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Match Point review
:. Director: Woody Allen
:. Starring: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson
:. Running Time: 2:04
:. Year: 2006
:. Country: USA
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Woody Allen has a habit of redefining himself with unimaginable success. Beginning his career by re-dubbing a Japanese comedy and casting himself in the lead, Allen has never kept a steady foot in the comedy spotlight. His directorial skills have led him to both musicals (Everyone Says I Love You) and drama (Interiors, Crimes and Misdemeanors), all while retaining his place among the Greats. When Entertainment Weekly voted him the 19th greatest filmmaker of all time some years ago, his popularity was about to wane, and I doubt anyone anticipated the depth in his recent return to prominence, Match Point.
Match Point, Allen's newest film, is also his longest and darkest. It's the story of Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a retired tennis pro turned instructor whose client Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) introduces him to his sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer) and fiancée Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Falling in love and marrying Chloe, he's simultaneously drawn to Nola; as her engagement to Tom crumbles, Chris further deepens their relationship until his own marriage begins to suffer. Dependent on the affluence of Chloe's family while drowning in the unmitigated passion of his affair, Chris's world spirals towards ruin.
In one scene, the characters discuss the idea of fate in relation to luck, and rightly so. Chris's every turn in his self-made quagmire depends on some degree of fortune and chance. We're never two steps ahead of him, and he's never so distant from us that we're left in the dark; he plans his world before our eyes, playing every card he's dealt. It makes for a fascinating exploration of the human psyche, of our awareness and trust in others. Imagine the slow, methodic advances of a Dreyer film draped against the underlying currents of a Hitchcock thriller.
Though the value of the final fifteen minutes of Match Point is debatable, it gives us a haunting, albeit short performance by actress Margaret Tyzack. The role of playboy Chris Hewett is perfectly suited for his Rhys-Meyers, and Johansson's performance as the cunning beauty turned ruthless other woman is deep and gripping, the kind that solidifies a respectable Hollywood reputation. She'll most likely garner herself esteem with audiences, just as she's done with critics.
With beautiful direction and writing, those die-hard fans of Allen who've found his more recent work disappointing will certainly rejoice in Match Point while at the same time wonder in amazement at how the lovingly inelegant Alvy Singer could create such a profound drama.
Adam Terry Balz
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