Match Point (2005)
| Crime,Drama,Romance
UK / English
"Passion Temptation Obsession " At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for a femme-fatal type who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.
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a serious channeling of Dostoyevsky via infidelity drama by Woody Allen
Match Point is my favorite American-directed film of 2005. Woody Allen,
coming off of hitting his stride again with Melinda and Melinda, goes
back to his darker, dramatic side, and makes a story that may seem a
little familiar, though not to his discredit. Woody borrows (some may
say steal) elements from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, one
of the great novels of the 19th century (some may say ever written, I
have read his work though not this yet), and transfuses it with subject
matter that he's more than well acquainted with- the relationship
drama. But un-like Love and Death, which was Allen's way of parodying
the work of the author, this time he takes the work seriously, plunging
the audience into the mind, conflicts, and outcome of the protagonist.
That the performances by the actors involved, particularly the three
main leads are top notch (Jonathan Rhys-Myers, Emily Mortimer, and
Scarlett Johnasson in one of her best) brings full blood and flesh to
Woody's strong skeleton of a film.
The story starts slow. Chris Wilton (Rhys-Myers) is an Irishman in
London, a tennis instructor who could've gone pro. He meets Chloe
(Mortimer) through her brother Tom (Matthew Goode) and they soon become
close, close enough for marriage. Basically, he marries into an
upper-class family where he's coaxed into becoming a businessman for
the family. But during this he also meets Nola Rice (Scarlett
Johansson), a struggling American actress, who's engaged to Tom. One
thing leads to another, yada-yada, and Chris winds up in a big pickle
as he's in a love-triangle between Chloe and Nola. Allen handles this
dilemma with a powerful precision, by building up the relationships
Chris has with each girl, and how there is not unbelievability in the
set-ups. Nola is sensible and intelligent, if not altogether, while
Chloe is caring and decent, if maybe too picture perfect for Chris. The
dynamics are set-up so well, it leaves room for ample drama and
suspense.
Allen, who has also been a playwright for decades, knows the way people
interact like so, and how not to rush the situations and use tact with
delicate scenes. There is also the element of Opera, which Chris sees
with Chloe's family often, and the element of tennis. The analogies
that both produce could possibly be very trite or cliché. It's not to
say a couple of scenes are even cliché (ladies, you know you've seen
quite a few movies with passionate kissing in the rain), but I even
bought into those scenes. There is perhaps a certain manipulation that
goes into these kinds of love stories, how much the audience can go
with the inner conflict of our main character. But as the protagonist
goes into a frame of mind that most may not be able to identify with,
we're still with him all the way. And, perhaps, it's also because I
love a good, solid infidelity story. Allen has here not only his best
film in several years, but also likely his most suspenseful one.
Those who may not go with the sympathies &/or empathy for the
characters may not like the film as much. Some have even criticized
minor gripes with the film, like Rhys-Myers's unconvincing accent, or
the over-usage of London's most famous landmarks. As an American,
perhaps, I didn't mind certain things like these. When a filmmaker has
this much trust in his script (and Woody, pushing 70 in making this, is
not amateur), and has the right cast, it just takes off from there. To
say I was on the edge of my seat through a good chunk of the third act
is an under-statement and, at the core, was even cathartic in a way.
It's the kind of film I would love to tell more people about, even if
they think Woody is washed up after years of arguably less-than-great
pictures. For some it might not even 'feel' like a Woody Allen movie,
that at times it's a little 'slick'. It still is, however the work of
an artist reaching further into his grab-bag with younger, exciting
actors, and an interesting use of a (finally) new city.
Personal| Seen it: | Nej |
| Nr of disks/tapes: | 1 |
| Storage device: | Divx 1 |
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