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Printer-Friendly ModeWoody Allen scores with Match Point
February 27, 2006 —
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Using this well-known saying, Match Point, the latest film from director Woody Allen, sets out to show how luck can play an important role in one's life.
Set in England, a vastly different environment from Allen's usual New York City scene, Match Point tells the story of Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a former pro tennis player who quit the game to give individual tennis lessons. He forms a friendship with Tom, one of his students, who takes Chris home to meet his rather wealthy family.
All of the obvious things happen at this point - the Hewetts fall for Chris; Chris falls for their daughter, Chloe; and Chris also falls for Tom's fiancee, Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson). But since he can't have Nola, an American actress living in England, he marries Chloe. Secretly, though, he wants Nola, and he lets her know.
This love triangle concept is nothing that hasn't been done a thousand times already. And even though the first hour is pretty much just standard issue romantic drama, Match Point captivates with its smart dialogue and likeable characters.
Throughout the movie, Chris gradually adapts to the Hewett lifestyle - horseback riding, caviar, opera, and everything else that is typically associated with wealthy persons. And as his lifestyle changes, so does he. He questions his marriage and seeks sexual favors from Nola, who has since broken up with Tom but is still living in England.
The movie does a fine job of showing the emotional collapse of a man who, confused by his feelings for two quite different women, does not know whether to do what is right or what is right for him. Oddly enough, as he becomes a different person - even a terrible person - it is difficult to hate him because he was just such a nice guy throughout the first part of the movie.
But the latter half of Match Point could very well be treated as an entirely different movie. Things go from cheery to dismal, and the mood change is not the only surprise. Without telling any more of the plot, I will just say that Chris' situation gets worse and worse unexpectedly.
The final moments of the movie come back to luck. Is it on Chris' side, or is Lady Luck playing against him?
This is a question that could also very well apply to Allen, who not only directed but wrote the movie as well. After a string of average films like Anything Else and Hollywood Ending, Match Point is the wonderful, standout project Woody Allen fans have been waiting for. But, with little promotion and limited release, will anyone else even know it exists?
It might take a little luck to get people into theaters to see Match Point. After all, it has to compete with all of those poorly written horror movies that seem to rake in all of the money. So the likelihood of success for Match Point is uncertain. But one thing is for certain when it comes to Woody Allen - while he might hope to be lucky this time, he may have to settle for just being good.