldson (played by Zendaya) which boils down to a single tennis match that follow's the 20th century romance patterns of 'and they lived happily ever after' for Patrick and Tashi; only to find that the cost of Tashi's favor broke something critical in Patrick and definitely broke Art in its entirity.
While sports is merely a vessel for the film, it shows with excellence the harsh bittersweet deathmarch of the grinding human cost of capitalist sportsball as at one point Art is literally starving to death as a "Challenge" (Minor League Tennis player). The sportsball accuracy is also highly accurate for correct (and authentic) Tennis rules, sites and terminology from the onsite locations in Atlanta and Conneticut to the hyperenthusiastic (dare I see creepy) devotion and minionosity of the Ball Handlers/Fondlers eagerly rushing on to court to please their Tennis masters.
I highly recommend this movie unless you can't watch R rated movies or only enjoy missionary sex.
