Les douze derniers jours de Federer

I've never been a fan of tennis, but this little documentary was such a gift! An insight into Roger Federer - a true gentleman. My interest in Roger Federer piqued when I came across his beautiful speech he gave at the commencement ceremony at Dartmouth College. This documentary was profound to watch and I found myself getting teary numerous times while watching it. I was moved by this little documentary about this gem of person I did not know anything about. I think that speaks volumes about the kind of person that Roger Federer is. He is a sweetheart, a genuine person, an empathetic soul and such an elegant person that it's kinda hard to ignore his brilliance. He has a new fan in me!

Well, the headline pretty much sums it up.

It was watchable and as a Federer fan since 20 years I was never going to miss this.

However, the editing was not for someone who knows more about the story of those 12 days..

A few things I miss from this:

The big 4 (Roger, Rafa, Andy, Novak) had a doubles practice together before the match. Absolutely nothing about it.. to me a big miss.

Roger and Rafa had a last practice in the morning before. Nothing from that either.

Rafa flew in just to take part of that match and left early morning after. Cam Norrie was there and replaced him (no one knew why he was part of the team until Rafa left). Nothing about that either..

So.. I just think they didn't include some parts that some fans would have enjoyed to see and that was quite sad.

Otherwise it's emotional and interesting but predictable. What I enjoyed the most to see was how much credit Roger gave to Novak. They have not always been on the best terms but it felt like Roger really acknowledged him here and I feel that Novak was extremely grateful for that. It was really nice to see.

All in all ok and basically what you can expect.

A film crew follow the best player that ever lived - I will countenance no arguments - through from his public announcement that he is retiring to his final match in the Laver Cup in London with all his friends and contemporaries.

Certainly this is a very detailed look at Federer's last dozen days which evidently does not sit easily with the openly very emotional man. Clearly he is adored by family, friends and his partners in tennis with Djokovic, Murray and Nadal having much to say. On the downside, I will admit that I wasn't so keen on the, inevitable I guess, back slapping at press conferences and alike which seemed to stretch on for far too long to make the point. This was compensated for though by the last 20 minutes or so at his final match which was really very touching. It was sad that he seemed to believe his life was in some ways coming to an end - although I feel sure that his legend with continue to grow with the next part of his life.

This is Rodger Federer. This seems like it was a bunch of your buddies uncles putting some cheesy documentary together about their buddy. The music selection.....oof! That was a touch opener. I know what you were going for, but it was a huge miss. If you are going for "Explosions in the Sky" pay them! They would have made this film all connect!

They really did try to reach for the emotional strings to tug at, but you can't try the entire film. Where is the build up, where is the drama??Just again...seems like a bunch of suburban dads who have clout in the industry put this together. It really was a struggle to watch.

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.