Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Challengers 

This is one of the best films of 2024! Luca Guadagnino has crafted what I think is his best film yet. Now I have been watching his films since 2017’s Call Me By Your Name which left a big impression on me as he was a director to keep a eye on and since then I saw his follow up film Bones And All which is a romance film mixed with cannibalism. So his films have always have a consistent theme that he likes to delve into heavy handed themes and to go places creatively he has yet to tackle as he did a young love romance, a horror type of love story now he is tackling sure you can frame it as a love story of sorts but its the narrative, rich performances and nail biting third act that keeps you on edge the entire way. The film is about tennis but the real match happens off the court and its the relationship conflict that really is where the film thrives and grabs you and dose not let go. Zendaya and Josh O’ Connor give terrific performances that are among some of the most emotionally captivating I have seen this year. Luca Captures the anxiety of the love triangle these three characters go through and shows how much is on the line their careers, reputation and relationships with one another in a emotionally charged way that is unlike anything he has done yet in his career. 

Firstly, The narrative is freaking amazing! This film is told in a non linear way of storytelling which worked in its favour as its able to fill in the gaps of so many questions the audience has regarding why the main three characters are so emotionally worn down the way we see them in the opening of the film and what caused the rift and wear and tear on all of their lives and the exploration of each of their arcs are shown in such an intriguing way. The film is sure a sports film that shows the incredible talents these characters have but its more about how their lives intersected with one another in a profoundly impactful way that changed the course of all their lives forever. The film slowly builds over the course of the runtime in such a brilliant way that you can see the tension build up as the story centres around this match As we see Mike Faist and Josh O’ Connor have both a lot on the line in regards for their career that could impact them deeply depending on the outcome of the match and we see both of their sides of why their is so much invested into this match. As the film will flash back and forward to present day and past events showing why the two friends no longer communicate for one and how this girl they had a big love and interest in really made a lasting impression on them both. The way its told their is no clear antagonist or protagonist Luca structures the story in such a great way that you can make your own interpretation  of who you think the antagonist of this story is as he gives arguments of how each one of them are deeply flawed and in no way perfect but how all three of them did things that hurt the others lives in some way. So the film tackles how a relationship can either bond or break a friendship that was built years prior as all of them are tested morally and emotionally time and time again of what the best move is career wise but also personally as they do make choices that alter their relationships with one another. Luca builds these relationships from its introduction of these boys meeting Zendaya’s character all the way up to current day so we see the peaks and valleys of how their lives went and in what direction it went into as they all are going through very different things emotionally by the time its present day in the story. The way the story is told and the themes it covers in terms of relationships, emotional manipulation, betrayal in many ways is tremendously shown in the narrative as it could of been a very boring drama about tennis but Luca was able to flesh out these characters in such a terrific way that you cared about their individual journeys while keeping the audience locked into what this match is building up to so when we get to it by that point we have seen all previous events leading up to it so we know what’s on the line for everyone involved which makes for a gripping last act which is masterfully written and brought to screen. 

