Match Point

Match Point is a cool, classically elegant and concise film that addresses all of the big questions--love, morality, death, fate, chance--without ever seeming heavy or self-conscious. I've never seen a Woody Allen film to match it. As a matter of fact, I can't remember another film of late that I thought was quite this good. From the opening shot, the film draws you in and doesn't let up, moving from shot to shot with a fine sense of rhythm and a narrative drive that builds the viewer's curiosity through a series of unexpected switchbacks. Rhys-Meyers is superb as an ex- professional tennis player from a poor Irish background who has turned social climber. Too proud to accept a favor from his upper class friends without immediately offering to pay it back, he affects an interest in opera and Strindberg. The viewer at once sympathizes with him and winces as he strains to seem refined and self-assured. Allen has put together a superb cast of young actors who bring his near flawless script to life so convincingly that one almost immediately suspends disbelief and becomes absorbed in the story. The shots of London are luxuriant and spacious, never self-indulgent. Few films, novels, or plays manage to form such rich dramatic material out of characters' inner obstacles. A classic piece of drama that reaches toward the likes of Shakespeare and Dostoevksy, every facet--from structure to dialog to editing to sound--is brought off with panache. This is not only Allen at his best but an example of what the cinematic medium is capable of when properly exploited.

Along with Interiors(in a way), Match Point seems to be one of Woody Allen's most divisive films and that's understandable. With me, it is good but not great, interesting but Allen has done better(much worse as well). The ending was surprising which wasn't a problem, but it was also much too rushed and ambiguous, at odds with the rest of the pacing of the film. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and the script also didn't come across as consistent to me. Meyers is handsome and does make for a creepy sleaze in some parts of the film but at other points he underplays so much that he comes across as one-note. The script does have a very neat and healthy balance of sporting analogies and psychological questions, beautifully observed in distinctive Woody Allen fashion, unfortunately there are some clumsy moments and some out-of-place mordant humour(if anyone disagrees that's fine, it's just personal taste). The London locations, it's entertaining spotting the familiar ones, look splendid though and the filming reflects the dark, gritty nature of the story very effectively. The score is haunting, giving an ominous tone to scenes in need of it, and opera enthusiasts will love the healthy dose of opera excerpts throughout(though you wished they had a grander approach). The story even with the clear influence of Allen's 1989 masterpiece Crimes and Misdemeanours(a much better film) is an absorbing one, despite much of it being a slow-burner. Especially in the second half which takes a more violent turn without feeling mismatched. The gritty atmosphere worked in the story's favour as did the neatly interwoven plot points and story layers(the romance did have some resonating moments), and the characters as ever with Allen had a fair amount of realism though Chris was not very easy often to root for. Allen directs with control and assurance, though he's at his best in comedy-dramas like a lot of his films from the late 70s all the way through to the early 90s. With the acting, while Rhys Meyers didn't always convince, the largely British do some fine work, especially Matthew Goode and Brian Cox- James Nesbitt has been much better though- and Scarlett Johnansson in sultry, compassionate mode is superbly cast. Overall, interesting film and a good one(at its best even very good), but not great, Woody Allen has done better. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A drama about lust, ambition and luck, this is the first of Woody Allen's urban adventures to be set outside New York City, i.e., in London, and with the exception of one performer, all the actors hail from Britain or Ireland. Chris Wilton (misty-eyed Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is a former lower rung touring tennis pro from Ireland now trying to scrape by. He lands a teaching job at a toney private tennis club, where he is befriended by the handsome young Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), who comes from a wealthy family. Chris comes round the Hewetts' house for drinks and dinner, meets Tom's sweet but marginally attractive sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer), one thing leads to another, and they marry.

Meanwhile, Chris has met Tom's fiancée, the struggling American wanna be actress, Nola Rice (Scarlett Johannson). For Chris, meeting Nola is lust at first sight. But she is off limits, until Tom breaks up with her in favor of another woman. Now, despite being a virtual newlywed, Chris pursues and impregnates Nola. The narrative then proceeds along a well worn path: Chris must somehow dispose of his predicament without sacrificing his marriage (he does genuinely care for Chloe, never mind the family fortune). Bad things happen. I cannot say more about the resolution without shamefully spoiling things for you.

This film is a mixed bag. The basic theme is formulaic. We know it from such classics as "A Place in the Sun" and "Room at the Top": poor boy meets rich girl and sees a vision of Paradise on earth. The trouble in "Match Point" is that the (anti-) hero is not nearly as sympathetic as the principled, brooding Montgomery Clift was in "Sun." Rhys-Meyers is frosty, cool, and way too untroubled until close to the end. Nor, on the other hand, does he have the slick, psychopathic charisma that Laurence Harvey mustered in "Room." Rhys-Meyers instead comes off as an unconvincing kid, for all the daring his course of action requires, in the same sense that the boyish Matt Damon did not seem up to the title role in "The Talented Mr. Ripley"; ditto for Leo DiCaprio in "Catch Me if You Can" and "The Aviator." (Regrettably, box office appeal is a very different matter than proper casting.)

