Fed Documentary "12 Final Days"

[jimlosaltos]

Anyone in London see the Amazon Prime promo for tomorrow's documentary on the end of Fed's career?

Was it as good as it sounds and looks in this teeny video: Projections on London Bridge show old Fed playing young Fed. Awesome.

https://x.com/TheTennisLetter/status/1803480756515381593

[jimlosaltos]

Here's an ad banner for the Fed/ Amazon Prime vid for anyone interested.

filedata/fetch?id=104704&d=1718827365&type=thumb

[johnyandell]

Here is Bill Simons review:
The Hollywood critics were unkind. The much anticipated film “Federer: Twelve Final Days” – was said to be too worshipful. Well, maybe they have a point.

No other athlete in an individual sport since Muhammad Ali has been so adored. In the film, three sisters who’ve gathered at London’s memorable 2022 Laver Cup can’t contain their fan-girl excess: “Roger, we’ve come all the way from Kenya. Please don’t go.”

Of course, the internet went over the top for the man who demolished his foes with gasp inducing precision. “Federer is so mesmerizing.” An unbridled English fan didn’t hold back: “Roger, we think you are the most wonderful human being there’s ever been. There’s never going to be another one like you.”

Still, the critics held firm. “What a waste,” they claimed, “to do an entire Federer documentary, and just focus on Roger’s last twelve days before his Laver Cup farewell.”

But, not really. For starters, the film seamlessly transitions to the life and times of the most beloved fellow who ever picked up a racket.
We see the obligatory old-school footage of his hitting groundies as a kid, and Roger as a wide-eyed ball boy trying not to be overwhelmed by the big stage.

We spot Roger’s bleached adolescent hairdos. We see him winning the Wimbledon juniors and we sigh as the prophetic announcer Sue Barker tells us: “Roger Federer: Wimbledon champion – get used to that.”

The film recalls Roger’s generational 2001 Wimbledon win over Pete Sampras. Plus, an array of jaw-dropping Federerian trick shots are put on slow motion display in all their magical glory: mind-boggling tweeners and that fabled leaping, twisting, down-the-line overhead winner off of a smash from Andy Roddick, whom Roger habitually humbled.

Roger gives us a succinct insight into the essence of the game he loves: “Tennis is not a contact sport….[But]we almost touch each other through the ball. You can feel the force of your opponent, whether it’s the spin or the power. How much he grunts…It’s also very much like a chess match, because you start anticipating what’s going to happen, and you get your favorite pattern and so does your opponent. So it’s always a battle of who gets the pattern his way. I took a lot of joy in trying to beat my opponent at his game. It’s very much a psychological chess match – but it’s physical.”

At the outset of “Twelve Final Days” we see Roger’s clan gather just before he is to announce his retirement.

We’ve long known that Federer is a CEO in sneakers, and, not surprisingly, his well-oiled team has left no stone unturned. This is not merely the retirement of a tennis player. This is the changing of the guard. The tennis heavens will shift forever, and the industry’s foremost brand will make the landmark change while amplifying all the emotions of the day.

So Roger hugs his daughter. He playfully asks his soccer-playing son how many goals he scored today. Then we see the most impactful tennis wife in ATP history, the seen-it-all, done-it-all, Mirka Federer, who once said of her husband, “I can’t imagine anyone ever waking up every morning being so content with everything.”

Mirka tells us she is “a little happy-sad” that her guy is retiring, before she seamlessly pivots to lay down some tough maternal love. “Take a shower. You smell like a man,” she tells her 8-year-old son.

Few in tennis were more manly than Roger. But time and again flowing tears humanized his brand, which dances with flawlessness. But early in the film, Roger works to hold back. There are no handkerchiefs as he tells of his sometimes botched knee surgeries. We get workmanlike glimpses into his well-chosen, well-seasoned team, his long-time coach, an appreciative physio and his power-behind-the-throne agent and business partner, Tony Godsick, who notes that in Switzerland it’s raining. “It’s like the Alps are shedding a tear.”

