Match Point is a major departure for writer/director Woody
Allen. Not only isn’t it a comedy, but it doesn’t even take place in his beloved
New York City. Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a former pro tennis player
who gets a job teaching the sport to bored aristocrats at a private club in
London. Chris is portrayed as something of an aggressive social climber,
brushing up on classic literature and listening to opera. This off-duty research
proves to be a big help when one of Chris’ clients turns out to be Tom Hewett
(Matthew Goode) a scion of the wealthy Hewett family. Once he discovers that
Chris has an affinity for opera, Tom quickly befriends him, and invites Chris to
join him and his family at a live opera performance in their private theater box.
Chris soon meets Tom’s sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer), and they both hit it
off…to the point where they eventually fall in love. Chloe’s father Alec (Brian
Cox) likes Chris enough to get him a high-paying executive job within the family
business. Obviously, Chris has found what he’s been looking for all along: an
‘in’ with a wealthy family.
Yet during the same visit to the Hewett’s country house where he bonds with
Chloe, Chris also meets Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) a young struggling
actress from America who turns out to be Tom’s fiancée. Nola is such a striking
woman that Chris can’t get her out of his mind, even after he marries Chloe. And
what starts out as being the sort of fascinating English drama that you might
see on PBS’ Masterpiece Theater, slowly builds into a nerve-shattering thriller
that’s worthy of the great Alfred Hitchcock’s best films. Match Point shows
Woody Allen at the top of his form. He deftly ratchets up the tension by at
first making you care for all of the characters involved--which is easy to do
thanks to the marvelous script and superb performances from this great cast of
actors.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is captivating--and unpredictable--as Chris, while Scarlett
Johansson is terrific as Nola, an insecure woman who depends on her looks and
come-hither personality to get by. Emily Mortimer is memorable as the sweet Chloe, and
Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton are very sturdy as her parents. Allen shoots
London with the same loving cinematic style that he shoots New York City. The
upper class haunts of London have never looked better. Fans of Allen’s
dark-hearted Crimes And Misdemeanors will certainly enjoy Match Point, despite
the lack of special features on the DVD, for the film itself is a worthy addition
to any mystery film lover’s library. --SF
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