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"If you've ever wished to explore the intersection between tennis and French film theory, then In the Realm of Perfection is your chance." – The Hollywood Reporter
Inspired by Jean-Luc Godard’s maxim that "Cinema lies, sport doesn’t", French docu-filmmaker Julien Faraut serves up a fascinating combination of instructional clips from the national sports archive and exquisite 16mm footage of legendary tennis bad boy John McEnroe, captured at the height of his powers at the 1984 French Open.
Faruat’s film offers a rich insight into both McEnroe’s style and his complicated psychology, capturing his magnificent court play and infamous bickering with umpires, ballboys and camerapeople alike, while suggesting that the man was – like the French New Wave heavyweights in cinema – a true auteur of the tennis court.
Winner of the Berlinale Forum: Tagesspiegel Readers Jury Award.
"Elegant, witty, and thoughtful ... a lovely meditation on time and movement, dedication and obsession, image and perception." – Variety
