I have to admit to an old-fashioned prejudice against people with only one name. It seems presumptuous to me that, for example, Cherilyn Sarkisian has staked out a position that no other celebrity can ever use the first name “Cher.” Any performer who adopts the solo-name affectation starts out with negative points in my book. I gotta say, though, that in her latest film, Zendaya won me over.
In “Challengers,” Zendaya plays Tashi Duncan. (See, even though she only has one name, she can play a normal, two-named character! That's how good an actress she is!) Tashi, the most promising upcoming tennis star on the women's circuit, meets Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O'Connor). Best friends since childhood, Art and Patrick go after Tashi together, and she winds up dating Patrick. Art bides his time, and after Tashi suffers a career-ending injury, she becomes Art's coach and then his wife. Tashi coaches Art to stardom, while Patrick floats around on the lower tennis circuits and in a lower level of Tashi's heart. This love triangle comes to a point when Art and Patrick wind up playing each other for the first time in years.
“Challengers” is a sometimes-funny, sometimes-dark, rather sexy exploration of love, friendship, and ambition. Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor are excellent in their roles, but it is Zendaya who steals the show with her nuanced portrayal of Tashi. As the story jumps back and forth through time, we come to realize that Tashi doesn't love either of these guys nearly as much as she loved being a champion. Her marriage to Art is really just a way for her to live out her ambition through him.
4 stars out of 5
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