Zendaya’s silence speaks loudly in a film full of tension and seduction

Rivals is a film about tennis players that has very little to do with tennis. In fact, one of the characters even says that a tennis match almost doesn’t involve the sport, but rather the relationship between the opponents. And that’s what the filmmaker’s new feature film is about. Luca Guadagninowith Zendaya, Josh O’Connor It is Mike Faist.

Despite not being a revolution, the film that premieres this Thursday, the 25th, has the ability to make a sometimes monotonous sport exciting. And Guadagnino applies his own vision using the already tired love triangle formula to air the format with Justin Kuritzkes’ script.

From the beginning it is clear that the story of prodigy tennis player Tashi (Zendaya) will be told through the eyes, not the hands, as her career falls apart after an injury. She is married and coaches Art (Mike Faist) — a champion in bad shape — who was best friends with Patrick (Josh O’Connor) — a failed player who begs the young woman for help.

This dynamic is a tension racket. Rivals throws the viewer into the tennis court, where the former friends brim with electricity in intermittent matches. The narrative is non-linear, full of flashbacks that contextualize and add to the story.

Another fundamental contribution is the soundtrack. Often generating dissonant sensations, music plays its own role in causing discomfort in the audience. Almost like at the beginning of Anatomy of a Fall, in which rap seems — and is — purposefully out of place. In Rivalsthe sound design that is sometimes disconnected from the scene helps create the atmosphere of rupture.

Muscular bodies in favor of the narrative

The high point is the director’s boldness, who throws viewers from one side to the other at the mercy of the characters, in a sequence that condenses all the vertigo, anxiety, restlessness and expectation that made up the film. The construction of the scene could be a failure, but the execution is extraordinary, with a very intelligent use of visual effects to create immersion.

Although none of the performances are exceptional, all three channel the characters’ emotions and dilemmas well, which are embedded in their bulging muscles and sweaty bodies. Zendaya, in particular, has shown versatility in very different roles and now offers a quieter performance.

This does not mean it is less impactful, on the contrary: it expresses mixtures of hatred, resentment, discomfort and resignation in a more powerful way than if it had opted for exuberance. She’s a bit like that too Dune 2, premiered earlier this year. In short: a star in his prime, at 27 years old.

The partners also shine. O’Connor was once Prince Charles on The Crown and here he offers a ruse that only resentment, helplessness — and longing — are capable of provoking as fuel for motivation. On the other side, Faist conveys at the same time the impetus and indecision, tiredness and boredom, expected from an athlete at his limit.

Intimacy and good taste

For example, Call Me By Your Name, Guadagnino prints sensuality as a tonic, even in sexual doses. To this end, the figure of “intimacy coordinator” was brought to the set, but not to spice things up. The idea was to make the actors feel comfortable performing the scenes, which the three expressed in interviews was a good idea.

“It was fantastic and really helpful as it was important for us to feel safe. I talked to my colleagues so we could find a way to feel at ease,” Zendaya told the magazine The Hollywood Reporter Rome. The result goes beyond the screen due to the good taste of the hottest sequences.

It is interesting to note the number of interactions between the actors and phallic objects, which serves as a contrast to Zendaya’s powerful character. Although the second trailer is misleading, overvaluing her as a man-eater — the song Maneaterby Nelly Furtado, is crucial to the marketing piece — it is in fact what defines the trio’s dynamics.

A dialogue will be imprinted on you: “I love you”, “I know.”