I thought that Brian Cox seemed lost in his role as Alec, head of the Hewett clan; Penelope Wilton fares better as Hewett's wife, Eleanor. This brings us to the female co-leads. Ms. Mortimer is excellent as the pigeon-toed, plain but endearing, trusting Chloe, strained by her infertility and riffs of disaffection from Chris. She nails the complexities of this role beautifully.

Ms. Johansson is simply marvelous. As ever a luminous visual presence on the screen, she also shows once again her impressive range in convincingly inhabiting her characters. Her American girl here is small town coarse, provocatively seductive, and more than a little desperate. How different from her pensive, measured, well-educated, retiring character, Charlotte, in "Lost in Translation." And both so different yet from her nearly mute, servile yet perceptive Dutch maid, Griet, in "The Girl With the Pearl Earring." Ms. Johannson is not only a rising star, at 21 she is already a splendid actor.

The photography and production design are lush. I especially enjoyed the brief scenes shot at Covent Garden, though the operatic theme in general is somewhat mystifying. Is it the affectation of the rich seeming to dig opera that counts? Is there some special significance to the recurring use of ancient scratchy recordings of Caruso arias? If so, Mr. Allen has kept entirely quiet about it amidst his other comments at the film's website. The best things in this movie are its "luck" theme, its visual delights, and the two female leads. The rest is just OK. My rating: 8/10 (B+). (Seen on 01/18/06). If you'd like to read more of my reviews, send me a message for directions to my websites.

What a throughly engrossing evening Woody Allen has provided. This film has been, by and large, poorly received by the British critics. I cannot understand why. Yes, it does have the strongest echoes of Crimes and Misdemeanours, but if a director/writer can't borrow from his own product, who can? This isn't funny Allen -- there are few laughs -- but it is an extremely intense and successful serious Allen.

Does Allen's magic transfer to my home city? You bet it does; lovely locations; Notting Hill, the Tate Modern, the "Gherkin" in the City, all look great but are also entirely relevant. Many critics said he didn't have an ear for British dialogue. I simply don't hear that -- it may be a bit stagy at times, but the writing is spare, to the point, and literate. Few trans-Atlantic clunkers.

Yes, there are some silly bits; bits where you wish any half-intelligent Englishman had watched the film and said "Wood, old son, this is cobblers". British detectives don't call themselves "Detective so-and-so". They might be Detective-Sergeant or whatever. The force that polices London is the Metropolitan Police, not the "London Police". Perhaps Allen didn't realise that his main copper, Ulster actor James Nesbitt, sounds a parody of the amusing roles he plays in some widely-seen British Yellow Pages adverts. Little things, so easy to iron out, that detract just a touch from credibility.

Scarlett Johannsson -- what an actress, is she really only 20 or whatever? She packs huge power and stunning looks, if occasionally getting a trifle near Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Jonathan Rhys Myers does his forlorn sports coach bit, as from Bend It Like Beckham. The solidly Brit supporting cast is entirely believable, even if their effortlessly affluent lifestyle takes a bit of swallowing. Genuine surprises at the end. This is a thoroughly satisfying evening at the movies.

Match Point just joined Brokeback Mountain and Cinderella Man in the top three films for me this year. Like Brokeback Mountain, however, it is almost impossible to write a reasonably intelligent review without writing a spoiler.

I have been a hot and cold Woody Allen watcher, but was only a fan during his comedic phase. So, despite hearing from a few reliable sources that this is Woody's masterpiece, I was skeptical and went in with few expectations. I am glad. Approaching the movie this way allowed it to creep up on me.

The NYC Jewish dialog is gone. The quirky sense of humor is nowhere to be found. the hypersensitivity is missing. Where's Woody? Well, he's in London, but the place and time, despite the opinions of some critics, are largely irrelevant in this film.

There is only one line in this film that indicates its origin - it has something to do with 'intertwined neuroses' and nearly made me laugh.

The first 3/4ths of this film is almost completely taken up with character development, but also contains all of the basics of the inexorable plot that truly unfolds near the end. The characters are all quite likable, and, if you're like me, you will yearn for a happy ending. Watch out! - you've just been hooked and Woody's about to reel you in!

Match Point draws its audience in quietly and slowly at first, defining its territory as a smart, hip, and sophisticated character study early on (in no way unexpected for Mr. Allen), but then it takes an irreversibly sinister turn as one man threatens to bring everybody we have grown to love and respect down with him.

The performances and cinematography in this film are all-around the best I've seen this year. Allen uses a lot of very close-in face shots, and his cast handles it with ease, performing their parts with accuracy and no lack of passion. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, and Scarlett Johanssen are all excellent, and the rest of the cast lends excellent support. I found no fault in the pace or the plot - this is easily Woody's most plot-heavy film, and you can tell that he had a great time putting it together.

The story line of Match Point is powerful, disturbing, and exceedingly clever. Philosophical folks will likely want to talk about it afterward. Some will find it frustrating and others will find it pretentious. Still others will point to Woody's own life and claim that this film is some form of perverse confession. Well, from my perspective, it is simply damn good story-telling.

Highly recommended for adult audiences.