Having only seen Woody Allen's comedies, viewing Match Point was another side of Allen I had never seen before. Some critics say this film is Allen's return to great movie-making while other critics criticize Match Point for its slowly dragging plot; I agree with the first statement.
Not to say there weren't similarities between Allen's earlier films and Match Point. Comparing this to Annie Hall, both films were philosophical. They explored the human mind--how we think, feel and ultimately act. In Annie Hall, Woody Allen's character Alfie retells his relationship with Annie through flashbacks. The audience relives their story and watch how this couple changed throughout the years, which eventually led to their separation.
Now in Match Point, the audience follows Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) work his way up the class system. He relocates from Ireland to London and obtains a job as a tennis instructor at a posh country club. Soon he befriends a young member named Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), which is how Chris meets and begins dating sweet, innocent Chloe (Emily Mortimer). Chris expresses to Chloe his desire to contribute more to society, which springs her father to hire Chris at the company. Things are definitely moving up for Chris except for the fact that he is obsessed with Tom's fiancé Nola (Scarlett Johansson).
Chris eventually marries Chloe while Tom and Nola break up. Chris's infatuation with Nola affects his progress at the Hewett company. He and Nola develop a sexual relationship while Chloe is suffocating him with trying to have a baby. Although this story may sound like just another drama about adultery, it turns into much more than that. Match Point is truly a dark thriller, emphasizing the pain and desperation that comes with love - it's a story about passion leading to violence.
Johansson surprised me with her performance as Nola, a desperate woman on the verge of craziness. So far, I had only seen Johansson play docile and sweet roles; her character in Match Point is nothing close to that. She is sexy, intimidating and ill-mannered--she argues with her future in-laws and is unfaithful to her fiancé. When Chris refuses to leave Chloe for her, Nola throws huge fits.
But one cannot say Nola is totally irrational since Chris makes her believe she's the one for him. Even though he has a "nice" relationship with Chloe, he is madly infatuated with Nola. And the audience knows why; Chloe gives him everything, but Nola keeps Chris yearning for more. She is the modern "femme fatale," refusing to play the role of devoted wife. Instead, she uses her cunning and sexuality to control men.
And Chris falls right into Nola's power. But even though practically everything Chris does in his path to success is wrong, the audience intently follows him every step of the way with complicity. He lies to everyone to get what he wants. He becomes more and more desperate the further he gets tied in his web of lies. But even after he plans and pulls off a terrible crime, the audience is manipulated to side with him.
Like Allen's earlier films, Match Point is praised for its rich characters and realistic screenplay. Allen creates characters with a range of emotions and behaviors that make the story complete. I also appreciated Allen's use of London sites: the Tate Modern, Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, etc. He utilizes London's atmosphere almost as well as he does Manhattan's environment.
Kristin's Grade: A
Director: Woody Allen
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Running Time: 124 minutes
Rated: R (for brief strong sexuality and brief violence)
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