“The greatest tennis film of all time” coming to AFS

JOHN MCENROE: IN THE REALM OF PERFECTION opens Friday, September 7th at AFS Cinema. Tickets are on sale now.

In the 1980’s, the Technical Director of the French Tennis Federation wanted to make instructional films of tennis players in action.  His experiments ended with 16mm footage of superstar bad boy John McEnroe at Roland Garros (colloquially called the ‘French Open’).  This 16mm footage was later unearthed and became the basis of Julien Faraut’s new documentary, JOHN MCENROE: IN THE REALM OF PERFECTION, which uses its source material as a jumping off point into the maddening mind of its subject.  Through this perspective, Faraut begins to realize that every expression, every outburst from the famously temperamental player is part of a carefully calculated performance, with the actor’s role being the embodiment of victory itself.

Here’s what critics are saying:

“Julien Faraut’s John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection is the best tennis film ever made.” –Corey Seymour, Vogue Online 

“A sports documentary unlike any other, a beguiling and delightful piece of visionary non-fiction.” –David Elrich, IndieWire

“Rising gently from Faraut’s film is the belief that a professional tennis match is more like a movie than it is like anything else.” –Anthony Lane, The New Yorker

“A lovely meditation on time and movement, dedication and obsession, image and perception.” –Jessica Kiang, Variety

“Mr. Faraut’s impressionistic conflation of humor, wonder, horror and sympathy whisks this movie to the deluxe suite of the pleasure palace.” –Wesley Morris, New York Times

JOHN MCENROE: IN THE REALM OF PERFECTION opens Friday, September 7th at AFS Cinema. Tickets are on sale now.