Secondly, The performances are outstanding! So first off I need to say the three central actors gave all gave incredible work that is so strong. Starting off you have Mike Faist who is very tuned in and focused about his game and technique and unfortunately his ability to become so driven by the woman he has a crush is the downfall to not just his personal life but also his ability to play well. As he knows that his now wife is trying to make sure he can be the best player and version of himself out on that court which puts a immense amount of pressure on him to perform well which results in him struggling with his game. The way he is able to bring that anxiety in his personal life and genius ability to switch his struggles off when he is on the court is genius as that is why he was so good when he was starting out but when we see him in the present day when we catch up with him he is more exhausted and just wants to throw in the towel until he finds out who his next game Is with. He has that drive to want to be the best and keep proving to people and the people in his personal life that he won’t let them down and that struggle of knowing he could let them down crushes him and Mike Faist is able to channel those emotional aspects of the character in such a fantastic way that results in a solid performance. Then you have Josh O’ Connor who I think gives next to Zendaya the best performance of the film as he is a bit of a sly guy that knows he is a womanizer but he wears it as a badge of honour is incredibly cocky but we see that that mentality he has used throughout life does not last as we see him struggling just to keep his life together when we see him in the present day and the stark contrast of how confident he was in the beginning to just barley holding on by the third act. Despite his not so great situation he still has that charming personality that draws you in and he can do something to gain a reaction from the two people that at one point played a integral part in his life and he knows he is a good player and if he wants he can destroy his friend on the court if he wanted to as in a way of getting back at him for emotionally destroying him. Josh O’ Connor is magnificent and delivers a truly scene stealing performance that is emotionally charming but also sleazy at the same time. Then you have Zendaya who delivers what may be the best performance of her career she plays this Multi layered character that in the beginning is looked at as this prodigy that is going to be the next big tennis player that will change the game of tennis. She lets a bit of that aura that surrounds her get to her head a bit as she is very confident in herself but she also works hard to remain the best and she also shows an ability to manipulate any guy she wants. She shows so many sides to who this girl is when you think she is one thing she keeps showing new aspects to her which made. For such a complex and emotionally fascinating performance that really showcases her talents in a truly spectacular performance that yes I would say is the best she has done so far in her career. Overall everyone did a tremendous job but its the work of the three leads that will blow you away. 

Lastly, Challengers is Luca Guadagnino’s best film he has directed as of right now as the way he structures the narrative mixed with the astonishing editing is truly brilliant. Then you have the three actors that are the leads of the film giving truly phenomenal performances it is a drama about friendship, love, sport, furthering your career by any means and also what you are willing to do to get the girl you love. It shows the damage and everlasting affect that can have on one’s life and it is truly one of the best acted films of the year and such a captivating film that made me want to rewatch it the moment it finished. It may be a film about tennis but the real match is off the court and Luca knocks it out of the park with a stunning telling of these three characters lives in one of the best sports drama films I have seen in a very long time truly one of the best films of the year! I recommend everyone go see this film it may be a smaller budget drama film but it is such a good film. 

This film centres around 3 people whose love for tennis bonds them but they also all get involved romantically which is what results in all of them having a strained relationship with one another. We see how each one of them affected their lives and how their lives have been affected

Rated R : Language Throughout|Graphic Nudity|Some Sexual Content)

