Federer: Twelve Final Days

Good movie!

source: Federer: Twelve Final Days

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Roger Federer. The man who made me enter the world of tennis. Thank you! I never thought this documentary would be this emotional. Damn. When this documentary only tells Federer's last 12 days, it means I'm waiting for a documentary that tells Federer's career from the beginning to become a tennis icon and even sports in general. Synopsis: Helmed by Academy Award-winning director Asif Kapadia and director Joe Sabia, the Federer documentary is an intimate follow-along through the final 12 days of Roger Federer's illustrious career. Originally a home video never intended for public viewing, the film captures Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades. Featuring interviews from legendary rivals and close friends Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokivic, and Andy Murray, Federer: Twelve Final Days provides unprecedented access to the relationship between these unparalleled stars.

As a huge fan for me, tennis is Roger and I am sure there would be many fans who thinks the same For somebody like like Roger who dreamt, eat and Slept tennis. As a fan, I was curious to know how he handled the last few days before his retirement and this documentary lived up to it. Right from the day he filmed the message till the day he played his last match at laver cup. He handled all the press conferences without getting emotional and with such a great poise and I am sure it would be very difficult for him to hold it till he played his last match where all fans in the arena cried for Roger. Go watch his wonderful and emotional journey of last few days of man who is greatest ever to pick up the tennis racket.

If you're a tennis fan you're guaranteed to love this. This documentary follows the final twelve days in the illustrious career of Roger Federer and it lives up to the hype. Overall, the only problem I have with this documentary is the premise. Simply, there's not enough content to truly fill an 88 minute documentary to keep the audience fully entertained for that time period. That being said it was a really nice bow on the career of Roger and it provided great insight into his thoughts going into his retirement. Furthermore, it was really interesting to see Roger talk about his knee injury and how both he and his family were impacted by these types of injuries as his career came to a close. I also really enjoyed hearing from Murray, Novak, and Rafa during the documentary and their perspective on Federer's career. Roger is my all-time favorite player and I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary. A must-watch for any tennis fan.

Is this a perfectly constructed documentary? Nope. But it is one hell of a behind the scenes glimpse into a man that for the entirety of his career had kept his job emotions and his family close to his chest. As someone who grew into adulthood watching Roger (we're the same age), the emotions hit at a whole other level. Is his swan song a swan song for all us forty-somethings? When he said "what's next?" as he sobbed, I completely lost it. If a man with his fame and money and non-athletic pursuits can feel that at a major milestone, then no wonder us mere mortals struggle from time to time. Seeing Nadal's emotional reaction also got me. I knew they were friends and that Rafa has always been a sensitive soul, but PHEW! Their love for one another was palpable. My only true complaint is a tennis nerd complaint...why did we have to spend so much time (it was only a few minutes, but still) with Roger defending Novak? That dude is a straight up jerk and we all know it. Sure, he's great at tennis but that doesn't change the holier and better than thou vibe that oozes out of every pore in his body. If the point was to show just how kind and generous Roger can be, mission thoroughly accomplished. Could there have been a better arch to the story? Could the music and camera work have been a bit better? Sure. But ultimately, this documentary gave me exactly what I came for: a peek into the life and emotions of a man I've had the privilege of watching play tennis for over two decades.