Battle of the Sexes
2017 · Directed by Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Original language: English
- drama
- comedy
- history
The story
The true story of the 1973 tennis match between world number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.
What it’s like
Warm, bright 1970s palette: sunlit tennis courts, pastel and earth-toned costumes, saturated orange and turquoise interiors, and soft golden-hour light on Las Vegas and Los Angeles exteriors. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris favour clean, well-composed frames, with close handheld moments during private scenes and wide shots that let the stadium crowds and TV-studio glare fill the screen. The period detail is lovingly rendered: shag carpets, big hair, feathered sideburns, and a funk-tinged soundtrack that gives the match scenes a buoyant pulse. Vibe: upbeat, sincere, and quietly rousing, with a playful streak of retro comedy running alongside the sport. Pacing is brisk and crowd-pleasing, moving between locker-room tension, marital strain, and big public set pieces, and the emotional core is a woman carefully reclaiming her own life and voice while the man beside her performs for the cameras. Intensity is low: some strong language, sexual references and innuendo, a few tense confrontations, and no real violence. It suits a relaxed weekend afternoon, a comfort watch, or anyone who wants a feel-good, true-story drama about courage, equality and cheeky showmanship, especially those who enjoy sports films with humour and period flair.
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