Anna's Army: Behind the Rise of Russian Women's Tennis (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a jewel of a documentary. It takes you behind the scenes into the world of today's young female Russian tennis stars who are dominating the women's tennis tour in the wake of Anna Kournikova's rise to celebrity stardom. It has amazing footage of the players as children; candid interviews (don't miss Anna's interview) and includes an angle on the history of tennis in Russia. This is a must-see for all sports fans. It is beautifully produced and is hard to take your eyes off.

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Anna's Army explores the current explosion of Russian talent on the women's professional tennis tour.Maria Sharapova shocked the world last summer when she became the first Russian to win Wimbledon at just seventeen years of age. And yet, Maria is just one part of a tidal wave of fiercely competitive and attractive Russians taking over the game.In 2002, only one Russian was ranked among the top 30 women.By 2004, Russians comprised half of the top 10.So why is this cash-strapped, snow-covered nation suddenly producing waves of femme-fatale tennis phenoms?This enlightening documentary gives you the entire story. It explores the real reasons for the rising onslaught of Russian pros and juniors, and takes you on the long journey from their harsh Soviet origins to their glamorous globe-trotting lifestyles. In the process, the film covers the bizarre and largely unknown history of Russian tennis, the galvanizing impact of Anna Kournikova and Boris Yeltsin and the turbulent events that have molded the top young players in the game.Anna's Army boasts rare footage of the players' matches, training methods, off-court lifestyles and stunning fashion and marketing success. The film also features remarkably candid interviews with Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Nick Bollettieri, Robert Lansdorp and the many rising stars of the Russian babe brigade. Coverage of the Russian training system shown on this DVD hints that we may be seeing many more Russian players competing in the top ranks for years to come. This DVD is not regionally encoded.

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