FilmSnobReviews

Title: Battle of the Sexes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Starring: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, and Andrea Riseborough
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min

What It Is: Billie Jean King was one of the greatest female tennis players to play the game. What we didn’t know were the struggles it took to get to there and the uphill battles that King had to endure. Billie Jean King (Stone) wants women to be entitled to the same money purses that men tournament winners are given. When a hotshot gambler and male chauvinist Bobby Riggs (Carell) beats a tennis player one-on-one in a match, he offers $100,000 for anyone who can beat him. With gender equality pretty much on the line, King knows she has to accept Rigg’s challenge not just for her, but for women everywhere. King wants to prove that women can do the same things that men can do.

What We Think: The movie was great. I really enjoyed learning about the backstory of Billie Jean King. I did not know any of this prior to the movie so it was an eye-opening experience. Emma Stone and Steve Carell were perfect in this film. Stone looked exactly like King in the film and made the film feel more authentic. The look of the film made you teleport back into the 1970s. You are rooting for King in the movie and it is just a lot of fun. Sarah Silverman in the film was excellent as well. She plays the women’s manager and it was nice to see her break away from comedic performances and tackle something more serious.

Our Grade: B+, The movie is a must see. It is a really enjoyable film that has great acting from Stone and Carell. The actors both play perfectly off one another and the movie does not drag for the two hours running time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Emma Stone or Steve Carell get nominated for the movie come Oscar time, but it is hard to say with Oscar season still in bloom. Go out and see this movie!