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by Max Braden Published: January 6, 2006
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers ("Alexander") plays working-class athlete Chris Wilton, who arrives at a London tennis club where he will be hired to provide lessons to its upper crust members. In his twenties, he's already retired from a notable (but not entirely profitable) run as a pro, even if he coasted a little more on luck than talent. Luck is a running theme in Woody Allen's script, and will have a hand in Chris's fate. Chris is a mix of pessimist and optimist, seeing life as basically tragic, but seeking a role in the world where he can do something interesting and important. Matthew Goode ("Chasing Liberty") plays one of Chris's rich pupils, Tom Hewett. They develop an easy friendship through a shared genuine interest in opera, where Chris is introduced to Tom's sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer, "Dear Frankie".) Chloe is a sprite compared to Chris's somber nature. She's gangly, probably more comfortable in flats than in heels, and doesn't hide her interest in Chris. He simply goes along for the ride and soon they are dating, enabling him to enjoy - humbly - the family wealth. However, the first hint of passion in Chris is ignited when he meets Tom's fiancee Nola (Scarlett Johannson, "The Island"). She's an American pursuing acting jobs in London, who met Tom by chance. It would be hard to ignore Johannson, but Nola's physical sensuality is additionally enhanced by a provocative fast-and-loose personality. She is everything the rather naive Chloe is not, and Chris becomes obsessed with her, going out of his way to arrange couple get-togethers to be in Nola's presence. Chris pushes for an affair with her even as he marries Chloe and is embraced in the family brokerage business. The relationship between Chris and Nola becomes chaotic while Chris struggles with his loyalty to the Hewett family, until he reaches a breaking point. This is far from Woody Allen's typical comic fare. Moviegoers who have seen the trailer for "Match Point" recently have audibly gasped when his director's credit appears, because the movie is advertised as a thriller and is so unlike what most people think of as a Woody Allen film. "Match Point" is akin to Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" in style and tone. The pace is slower than it appears in the trailer, and the first half of the film is almost devoid of any music. Selections of Verdi's operas spotlight the somber mood of the story. (see the Amazon link for the soundtrack in the sidebar) Though not a comedy, some wickedly subtle humor pops up in the story from time to time, particularly in scenes with detective characters played by James Nesbitt and Ewan Bremner. In one of my favorite movies, Jake Kasdan's "Zero Effect", two significant plot elements are based around the kind of (un)lucky accidents that affect us all in real life but rarely appear in tidy Hollywood plotlines. With "Match Point," Allen uses the positive and negative aspects of luck both for plot and dark humor. Though I have yet to see "Crimes and Misdemeanors," I am aware that these two films are similar in theme. That alone has made me put "Crimes and Misdemeanors" at the top of my dvd rental list. What also impressed me was the way Allen drew his characters. With his past films, I've been put off by whiny rich Manhattanites who can't go five sentences without mentioning their job or crisis of the moment. While the Hewett family of this story is rich, they are comfortably sympathetic, like a person you'd actually want to talk to at a dinner party. The patriarch, played by Brian Cox ("Red Eye"), enjoys his wealth without lording it over others, doesn't shy from nepotism but expects performance on the job, and helps the less fortunate out of a feeling of love rather than the convenience of buying off problems. Tom and Chloe aren't thrifty but would probably know how to enjoy themselves just as well on minimum wage. Chris never takes advantage of their generosity as a stereotypical golddigger would in this type of movie. And Nola, while appearing to be a femme fatale, is (at least at first) actually vulnerable and fairly level headed. Each role comes across as very natural and approachable. Some audiences may shy away from this movie, confused by the combination of dark tone and Woody Allen's name. Also noticeably different from Allen's previous films is the youth of the main characters (Allen stays behind the camera). I found myself slightly impatient with the movie's noticeable two-hour length, and yet I was continually in awe with what I was watching. The cinematography by itself felt completely different than other Woody Allen films I've seen, with more intimate closeups of the actors. I recommend taking this film in and wouldn't argue if it managed to get some Oscar nominations. "Match Point" opened in New York and Los Angeles in December, expands to eight more cities on January 6, and expands further January 20. Rated R for sexuality (nudity and violence occur off-camera) 2 hrs 4 min.
...And Then What Happens? -Matthew Goode stars in the romantic comedy "Imagine Me & You" on January 27 -Emily Mortimer appears in Steve Martin's "The Pink Panther" on February 10 -Jonathan Rhys-Meyers appears in "Mission Impossible III" in May -Woody Allen and Scarlett Johannson team up again for the lighter "Scoop" later in 2006 -Johannson also appears in Brian De Palma's "The Black Dahlia" this year -Brian Cox appears in the low-brow "The Ringer" currently in theaters and high-brow "Running with Scissors" this fall Also opening this week: Munich | The Matador | Hostel | Grandma's Boy | Bloodrayne Related Articles: "Melinda and Melinda" review (Braden) | "Hollywood Ending" review (Pappas) |
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