Zendaya : Zendaya delivers in my opinion the best work she has ever done with her amazing performance in this role. Now she has had quiet there year with Dune Part Two and now Challengers she has given two truly amazing performances but if I had to pick out of the two which really stuck with me it would be this character and for so many reasons. She plays this tennis prodigy who when we see her in flashback is a rising star with amazing potential that is the most talked about young athlete of the moment. Now what made her so great though is her ability to dedicate herself fully to the sport she is involved with as you see first hand how serious and how hardworking she is at her profession to strive to stay the best. Now her ability to also captivate people and draw them in by her charisma and visual appeal she uses to her advantage  as she can have anyone she wants as she is the most popular tennis player at the moment on top of the fact of her knockout good looks she truly Is on another level of intrigue. She has these two guys hooked on her looks but also just the way she carries herself within their first encounter with her and you can tell she knows what she is doing and she loves every second of it. She craves the attention and especially in romantic relationships seeing two men fighting over her makes her self confidence boost even further because she is seeing how driven one will be compared to the other to have her and by seeing who is the more committed she will keep that one because to her that is attractive. The whole pursuit of being lusted after and wanted to the point someone may damage a friendship to be with her it didn’t affect her it hurt them so she still gets the guy so in her eyes its a win. Zendaya is able to bring that emotionally manipulative nature of the character to the screen in a way that dose not make you outright hate what she is doing but she is able to win you over with her personality in the beginning just like how the boys were but as the story progresses and you see her sides be shown and how emotionally unfair she Is treating the two guys you see she is very insecure and will do whatever it takes to be on the winning side. As at first both seem attractive to her but when she see’s one doing anything to be with her she finds that so much more attractive on top of the fact he is a great tennis player but the thing is when he gets older and isn’t as passionate about the sport they both love you can see she starts to resent him and even just be incredibly unhappy in their marriage. She is staying for the soul purpose of hoping he gets better so he can stop humiliating her image which yes comes across so selfish and self obsessed but to be fair we saw that in the beginning of her arc we just had hoped as Time went on she would become more emotionally understanding but she dose not do that at all she remains the same emotionally manipulative person she was from their first encounter. She made herself out to be a prize to be won by both guys and in the process destroying their relationship she also suffers a career ending injury so all that is left for her now is her reputation and that she won’t ruin as its all she has that is 100% hers. From the start we see she is so full of life, energy and dripping in talent and Zendaya is able to show that burning bright star aspect that is going to take that tennis court by storm and she shows the captivating aspect to her heart but she also shows the audience she is so much more then just that. We see that manipulative nature I mentioned and she does it in such a subtle way that messes with both the boy’s heads and you can see just through her eyes and delivery of dialogue that she is two steps ahead of them at any given moment and she thinks she is so cunning and smart socially. Then as the film goes even further we see the cracks form in her head as when she suffers that injury a switch in her brain goes off where she just starts pulling back emotionally and shutting down. That confident and flirtatious personality is no more now she just kind of floats through her life and is seen through her husbands career as the coach and yeah it definitely takes a huge shot at her image and that is another added reason for her being so miserable. Zendaya shows so naturally that sadness and miserable feeling in her heart just wash over her face and that is the new personality she has taken on. You see the wheels start turning in her head if she should jump ship and leave her man sure she has invested so many years into it but none of it matters if her image is taking hit after hit and her morals are tested when her husbands old best friend comes back into her lives to see if she will switch sides which shows the audience how little she really cared for them to begin with all she cared about since day one is winning and their is no way of removing that mentality from her. Zendaya soars in this performance that is so multi layered in incredible depth of charm, bottled up resentment, regret and she is able to show all of these sides of this character in a explosively subtle way that isn’t big and loud but subtle in its execution but is done in such a smart way you can pick up on what she is putting onscreen. I loved her work in Dune Part Two but what she does in this film is truly as of right now her best work of her career as she tops her previous performance and shows so many emotional sides to her she has never gone to before portraying this morally grey character that she gets to just dive into that shows her strengths as an actor on a tremendous scale. Zendaya is phenomenal giving a truly amazing performance of this complex and very flawed human being. 

Josh O’ Connor : Josh delivers a fantastic leading performance that truly is a standout performance that left a great impression on me. Now Josh has been giving great work on the small screen most notably on the hit series The Crown as Prince Charles and got high praise for his work on it even gaining him a Emmy for his work on the series. So it’s been proven even on the small screen he is an actor that is incredibly talented and is someone to keep an eye on. This was the first film I have seen him in though and after seeing how he holds his own against the other two leads I definitely will be watching whatever he does next because his performance in this is truly terrific. Josh plays this sly, womanizer that has a massive ego but he is self aware he is not a good person which is more than what the other two other characters can say. I mention that because Zendaya’s character won’t admit she is a bad person or Is morally corrupt where as in Josh’s character knows he is and in a way free’s him emotionally because at least he can admit to what he is and the way Josh plays this role incredibly well showcasing so many interests aspects of what makes this person so engaging onscreen. As when we meet him out of the two friends he is the one who is more sure of himself and way more confident where as his other friend is shy but talented but very much keeps to himself as Josh’s character makes his presence known and can take up all the oxygen in the room with his charm. That being said yes he is charming and talented but his over confidence and mentality of thinking he is better then his friend becomes his downfall because he is certain he can get this girl both of them like and on top of that remain a better tennis player compared to his friend that that much confidence essentially fogs his sense of reality. Which is why when we see him later on he basically is at the ends of his ropes he has no big things happening for him to the point that he even asks for advance pay on his matches so he can have some sort of emotional netting. He even will go on dates with girls just so he won’t have to pay for a hotel room but he knows that he has to in order to keep himself afloat and to others looking in he just seems to be using others to get by but that is what his friends did to him he just is more upfront about it. Josh delivers this wit and confidence that both comes across in a likeable way but also kind of sleazy and the thing is he is not like his friends that will shove their feelings down until it starts making them miserable he wears his heart on his sleeve and will say what’s on his mind and tell it like it is. He wants the best for himself and he learned early on he put his friend first looking out for him so when he learned that by doing that it hurt him in the long run he switched that way of thinking of just instead looking out purely for himself and its because he got used last Time so if he is the one using others he won’t get emotionally gutted like he did when he was younger. It is in a way of him protecting his heart and not let the same things happen again to him which is why he acts the way he does around so many people he easily knows he could loose the match with his friend and let him have that win but he also has in his mind if he actually tries to win he can prove he still is a better player then his other friend and humiliate him In the process and we as at the audience look and go is he that self centred he would do that as a way of getting back at his friend. Josh brings a likability to him while also showing solid reasons for why he is so emotionally scattered by the time we see him in the present he also shows aspects for why he is not a good person either who is just looking out for himself but to be fair his other two friends are doing the same exact thing so he can’t be that terrible. Josh exudes charisma and brings so much genuine emotional depth to this performance as when he is onscreen you can see when he speaks the smile and playful look in his eye but also the pain of what he has gone through as well without breaking down into tears. He is cocky but heartbroken and shows both sides of that coin beautifully in this role wrapping himself up in each scene and truly delivering a outstanding performance that is so amazing to watch and he lights up the frame with such a stellar performance Josh O’ Connor presents this only character that knows who he is in such a emotionally gripping performance that you can’t look away from. 

