John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection finds the mercurial tennis legend at the height of his career, documenting his quest for perfection, his frustrations, and the hardest loss of his life, against Ivan Lendl at the 1984 French Open.
Narrated by Mathieu Amalric (Grand Budapest Hotel, Ismael’s Ghost), using unseen 16mm footage from the Roland-Garros film archives, this immersive film showcases the iconic grace, infamous temper and unique style that powered McEnroe’s incredible hunt for tennis perfection.
Far from a traditional documentary, director Julien Faraut probes the archival footage to unpack McEnroe’s devotion to the sport, creating an utterly unique portrait of a driven athlete, a study on the sport of tennis, the human body in action, and finally how these all intersect with cinema itself.
French, English
France