There were few dry eyes when Roger told the universe, “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come true.”

Of course, there were few tears from the Federer camp when a spindly pretender to the throne, boy Novak Djokovic, began to impinge on Roger and Rafa’s stratospheric duopoly that ruled the game. Federer reminded us that his and Rafa’s massive fan bases didn’t need a third guy. At first, Roger wasn’t that impressed with the raw Serbian. His western grip was too extreme and his backhand didn’t flow, but, “then he somehow overcame these things and became a hell of a monster player.” And when Centre Court would go bonkers, shrieking “Roger! Roger!” the steely Djokovic would “transmute it and hear nothing but Nole! Nole!”

Still, Novak’s ferocity and will to win at all costs changed things. Roger recalls that fans suddenly asked him, “‘Why don’t you fight more when you’re losing?’ I didn’t understand what they meant. What do I have to do? Do I have to grunt? Do I have to sweat? Do I have to shout more? Do I have to be more aggressive to my opponents? What was it? I tried but it was all an act. That was not my personality. For others…it’s more ingrained in their DNA.”

But for all of Novak’s greatness, it was Rafa who was Federer’s greatest rival. Roger confides that the emergence of the young Spaniard (who couldn’t look you in the eye) wasn’t easy for him: “I liked being at the top alone. [So] I had to look within and deal with this. It was a bit of a mind bender. I couldn’t quite figure him out and unlock him.” In contrast to other fierce rivals like Agassi and Sampras or McEnroe and Connors) Roger and Rafa soon became pals. We see them giggling like two impish boys as they try to deliver their lines for an ad.

In “Twelve Final Days,” Roger and Rafa’s deep mutual respect is abundantly clear. We see the band of brothers’ camaraderie around them that always blossoms at the Laver Cup. We see the king of an earlier era, Bjorn Borg, comforting Roger, another royal. As the noble spear carriers, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud, look on from the margins we get a glimpse into tennis’ inevitable pecking order.
Plus, we get humor. At a gala dinner, Andy Murray told the crowd, “The player I’m going to introduce loves to eat plants. He celebrates all his Grand Slam victories by going wild on vegetable smoothies.”

Novak then presented Rafa, saying, “I have the honor to introduce someone whose favorite breakfast is clay – and he never shares that breakfast with anyone.”

“Twelve Final Days” culminates with Roger’s last match. Murray notes, “It only seems right to see Roger and Rafa on the same side of the net to finish as a team. There are not too many better ways to go out than this.”

Of course, Roger’s fairy tale ending soon would be shattered when Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock raised their level at crunch time to dispatch the royal duo.

Oh well – the surprise defeat only kickstarted a farewell celebration like no other. Roger’s foes lifted him on their shoulders. There were kisses and hugs from Mirka, stirring videos, rousing speeches, torrents of bittersweet tears, and that indelible, oh-so-sweet moment when the sobbing Roger and Rafa held hands on the bench.

Nadal told us, “It’s a very sad day…we are not going to see a player with this elegance and flow ever again.” Borg added, “He’s an artist who could do anything with a tennis racket.”

Roger himself said that tennis, “Has been a great life school for me. I’ve always been very thankful for everything it taught me. But we professional athletes know we’re on borrowed time…Yes, it’s painful, yes it’s hard, but I’m happy. What an amazing evening. We are all very lucky to have lived through it, and I’ve cried together with 16 and a half thousand people.”

“Twelve Final Days” reminds us of the stirring “The Last Dance,” a documentary that celebrated Federer’s hero, Michael Jordan. And, yes, “Twelve Final Days” was at times worshipful.