Luca Guadagnino : Luca gives his best directed film of his career with his work on Challengers! Now as I mentioned previously I have been watching this mans films since 2017 and constantly keeping up with his new projects and so I can say with full confidence as of right now this is his best work he has done up to this point. As all his other films are great and truly rich in narrative but there is something about his style and way of telling this story that just blew me away. First off its a non linear narrative and so the editing is very much stylized and shows it flashing back and forth from flashback scenes to present day which never felt jarring or exhausting to keep up with it felt right for the energy of the plot. As he has never done a film in that way and it could of been horribly done if not approached in smart way which he does he is able to match the chaotic nature of the story with the editing which results in this engaging intoxicating way of telling the events that feels like the most stylized film he has ever done but in a way that also feels very artistic and fresh. As I like that he is constantly finding new ways to tell his stories that never feels like he is just recycling old ways of telling his narratives he wants to bring in the audience each time with a new approach of going about the plot which is amazing as the story at hand is about these three complicated individuals that are incredibly talented but their involvement in each of their dating lives untimely tear them apart. It is very much wrapped around the theme of friendship and love and betrayal in many ways and Luca shows what that looks like if a girl got between two great friends and they started competing for her affection and what the unfortunate aftermath that would come from something like that. The film revolves around this big match we learn about early into the film and what’s so genius about doing that mixed with the non linear approach of storytelling is we know the film is building up to that final match we the audience is coming. So when it flashes back and fills in those gaps we need to know of what happened to have them be on not speaking terms it then is able to finally catch up to the present day and then we are on the edge of our seat as now we know everything and how their is so much on the line in terms of the game but more then that their friendship, careers so much emotionally is put into this game even if it isn’t verbally said you can feel the tension build. The way Luca is able to have that dial slowly turn up higher over the course of the story was tremendous as their is so much unspoken emotional turmoil between the three and he explores the hearts of all of them and why they are so broken now and the film never felt like a massive exposition dump he is able to keep you totally engaged and intrigued with the these characters regardless if their morally grey or not he captures your attention and is able to flesh out these characters in such a great way that you don’t have to like them but you can understand why they are that way and I love that approach. He isn’t judging them for their actions but instead wants you to just see what it looked like from their point of view and having all 3 leads deliver truly astonishing performances that are stellar and he delves deep into the deep themes of the film showing it in such a honest depiction that never felt cheesy but how it would actually affect a friendship which made it that more heartbreaking when we see them in the current day. Luca has outdone himself crafting a sports drama that is so complex, emotionally rich, stylized, energetic with its editing and look of the film with amazing performances, a great story and great direction he is constantly topping himself from his previous films exploring new themes and going places that bring audiences in to new places he has yet to explore and Challengers is him at a outstanding level creatively showing some of the best direction he has ever done.