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Match Point [2006]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

And so Woody Allen picks up his camera and moves the location of his latest film across the channel to London. In the process? Match Point becomes one of his finer efforts of recent times.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers leads the cast as Chris Wilton, a former professional tennis player, who quickly lands himself a job as a coach. As he goes about his business, he meets Chloe (Emily Mortimer), and a relationship soon ensues, much to the delight of her family.

With some speed, he quickly finds himself working for her father (Brian Cox), and wedding bells aren’t too far away. Yet there’s a fly in the ointment, in the shapely form of Chloe’s brother’s girlfriend, played by Scarlet Johansson. Johansson’s powers of attraction--and bluntly, she looks terrific here--aren’t lost on him, setting the stage for an intriguing mix of thriller and drama that comes very much alive in the final act.

Allen wisely utilises London not just to give his film a different feel to usual, but also to embellish it with a strong cast of primarily British actors. And while Match Point doesn’t deliver the clever humour and wry laughs you find in the majority of the prolific writer-director’s work, this is still very much an engaging film.

Ironically, those likely to warm to the film the least are Allen’s most loyal fanbase. Save for the minimalist credits and the jazz soundtrack, it’s hard to tell he’s behind the camera with Match Point, and that has the trade off of making it accessible to those not usually won over by Woody Allen’s talents. And yet still, there’s something for everyone here, and while Match Point is far from the peak of Allen’s work, it’s still a fine addition to an exemplary body of work.--Simon Brew

Editorial
Synopsis

For the first time in his long career, writer-director Woody Allen takes his cast and crew to London, and the European location breathes new life into the normally Manhattan-centric auteur. Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as Chris Wilton, a former pro on the world tennis circuit, with eyes set on a very different kind of prize. After meeting Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) at an exclusive club, he becomes friendly with Tom's extremely wealthy family, including his powerful businessman father, Alec (Brian Cox) and his attractive sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer), who is desperate to get married and have children. The only problem is that Chris has fallen hard and fast for Tom's fiancee, the steaming-hot Nola (Scarlett Johansson), an unsuccessful American actress from Colorado who just might share Chris's lustful feelings, a romantic entanglement that could get in the way of his master plan. As he does with his New York-set films, Allen includes many London landmarks, including the Tate Modern, the Royal Opera House, the Queen's Club, St. James Park, the Millennium Bridge, the Palace Theatre, and the so-called Gherkin building, with its marvellous views of the city. He gets splendid performances from his actors, especially Rhys Meyers, who plays Chris with an intense glower, and Johansson, who is brilliant as the sexy, confident femme fatale. Allen is also inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, with several references and homages to the work of the great British director. The soundtrack features songs from LA TRAVIATA, RIGOLETTO, OTELLO, MACBETH, SALVATOR ROSA, IL TROVATORE, and other operas, primarily sung by Enrico Caruso.

top 'o
Review date: 2008-08-20 Rating: 8 out of 10

this was a great film. For some reason i'd got it in my head that this film and Wimbledon were similar - how wrong i was. For while Wimbledon is simply a lighthearted chick flick with not a lot to it Match Point is clever, thrilling and erotic with a great many twists and turns that really kept me on my seat the entire duration. Meyers and Johansson bounce well off each other and the chemistry between the two is pretty realistic. All in all a great way to spend a couple of hours and you'll be surprised and amazed by the end.

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Reviews


Refreshingly different thriller
Review date: 2008-06-14 Rating: 10 out of 10

The only criticism I can agree with is that most of the characters in the film are fairly stereotypical and one dimensional, with the exception of the main character, Chris. I think this does not detract from the quality of the film. I suspect as the film essentially is a narrative of Chris, the one dimensionality of the other characters makes sense if it is his own view of them, and would explain his psychopathic attitude toward others. The materialist existentialism of Nietzsche is the other obvious theme in the film and on occasion it is expressed in obvious but effective metaphor. The multidimensional villian, the commentary on social norms and morality as well as the addition of the farcical characters of the two policemen at the end of the film, gives it a near Shakespearian feel.

very smart twist
Review date: 2008-05-26 Rating: 8 out of 10

i'm not a huge allen fan once you get past the early comedies but this is brilliant.

quite slowly paced but worth it in the end.

Woody's best in quite a while
Review date: 2008-05-16 Rating: 10 out of 10

Admittedly that's not saying very much but nevertheless this is the finest thing Woody has done probably since 1999's 'Sweet and Lowdown', though it's a very different film from that. After the awful 'Melinda and Melinda' and the lousy re-telling of 'Annie Hall' that was 'Anything Else' Woody bounces back in somewhat surprising territory, but does so very successfully. This is not a comedy, in fact there are few laughs at all (just maybe one or two) so don't go expecting many, plus this is not a conventional thriller either. But it is a thriller of sorts, as well as a morality play and a mini-thesis on the central role that chance plays in life. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is successful as the amoral villain of the piece whilst Scarlett Johansson drips with sex appeal. In fact this is a racier film than I ever expected from Woody (no pun intended) - I just didn't think he had it in him. But he actually manages to write and direct something that doesn't really feel like a Woody Allen film, and at this point in his career this is a good thing. Some will find this boring, others frustrating and others will consider its amorality a problem but overall I thought the material was strong enough to bat away those criticisms. The only weakness, perhaps, is Woody's view of London which may not match with that of most other people but if you can get over that then I think you'll find this to be a rewarding experience.

An intelligent thriller.
Review date: 2008-05-01 Rating: 8 out of 10

This is not a typical woody allen film, if there is indeed such a thing. Despite borrowing it's plot from a previous Allen outing (Crimes and Misdemeanors), Machpoint does not have the comedy sub-plot of the latter and is, when all is said and done: a thriller. It is suprising how well Mr Allen handles this genre how he manages to slowly build the tension. At the centre of the action is the electric attraction between the characters played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson. The relationship is complicated by the fact that Meyers' character is in a relationship with Ms Johansson's character's fiance (okay- maybe now it sounds like a Woody Allen movie).

There appears to be some criticsm of the film on this site, in particular as the film focuses narrowly on the London upper middle-class, as though these people don't actually exist. Well Mr Allen has always focussed on a small section of society, and i would ask those who have been critical of this film whether 'Annie hall' or 'Manhattan' is any more represntative of the new york demographic.
In my opinion Mr Allen's move to london hasn't diminished his filmaking. On the contary, it is one of his best films for a number of years.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Alexander Armstrong
Matthew Goode
Brian Cox
Paul Kaye (IV)

Creators:
Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Primary Contributor)
Alexander Armstrong (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video (Icon)
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video (Icon)
EAN: 7321900876940
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2006-05-08
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 124 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005-12-29
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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