Venus and Serena

This documentary offers a glimpse at the lives of Venus and Serena Williams, the two African-American sisters from Compton who have transcended the game of tennis. And when I say glimpse, I mean it. There’s not a lot going on beneath the surface, and it often feels like an infomercial, complete with an excruciatingly awful score by Wyclef Jean. The filmmakers go on the road with the Williams sisters during the 2011 tennis season, a year that found both Williams struggling with illness and injuries. Thankfully there’s early footage of the sisters growing up and training with their overbearing and protective father, the man who stopped at nothing to make sure his girls would be the best in the game. Richard Williams is pretty fascinating to watch. Other than that, coaches, agents, family, friends and Bill Clinton (?) shower the sisters with praise but don’t add a lot of depth.