Then again, Roger is a man who is said to bend time and approach incandescence. While he’s been compared with da Vinci, Picasso, Baryshnikov and Steve Jobs, he’s never walked on water. Yet the house of worship he built, with all its beauty and athletic grace, did uplift the spirits of millions from Kalamazoo to Kenya. And a sign at the Miami Open once advised, “Commit your sins when Federer is playing. Even God is watching.”

[johnyandell]

Here is Bill Simons review:

The Hollywood critics were unkind. The much anticipated film “Federer: Twelve Final Days” – was said to be too worshipful. Well, maybe they have a point.

No other athlete in an individual sport since Muhammad Ali has been so adored. In the film, three sisters who’ve gathered at London’s memorable 2022 Laver Cup can’t contain their fan-girl excess: “Roger, we’ve come all the way from Kenya. Please don’t go.”

Of course, the internet went over the top for the man who demolished his foes with gasp inducing precision. “Federer is so mesmerizing.” An unbridled English fan didn’t hold back: “Roger, we think you are the most wonderful human being there’s ever been. There’s never going to be another one like you.”

Still, the critics held firm. “What a waste,” they claimed, “to do an entire Federer documentary, and just focus on Roger’s last twelve days before his Laver Cup farewell.”

But, not really. For starters, the film seamlessly transitions to the life and times of the most beloved fellow who ever picked up a racket.
We see the obligatory old-school footage of his hitting groundies as a kid, and Roger as a wide-eyed ball boy trying not to be overwhelmed by the big stage.

We spot Roger’s bleached adolescent hairdos. We see him winning the Wimbledon juniors and we sigh as the prophetic announcer Sue Barker tells us: “Roger Federer: Wimbledon champion – get used to that.”

The film recalls Roger’s generational 2001 Wimbledon win over Pete Sampras. Plus, an array of jaw-dropping Federerian trick shots are put on slow motion display in all their magical glory: mind-boggling tweeners and that fabled leaping, twisting, down-the-line overhead winner off of a smash from Andy Roddick, whom Roger habitually humbled.

Roger gives us a succinct insight into the essence of the game he loves: “Tennis is not a contact sport….[But]we almost touch each other through the ball. You can feel the force of your opponent, whether it’s the spin or the power. How much he grunts…It’s also very much like a chess match, because you start anticipating what’s going to happen, and you get your favorite pattern and so does your opponent. So it’s always a battle of who gets the pattern his way. I took a lot of joy in trying to beat my opponent at his game. It’s very much a psychological chess match – but it’s physical.”

At the outset of “Twelve Final Days” we see Roger’s clan gather just before he is to announce his retirement.

We’ve long known that Federer is a CEO in sneakers, and, not surprisingly, his well-oiled team has left no stone unturned. This is not merely the retirement of a tennis player. This is the changing of the guard. The tennis heavens will shift forever, and the industry’s foremost brand will make the landmark change while amplifying all the emotions of the day.

So Roger hugs his daughter. He playfully asks his soccer-playing son how many goals he scored today. Then we see the most impactful tennis wife in ATP history, the seen-it-all, done-it-all, Mirka Federer, who once said of her husband, “I can’t imagine anyone ever waking up every morning being so content with everything.”

Mirka tells us she is “a little happy-sad” that her guy is retiring, before she seamlessly pivots to lay down some tough maternal love. “Take a shower. You smell like a man,” she tells her 8-year-old son.

Few in tennis were more manly than Roger. But time and again flowing tears humanized his brand, which dances with flawlessness. But early in the film, Roger works to hold back. There are no handkerchiefs as he tells of his sometimes botched knee surgeries. We get workmanlike glimpses into his well-chosen, well-seasoned team, his long-time coach, an appreciative physio and his power-behind-the-throne agent and business partner, Tony Godsick, who notes that in Switzerland it’s raining. “It’s like the Alps are shedding a tear.”

There were few dry eyes when Roger told the universe, “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart, to everyone around the world who has helped make the dreams of a young Swiss ball kid come true.”

