Nasty (2024) User Reviews

Entertaining Is the Game

[tributarystu · 7/10 · 23 April 2024]

Ilie Nastase, the first ATP world number 1, is vividly brought to life in a documentary that celebrates his numerous titles and larger-than-life personality. This makes for a highly entertaining film that captures Nastase's charm, but also falls short in structural coherence and depth, leaving many potentially interesting aspects of his life unexplored. The early years are notably absent, offering only a glimpse into his fiery nature and leaving most of the root causes to the viewer's imagination.

The documentary, while touching lightly on the political and social context of the late 20th century, focuses more on reminiscing about an era of professional tennis that is gone now - one marked by a closer, more informal camaraderie and stronger personalities. Nastase might be seen as intolerable today but was a product of his times, contributing to the sport's transformation. Or maybe just witnessing it. The narrative conveys warmth and nostalgia through testimonials, past and present, from tennis legends like Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King, who reflect on Nastase's complex personality with a mix of admiration and bemusement.

Despite its engaging content and archival footage, the film struggles with pacing and clarity, often feeling like a fragmented collection of anecdotes about Nastase's talent and temperament. It veers towards impermanence and is afraid to look deeper into his legacy and how aging and leaving the limelight has affected such a complicated personality.

Nevertheless, the documentary succeeds in capturing the essence of Nastase's flamboyant character, making it a compelling watch for those interested in the history of tennis. And for those longing for "the good old days".

Tennis as a game vs tennis as a job

[ramya_amon16 · 8/10 · 24 May 2024]

I enjoyed this documentary very much. I found out so much about Ilie Nastase. I never knew the kind of person he is! So alive! So inspiring! Able to transform a game of tennis into entertainment.

It was so amazing to find out he was first to be ranked number one on the ATP rankings and that he inspired so many people. I myself was a little inspired by the way in which he played. He didn't try to make calculations in his mind about how to play, how to win. He just enjoyed playing the game. He was in the moment.

Personally, I would liked more archived footage with him. There were a few people who told stories about him. I would have liked to see those moments filmed as well. Nevertheless, so many whimsical moments were included.

I totally recommend this documentary!

Good premise and quite entertaining

[radovicichristopher · 6/10 · 19 April 2024]

It is a rather good movie, well documented and presents some unique footage and insights into the life of Ilie Nastase, one of the world'sbest tennis players. What the film lacks in depth, full documentary and historic details (as a follow thorugh on his journey from youth to old age) it fills in with meaningful expert opinions from various experts and other players, his own remarks and amazing cinematography selected from a wide range of archive footages. It could go more in detail and provide some perspectives but it is still a movie worth the time and quite a pleasant experience overall that will leave you satisfied.

Oh you Nasty boy!

[Lejink · 8/10 · 27 May 2024]

Ilie Nastase was my first tennis hero. I can still remember being disappointed when he lost the 1972 Wimbledon final to the American Stan Smith and even more so when he so tamely lost the 1976 final to the emergent Bjorn Borg. With his wavy hair, saturnine looks and entertaining playing style he was arguably the first new superstar of the Open era. With great movement around the court and a wide range of shots he was equally successful in doubles tennis and until the appearance of young superstars like Borg and Connors was probably the biggest name in the game, as evidenced by his signing the first sportswear contract with Nike way back before that became an everyday occurrence in the sport.

But they don't call him Nasty for nothing. While much of his antics on court were entertaining and served to prick the pomposity of the tennis establishment, he undoubtedly went too far on occasion, as we see him practicing the dark art of gamesmanship, especially on the normally placid Arthur Ashe. He was also guilty more than once of making highly inappropriate remarks off-court, nicknaming Ashe in a racially derogative manner while he was playing and many years later to Serena Williams during her pregnancy.

This near two-hour documentary on his life and times doesn't go into any detail on his childhood years. We're not told anything about his parents or his upbringing with his story really only beginning when he pairs up with his long-term doubles partner, the appreciably older Ion Triac and makes his breakthrough in both doubles and especially singles disciplines. We see many examples of his brilliance on court but also a number of his pre-McEnroe spats with the game's umpires and administrators.

Certainly, there are no shortage of big-name players, past and present, who line up to mostly pay tribute to his maverick ways, including contemporaries like Smith, Borg, Connors, McEnroe and Billie-Jean King and later stars like Mats Wilander, Boris Becker and Rafa Nadal. In particular, he formed a firm friendship and winning doubles partnership with the equally out-there American superstar Jimmy Connors, who speaks warmly of their time together on the circuit.

While I didn't agree with some of the unsporting stunts he occasionally pulled and certainly a number of the unpleasant things he's said off court, I found it impossible not to be won over by this sometimes infuriating but never dull individual. The point is made throughout that Nastase was the type of player who put bums on seats and got people interested in the game who might otherwise have passed it by.

I could have done without the seemingly voguish style of going back and forth in time and would have appreciated a bit more insight into his personal background, not only his youth but also into his colourful personal life as he was married five times. That is however interesting concept, when we see the 1972 Davis cup staged and his native Bucharest, against The Americans. We also get insights into his entangled love life but it seems he could know more resist a beautiful woman and they could him. Filled with many nostalgic anecdotes and reminiscences, the picture emerges of a complex individual on and off the court, but one who in comparison with the super-fit automatons of today's game, certainly enlivened the often musty and privileged old game and certainly helped, for better or worse to usher in the modern era.