Review: "Battle of the Sexes" is a Fun Yet Uneven Match of Two Great Performances

Scene from Battle of the Sexes

Even if the film takes place in 1973, the rhetoric in Battle of the Sexes should sound a bit familiar. It's a contest to see whether men are better than women, and the cameras are on a self-proclaimed chauvinist named Bobby Riggs (Steve Carrell) and female activist Billie Jean King (Emma Stone). If it is a reminder of the 2016 presidential election, then co-directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton have succeeded thanks to a script littered with scenes and phrases meant to invoke a social liberal utopia. The match is a metaphor for greater change in the world. While the film does an adequate job by its characters, there's a certain underlying tragedy to 1973 going a bit differently than 2016. As upbeat as Battle of the Sexes is, it can't help but feel a bit deluded from the surrounding conversation. It's an enjoyable biopic, but maybe has its heart too much in the right place.

One of the important things to know going is that the real life Battle of the Sexes doesn't appear until the third act. When it does, it's a corker of sports cinema that portrays an iconic tennis match with precision. It's hard not to get invested even as Faris and Dayton rely on the kitschy 70's TV effects meant to make the experience more authentic. However, it's both what's seen and heard that makes the moment work. It's a scene of two tennis players at the top of their game competing for the top prize. For one, it's a contest to see if women are as great as men. For the other, it's more about showing that women can compete equally to men. It's a subtle thing, and one that gives the film a levity. The symbolism feels packed into every swing of the racket as the announcers fall into another pattern of the film in which boys will be boys, and women should be in the bedroom or the kitchen. Sexism lies in the subtext heavily, and it's towards the end that it coalesces beautifully.

However, the film is about more than the titular "battle." There is of course the inciting incident that leads the showmanship of Riggs to insecurely want a match that'll prove his strength. The film allows 90 minutes of running time to be focused on these characters home lives, and Steve Carrell finally finds the perfect character for his tragicomic style of performance. At no point does Faris or Dayton allow him to be likable, but also allow his shameless antics to convey something more flawed. Underneath his goofball antics is a man who wants attention, sore to anything that challenges his superiority. In some ways, he is too perfect in how annoying he is. However, he creates the perfect antagonist, in that there's enough sadness present to keep him from turning into a cartoon character.

With that said, King is so thoroughly painted as the hero that the film around her can't help but worship the ground she practices on. Where Riggs spends his time lounging by the pool, she works twice as hard to be respected by her peers. The film also dives into the complicated world of women's sports, which are considered both inferior and worth paying less than. The idea of equal pay drives King in ways that are pure, and her quest to be seen as more than a bra-burning feminist. Her own struggles are more personal and complicated, as her relationships as well as cultural significance are tested throughout the film. She is a woman of power, what will she do with it? Thankfully, Stone comes off of her Oscar-winning role in La La Land with another excellent turn that captures a physicality and vulnerability to this role that makes her easy to root for. She saves the biopic from a conventional humdrum and adds a moral core to the story. Even if Riggs and King sometimes come off as archetypes for grander themes, there's no denying that the performances aren't the issue with this film.

In fact, there's little to really dislike about the film. It's so expertly shot and directed that it never loses its energy. Still, this is a film about more than tennis. It's meant to embody the social dynamics of men and women in a less candid time when proudly declaring chauvinism was an acceptable idea. The film never forgets to point out how misogyny is bad and that King is a hero. When it's not portrayed through visual dexterity, it's a bit less complicated with how it's portrayed. It's sometimes a bit bald in execution, and that may in part be an issue with the history books. For what it's worth, Faris and Dayton create a world that feels 70's without coming off as homage. The soundtrack doesn't rely too heavy on classic rock hits. Instead, it's about the feel and atmosphere, which comes through in nuanced decisions such as Riggs' very odd fashion sense. It's quasi-comedy, but hides a drama as old as time. Men are insecure and women want respect. How much one is willing to put up with these themes will determine how well Battle of the Sexes comes across.

The one issue is that the film so boldly wants to believe that King's success parallels modern events that it comes across as a bit tragic. For those wanting to believe in great advancement in gender politics, it feels like unfulfilled promises. Still, there's nothing wrong with the film and it's shot so well that one realizes how much better it could be. Imagine if the film was as strong as the finale. This could've been a socially relevant version of Rocky. Instead, it's a great showcase for Carrell and Stone, who have great chemistry and explore their characters with deep earnestness. This may be far from one of the greatest sports biopics in modern history, but it does have a pretty good tennis match to top things off. Shame that the rest of the film doesn't manage to be quite as fun.