Challengers

Third time still rocks!!! From the first time I saw it, there was a moment early on where a filmmaking choice really stood out to me as jarring, but I think I've figured it out this time around--maybe. At the party after they watch Tashi win the Juniors, Art and Patrick are standing around waiting to find her. They're facing directly towards the camera, looking at the other guests. First, Patrick motions towards the camera and the camera cuts to their POV, "Anna Mueller..." he says, pathetically. Camera cuts back to the original angle and something catches Patrick's eye. By the gleam, we know it's Tashi, and he motions to Art. They both look at the right side of the frame. So when the camera cuts again, the audience expects to be going back to their POV, looking to their left and seeing Tashi. But that's not what happens. Instead, the cut is to the same angle, facing them, but now from further away with the party guests in between the camera and them. As your eye searches for Tashi, all you find is Art and Patrick. The shot is pretty short and quickly switches to the POV you were expecting, and there's Tashi dancing awkwardly to "Hot In Herre". But those couple seconds are really disorienting. You could easily just write this off as "bad" or sloppy filmmaking, but I don't think Luca is a bad or sloppy filmmaker. I think there's something being communicated intentionally here. You expect to see Tashi but you see them. Their relationship is more important than Tashi? They are Tashi? Or maybe it is just to disorient us and get the audience used to not being able to feel settled. I don't know!! Another thing I loved this time around was shortly after this moment when they go down to the beach. She's literally sitting on a rock with the waves hitting it like a Siren. Calling them to their deaths! But also her own, unbeknownst to her. The Reznor and Ross score there is really cool too, very aquatic piano arpeggios mimicking the waves. The smiles the two guys give each other right before they start the tie break? Incredible! I love these freaks Note: this was an Open Caption screening and when Patrick is driving his car listening to some weird conservative talk radio host spread conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton and Fusion GPS the captions said "using GPS" instead, lol