Of course, there were few tears from the Federer camp when a spindly pretender to the throne, boy Novak Djokovic, began to impinge on Roger and Rafa’s stratospheric duopoly that ruled the game. Federer reminded us that his and Rafa’s massive fan bases didn’t need a third guy. At first, Roger wasn’t that impressed with the raw Serbian. His western grip was too extreme and his backhand didn’t flow, but, “then he somehow overcame these things and became a hell of a monster player.” And when Centre Court would go bonkers, shrieking “Roger! Roger!” the steely Djokovic would “transmute it and hear nothing but Nole! Nole!”

Still, Novak’s ferocity and will to win at all costs changed things. Roger recalls that fans suddenly asked him, “‘Why don’t you fight more when you’re losing?’ I didn’t understand what they meant. What do I have to do? Do I have to grunt? Do I have to sweat? Do I have to shout more? Do I have to be more aggressive to my opponents? What was it? I tried but it was all an act. That was not my personality. For others…it’s more ingrained in their DNA.”

But for all of Novak’s greatness, it was Rafa who was Federer’s greatest rival. Roger confides that the emergence of the young Spaniard (who couldn’t look you in the eye) wasn’t easy for him: “I liked being at the top alone. [So] I had to look within and deal with this. It was a bit of a mind bender. I couldn’t quite figure him out and unlock him.” In contrast to other fierce rivals like Agassi and Sampras or McEnroe and Connors) Roger and Rafa soon became pals. We see them giggling like two impish boys as they try to deliver their lines for an ad.

In “Twelve Final Days,” Roger and Rafa’s deep mutual respect is abundantly clear. We see the band of brothers’ camaraderie around them that always blossoms at the Laver Cup. We see the king of an earlier era, Bjorn Borg, comforting Roger, another royal. As the noble spear carriers, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini and Casper Ruud, look on from the margins we get a glimpse into tennis’ inevitable pecking order.
Plus, we get humor. At a gala dinner, Andy Murray told the crowd, “The player I’m going to introduce loves to eat plants. He celebrates all his Grand Slam victories by going wild on vegetable smoothies.”

Novak then presented Rafa, saying, “I have the honor to introduce someone whose favorite breakfast is clay – and he never shares that breakfast with anyone.”

“Twelve Final Days” culminates with Roger’s last match. Murray notes, “It only seems right to see Roger and Rafa on the same side of the net to finish as a team. There are not too many better ways to go out than this.”

Of course, Roger’s fairy tale ending soon would be shattered when Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock raised their level at crunch time to dispatch the royal duo.

Oh well – the surprise defeat only kickstarted a farewell celebration like no other. Roger’s foes lifted him on their shoulders. There were kisses and hugs from Mirka, stirring videos, rousing speeches, torrents of bittersweet tears, and that indelible, oh-so-sweet moment when the sobbing Roger and Rafa held hands on the bench.

Nadal told us, “It’s a very sad day…we are not going to see a player with this elegance and flow ever again.” Borg added, “He’s an artist who could do anything with a tennis racket.”

Roger himself said that tennis, “Has been a great life school for me. I’ve always been very thankful for everything it taught me. But we professional athletes know we’re on borrowed time…Yes, it’s painful, yes it’s hard, but I’m happy. What an amazing evening. We are all very lucky to have lived through it, and I’ve cried together with 16 and a half thousand people.”

“Twelve Final Days” reminds us of the stirring “The Last Dance,” a documentary that celebrated Federer’s hero, Michael Jordan. And, yes, “Twelve Final Days” was at times worshipful.

Then again, Roger is a man who is said to bend time and approach incandescence. While he’s been compared with da Vinci, Picasso, Baryshnikov and Steve Jobs, he’s never walked on water. Yet the house of worship he built, with all its beauty and athletic grace, did uplift the spirits of millions from Kalamazoo to Kenya. And a sign at the Miami Open once advised, “Commit your sins when Federer is playing. Even God is watching.”