Venus and Serena: Blu-ray Review
The Movie:
Ever since Venus and Serena Williams started playing in tennis tournaments, they’ve provoked strong reactions – from awe and admiration to suspicion and resentment. They’ve been winning championships for over a decade, pushing the limits of longevity in such a demanding sport. How long can they last? In Venus & Serena, we gain unprecedented access into their lives during the most intimidating year of their career. Over the course of 2011, Venus grappled with an energy-sapping autoimmune disease while Serena battled back from a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Neither Venus nor Serena let their adversities hold them back. They drew their greatest strength from each other.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of tennis but Venus and Serena Williams were names that I’ve known for years. Their athletic ability is undeniable and have been the leaders in women’s tennis for years on end. This documentary shows EVERYTHING from the conception of their career all the way to what has happened in the last few years. It’s been a good while since a documentary has pulled me in as much as this one did. It did a fantastic job at putting the audience into their lives and showing that it isn’t an easy task to be an athlete of their caliber and still try to have a personal life. The relationship that the sisters have with each other is another thing that is shown throughout the film and it really showcases how much love and support they have for one another. From the looks of it they’re siblings that are each others best friends with a bond that can never be broken. The segment they had when Serena experienced the blood clot in her leg was pretty crazy. Just out of nowhere things can change and that blood clot forced her out of competition for a good while. They showed how an athlete with an injury can overcome anything but not without it messing with your mentality and will. Her struggle was very real and even with that happening her main focus was competing again. This is great documentary and I think non-tennis fans will love it as well.
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes – There is a pretty good amount of scenes here and they should’ve just left them all in. Some of them show a bit more about their personality. These are definitely pretty good.
Interview With Director Maiken Baird – She gives an idea of what it took to make this film and when everything started. She also talks about some of the celebrities that are also fans and friends of the sisters.
Interview With Director Michelle Major – She gives her insight and experiences on the film and how the crew and the Williams sisters grew closer over the period of filming.
AXS TV: A Look At Venus And Serena – A quick rundown of what to expect from the documentary.
