Federer: A Labored Tribute To An Icon Twelve Final Days
Knowing who the film is meant for will help one decide whether Federer: Twelve Final Days is worth seeing. Neither the drama of co-director Asif Kapadia's previous film Senna nor a sporting documentary with the uncertainty of The Last Dance Rather, it functions as a funeral service whose force is continuously weakened by the fact that the dearly departed is actively participating in the event.
The film opens with an emotional Federer reading a touching letter to his supporters as well as the larger tennis scene. In it, he addresses his aging body and injuries, therefore justifying his difficult decision to resign. While Roger Federer laments the dying of the light, the movie looks at the goings-on in the Federer inner circle as plans are developed for the final send-off at the Laver Cup, an event Federer organized as Tennis's version of the Ryder Cup.
Federer: Twelve Final Days Features Fascinating Details
The most annoying thing is that there is enough material here to create an intriguing Sports Documentary suitable for everyone. Seeing in real-time how the trauma of surgery affected Federer psychologically or how he miraculously recovered from knee surgery to reclaim the Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns in 2017 would have been amazing. These tales abound in the dramatic, unscripted uncertainty that usually makes sporting stories so gripping. By comparison, everything about Federer: Twelve Final Days feels pre-prepared and devoid of conflict – the antithesis of what great sport is about.
This helps to somewhat explain why the movie performs well in its last act. Federer's farewell trip to the court reminds us that sport cannot be forced to fit a tidy story. Still, these scenes really save the film rather than undercutting it; his challenges on the court underline the agony of his declining ability. It shows how you cannot decide how your athletic career ends regardless of who you are. But even if one has huge influence or legacy, sport sometimes doesn't play ball.
Federer: Sports Documentary Is More Sentimental Eulogy Than Exciting Drama - Twelve Final Days Review
Familiarity is sometimes cited as breeding contempt. On the other hand, Federer: Twelve Final Days, the hagiographic documentary, seems to have the reverse going on. Designed for ultra-fans of the venerable Swiss Tennis master, the film provides some emotional catharsis and fascinating analysis of the athlete and his inner circle. The honest yet lighthearted documentary will, however, leave everyone else wanting for something with a bit more bite.
Unlike certain sports narratives, this documentary is not meant to be an investigation. Regarding their topic, the directors, actors, or anybody else engaged in the production have no doubt about where they stand. One of the best players to have ever grace the game—this is a 90-minute love-in eulogizing session. From this vantage point, it is a success—a cinematic wake for one of the most remarkable athletic careers. Federer: Twelve Final Days is a lost chance, though, for anyone looking for drama, suspense, or anything else beyond a certain march to the funeral pyre.
Here there is no space for provocative opinion or hard-hitting investigation.
Brief montages from Federer's remarkable career, quick interviews with former rivals and supporters, and sporadic interjections from members of Federer's personal team abound in the 12-day build to this event. Not that there is much where Federer is concerned, there is no room here for hard-hitting critique or sparking debate. Nor is there any real time for a thorough explanation of why Federer is such a legend, where his finest triumphs occurred, or how remarkable his feats really were. This film calls for prior knowledge.
Though most audiences will surely be aware of Federer's incredible career, titles, and legacy, the unpleasant reality is that these are all far more fascinating than the narrative the movie insists upon conveying. Federer: Twelve Final Days tantalizes with glimpses of the great man at his free-flowing best, much as The Last Dance succeeds by revitalizing previous triumphs. Then tedium resumes with long administrative debate on the logistics around Federer's swansong when the movie starts to get fascinating with short references to gladiatorial bouts between Nadal and Djokovic in an unprecedented era of tennis excellence.
Federer: Twelve Final Days provides an extended behind-the-scenes view of what was obviously an emotionally charged event for everyone involved for Federer's several legions of fans.
Saying that an event as important as Federer's retirement is unworthy of honor would likewise be erroneous. But Federer: Twelve Final Days is a somewhat flavorless digestif after the Swiss inimitable career without a personal connection to the narrative.
Twelve Final Days screened at the Tribeca Festival in 2024. Federer Thursday, June 20 will see it available on Prime Video.
