Strokes of Genius

Strokes of Genius

By Andrew Douglas

  • Genre: Documentary
  • Release Date: 2018-07-01
  • Advisory Rating: G
  • Runtime: 1h 37min
  • Director: Andrew Douglas
  • Production Country: United States of America
  • iTunes Price: USD 5.99
  • iTunes Rent Price: USD 2.99
7.7/10
7.7
From 28 Ratings

Description

Strokes of Genius is a world-class documentary capturing the historic 13-year rivalry between tennis icons Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It is timed for release as the anticipation crests with Roger as returning champion, 10 years after their famed 2008 Wimbledon championship – an epic match so close and so reflective of their competitive balance that, in the end, the true winner was the sport itself. The feature-length film will capitalize on the anticipated, massive, global 10th-anniversary celebration, the 50th anniversary of the Open Era and the 150th anniversary of the All England Lawn Tennis Club. To seize upon this once-in-a-lifetime moment, the film brings together four complementary auspices who will transport viewers between the lines and directly into the heart of this breathtaking rivalry.

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Reviews

  • Incredible

    5
    By Mr. Awesome yo!
    This is just so inspiring. I love it
  • Strokes of Genius

    5
    By elanzo123
    Amazing documentary that lives up to the standards set by these two great champions and their unparalleled rivalry. Tennis fans will love it!
  • Never seen something like this...

    5
    By mantovas
    Cannot express how lucky we have been to witness these 2 phenomenal players going against each other - it's by far the best riverarly during my generation.
  • Stroke of Genius

    5
    By D Odessa
    An Amazing story of not only 2 icons of the tennis world,but of the entire world of sport! Great story telling and so informative to learn of there childhoods ,growing up in the great sport of tennis.For any sports fan this is not to be missed!
  • Superb documentary about tennis and more

    5
    By jasonhavens
    We are longtime tennis fans and players. Even if we were not, however, we would highly recommend "Strokes of Genius." The effects, from the flashbacks to the slow motion to the "big board" scoring, are well done. We loved the interviews of Federer and Nadal, as well as their famliies and coaches. They share plenty of valuable lessons about tennis and life in general. This is one of the best sports documentaries that we have ever seen.
  • Thrill of Victory, Agony of Defeat

    3
    By 2B#
    This was a fine documentary with interesting background on two of the greatest mens tennis players. While the title and premise (and the structure) of this film suggests it s about “the greatest match ever played” - which many reviews reinforce - it is in essence a mis-named film. It feels like more of a designed marketing piece developed to promote tennis by drawing a through line in the history of mens (mostly) tennis. Its release coinciding with the second week if Wimbledon 2018 also comes across as intentional. To this degree I felt a bit manipulated. Is this the greatest tennis documentary of all time? Maybe, I’m not sure I’ve seen any others. But to suggest as so e reviewers have that this is one of the best documentaries of all time leads me to believe those people haven’t seen many documentaries. Its not even close to the best However this deceit and marketing hype shouldn’t deter the tennis fan from the drama and pageantry of the story of the ascent of Rafa and Roger. There are many things to admire, enjoy and respect about this effort and what is the central story of it, the nexus of the turning point in their mutual competitions. The storytelling of “the match” itself is rather insipid and relies more heavily on editing and musical accompaniment to try to make the tennis seem as if it were electric and tense start to finish. In the movie the drama of the sport doesn’t get planted as a seed until Federer wins the crucial third set. Roger eeks that out with a tie breaker and much the same hapoens inthe fourth set - until. The real thrill of the match begins to bloosom at the juncture when Rafa believes he is finally going to beat Federer until some twists of fate intervene and the winds of change move things in a different direction. I remember the McEnroe v Borg match and while I’d have to rewatch that alongside rewatching the Fed v Rafa 2007 Wimbledon match match to say for certain, my recollection is it was more competitive start to finish. In fact a quick check with Wikipedia confirms that only game 1 was non competitive (Borg / McEnroe 1980 Wimbledon / 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), 8–6) The match in the movie you can see how Federer is outplayed virtually the whole way. It is his moment of falling from the lop of Mt Olympus. No longer a god, but a demi god playing an P and comer who is the new Prometheus. Regardless of this films short comings it represents a sort of love story to the history of tennis, the stars of yesteryear and an homage to its enduring character to continue to produce new champions who are faster, stronger and more athletic. The incredible semi final concluded today between Nadal (him again!) and Djokovic proves that.
  • HIGH DRAMA

    5
    By tryagaun
    Even though I knew the outcome of the match, the intensity of the players made this riveting to watch. The back stories were an added bonus. And the comments by former players and announcers added to the drama of the moment. A definite must see for all sports fans
  • Riveting Tribute to Excellence

    5
    By I.W. Phil
    TENNIS Channel’s movie adaptation of John Wertheim’s riveting book, Strokes of Genius, is a tour de force. It captures the graphic detail and intensity of competition between two of the greatest players in the history of professional tennis. We witness a seminal match and gain precious insights from the protagonists, Federer and Nadal, about what they felt before, during and after their intense on-court battle. For Nadal, it was his unflagging commitment to give his strongest effort during every moment. For Federer, it was about trying to solve the unrelenting enigmatic shifts and twists that tested his wits and experience to the limit.
  • Aced!

    5
    By .,mlk
    This movie shows you the real men behind the rackets! Each of their journey to greatness was detailed with an intimacy rarely seen of either athlete.
  • Beautifully Produced!

    5
    By chopin926
    If you love the game of tennis, this is a documentary that you can't miss. The pace of the movie is incredibly well organized, the content of the match is wisely selected, the interview of different people relevent in the game of tennis is very well made. I enjoyed a lot from this documentary.

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