★ 8 / 10
Oh you Nasty boy!
Lejink
Ilie Nastase was my first tennis hero. I can still remember being disappointed when he lost the 1972 Wimbledon final to the American Stan Smith and even more…
Ilie Nastase was my first tennis hero. I can still remember being disappointed when he lost the 1972 Wimbledon final to the American Stan Smith and even more so when he so tamely lost the 1976 final to the emergent Bjorn Borg. With his wavy hair, saturnine looks and entertaining playing style he was arguably the first new superstar of the Open era. With great movement around the court and a wide range of shots he was equally successful in doubles tennis and until the appearance of young superstars like Borg and Connors was probably the biggest name in the game, as evidenced by his signing the first sportswear contract with Nike way back before that became an everyday occurrence in the sport.
But they don't call him Nasty for nothing. While much of his antics on court were entertaining and served to prick the pomposity of the tennis establishment, he undoubtedly went too far on occasion, as we see him practicing the dark art of gamesmanship, especially on the normally placid Arthur Ashe. He was also guilty more than once of making highly inappropriate remarks off-court, nicknaming Ashe in a racially derogative manner while he was playing and many years later to Serena Williams during her pregnancy.
This near two-hour documentary on his life and times doesn't go into any detail on his childhood years. We're not told anything about his parents or his upbringing with his story really only beginning when he pairs up with his long-term doubles partner, the appreciably older Ion Triac and makes his breakthrough in both doubles and especially singles disciplines. We see many examples of his brilliance on court but also a number of his pre-McEnroe spats with the game's umpires and administrators.
Certainly, there are no shortage of big-name players, past and present, who line up to mostly pay tribute to his maverick ways, including contemporaries like Smith, Borg, Connors, McEnroe and Billie-Jean King and later stars like Mats Wilander, Boris Becker and Rafa Nadal. In particular, he formed a firm friendship and winning doubles partnership with the equally out-there American superstar Jimmy Connors, who speaks warmly of their time together on the circuit.
While I didn't agree with some of the unsporting stunts he occasionally pulled and certainly a number of the unpleasant things he's said off court, I found it impossible not to be won over by this sometimes infuriating but never dull individual. The point is made throughout that Nastase was the type of player who put bums on seats and got people interested in the game who might otherwise have passed it by.
I could have done without the seemingly voguish style of going back and forth in time and would have appreciated a bit more insight into his personal background, not only his youth but also into his colourful personal life as he was married five times. That is however interesting concept, when we see the 1972 Davis cup staged and his native Bucharest, against The Americans. We also get insights into his entangled love life but it seems he could know more resist a beautiful woman and they could him. Filled with many nostalgic anecdotes and reminiscences, the picture emerges of a complex individual on and off the court, but one who in comparison with the super-fit automatons of today's game, certainly enlivened the often musty and privileged old game and certainly helped, for better or worse to usher in the modern era.
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★ 8 / 10
Tennis as a game vs tennis as a job
alina-mirion
I enjoyed this documentary very much. I found out so much about Ilie Nastase. I never knew the kind of person he is! So alive! So inspiring! Able to transform…
I enjoyed this documentary very much. I found out so much about Ilie Nastase. I never knew the kind of person he is! So alive! So inspiring! Able to transform a game of tennis into entertainment.
It was so amazing to find out he was first to be ranked number one on the ATP rankings and that he inspired so many people. I myself was a little inspired by the way in which he played. He didn't try to make calculations in his mind about how to play, how to win. He just enjoyed playing the game. He was in the moment.
Personally, I would liked more archived footage with him. There were a few people who told stories about him. I would have liked to see those moments filmed as well. Nevertheless, so many whimsical moments were included.
I totally recommend this documentary!
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I like a well done sports doc, why not