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Match Point
By David Wallace
To say that “Match Point” is the best Woody
Allen film in many years might be a bit of a backhanded compliment.
His most recent output has seen the prolific filmmaker spinning
his wheels. His best films have always been the one’s that
place equal importance on challenging the audience to question morality
and existence as they do on making it laugh (Crimes and Misdemeanors,
Broadway Danny Rose, Hannah and Her Sisters, Manhattan, etc.). While
Match Point isn’t a comedy by anybody’s standards, it
most certainly challenges us to ponder the decisions we make when
faced with the most difficult of circumstances. This is Woody Allen
at his finest – a razor sharp screenplay, a flawless cast
and production design of the highest order. He has foregone many
of the conventions that most of us associate with his films. New
York is replaced by London. Neurotic Jewish New Yorkers traded for
WASPy British Gentry. The traditional Dixieland Jazz score supplanted
with moody, haunting opera arias. There are no laughs to be found
here. Borrowing heavily from many of the themes from Crimes and
Misdemeanors, Match Point stands on its own as a high point in Woody
Allen’s impressive body of work.
When burned out tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)
joins an exclusive tennis club in London, he is introduced to Tom
Hewitt (Matthew Goode), the son of a very wealthy English business
man (Brian Cox). They become fast friends, bonding over tennis,
booze, and a mutual love of opera. Tom’s sister, London art
dealer Chloe Hewitt (Emily Mortimer) falls immediately for the bare-knuckled
working class Chris, and after a few months of dating, offers him
an opportunity to work in her father’s firm. Chris however
can’t get Tom’s fiancée, a struggling American
actress named Nola (Scarlett Johansson) out of his mind. The prospect
of a better life and the type of financial security reserved for
only the most fortunate members of society is alluring, but perhaps
not as alluring as Nola. What ensues is a classic cautionary tale
– deceit, betrayal, secrets, lies – and sets off a series
of events that will drastically alter the lives of all those involved.
The actors are all first rate. Scarlett Johansson is fantastic
in her best role since Lost In Translation, delivering a daring,
emotionally driven performance. Emily Mortimer and Matthew Goode
as the two Hewitt siblings showcase an effortless realism that serves
this story well. They both manage to expose layers of real character
in roles that could easily delve into one dimensional plot developers.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the protagonist Chris is a bit uneven early
on, but as the story develops and the intrigue thickens, he becomes
a very compelling screen presence. Woody Allen has always had an
eye for young talent – and an uncanny ability to make the
best looking people on planet earth look like the best looking people
in any galaxy and Match Point is no exception. The English locales
and exteriors are a perfect backdrop for these amazing looking people.
Be it modern London or the breathtaking country estates, this is
a remarkable film made by a remarkable film maker who has once again
found his voice.
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