siera clayton

In CHALLENGERS, brilliantly multi-talented Zendaya underscores why she is the youngest actress in history to win those highly prestigious EMMY AWARDS for best Lead Actress in a Drama Series - and vs. stiff competition both years. I just wish CHALLENGERS were a more wholesome vehicle for her. She deserves that. That said, the film is much more wholesome than the misguided, misleading previews made it out to be. There are No sex scenes in the film - thank goodness. Wholesome Zendaya wisely has a "NO Nudity" clause in her contracts. Thank God. Zendaya's nuanced, vibrant, cheeky, morose, funny, determined, ultimately triumphant delivery as Tashi, the tennis phenom player turned coach, is fantastic. Her face is the last image we see in the film. And with good reason. The acting from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor is so great that things like the male nudity in that locker room scene could have been deleted with no effect on the truly dynamic nature of the film. And the R-rating kept many potential theatergoers away from the cinema. The performances from the leads are riveting and it would have been a fitting reward if they had even bigger box office receipts to show for all their dedication. They are at the top of their craft in CHALLENGERS. Mike plays Art with a misleading innocence that belies his nearly Iago-level machinations and jealousy at one point. But he reveals some redeeming qualities regarding his love for Tashi, too. Josh portrays Patrick's practiced seediness with gleeful abandon, yet shows his depth and empathy, as well. And as aforementioned, Zendaya's deft touch is evidenced throughout. Her interpretation of Tashi's humor, intelligence, tenderness, mourning, and ferocity by turns, is subtle magnificence. The leads should all be remembered at OSCAR time. Everyone involved committed. Even Zendaya's real-life assistant, Darnell, puts in a convincing performance as an umpire. (This could become a pleasantly anticipated occurrence, since Darnell also appears, as an enthusiastic "MJ fan," in SPIDER MAN: NO WAY HOME). In addition to the great acting, the cinematography in CHALLENGERS is breathtaking. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom's work - including a tennis eyeball view of a match- makes viewers want to stand up and cheer. Director Luca's pacing is perfect. The vibrant score complements the action to the point where moviegoers were on the edge of their proverbial seats in the final match. We'll see this one again. And again.