WIMBLEDON

Starring: Paul Bettany, Kirsten Dunst, Sam Neill, Jon Favreau, Bernard Hill

GENRE: Romantic comedy

CERTIFICATE: 12A

GUIDE: Swearing, sex, violence

RATING PPP

ROMANTIC comedies from the Working Title Films stable - Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill among them - generally follow a tried and tested formula.

There's a dithering British bachelor, a glamorous yet emotionally scarred American love interest, dysfunctional family and friends and a feelgood finale.

Wimbledon adheres slavishly to the rules and delivers laughter and tears aplenty, setting its central love story around the hallowed courts of The All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club, where Tim Henman's dreams of sporting immortality always come to naught.

British tennis player Peter Colt (Bettany) was once ranked as high as 11th in the world, but the journeyman veteran has slowly drifted down the rankings to number 119.

Disenchanted with the game, Peter embraces the idea of voluntary retirement until he is gifted a wild card entry to Wimbledon, which he decides will be his final tournament.

But a chance meeting with the bad girl of international women's tennis, Lizzie Bradbury (Dunst), sparks an unexpected affair that re-ignites Peter's lust for life.

Unthinkably, he wins his first round match and Peter puts this newfound court prowess down to Lizzie.

Despite their pitiful efforts at discretion, Peter and Lizzie's affair is exposed in the tabloids and her overprotective father Dennis (Neill) is enraged.

"Stop calling her, stop coming around, stop every damn thing that involves my daughter," he barks at Peter.

But the romance secretly continues, as does Peter's winning streak as he lobs and volleys his way to Centre Court. But as Lizzie tearfully points out, how can their relationship survive when 'love means nothing in tennis?'.

Wimbledon serves up an entertaining contemporary fairy-tale of triumph in the face of adversity.

At the film's heart is a touching romance, beautifully played by Bettany and Dunst, who catalyze a smouldering screen chemistry. They look mightily convincing with a racquet too.

Computer trickery brings the matches to life at dizzying speed, heightened with zooms and slow motion shots that send us careering about the courts.

The supporting cast is strong, with great comic support from Eleanor Bron and Bernard Hill as Peter's beleaguered parents, and James McAvoy as his porn-loving brother.

Game, set and match: Wimbledon.