Allen Serves Up His Best Film

by: Josh Marks

In the previews to “Match Point,” Woody Allen’s new London-based drama starring Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Myers, the writer and director’s name doesn’t appear until near the end. Seeing his name flash across the screen in the trailer is almost as surprising as the actual end of the film, one of Allen’s best.

That’s because “Match Point” could be mistaken for a Hitchcock film — with the London setting, the British cast, the crime theme and the suspenseful plot twists. It is far removed, not only geographically but psychologically, from the typical New York-centric Allen movie.

Chris Wilton (Rhys Myers) is an Irish tennis player who moves to London and meets fellow tennis player Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode). He eventually befriends Hewett and marries his sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). However, he is attracted to Hewett’s American fiancé Nola Rice (Johansson) and the slow-building tension between Wilton‘s comfortable life with Chloe and his obsessive secret relationship with Nola forms the crux of the story.
Allen traveled across the Atlantic for “Match Point” because he couldn’t get financial backing in this country.

It was a good thing he did because the London setting really enhances the film. The perpetually overcast London sky enhances the cinematography and familiar landmarks such as the Tate Modern and the Parliament building look great in the background as the story unfolds, constantly reminding the viewer of where the film takes place.
The performances are solid and there is a good pace to the movie as events begin to spiral out of control. With a running time of just over two hours, it doesn’t feel too long.

Allen has said repeatedly in interviews that this film is about the role luck plays in our lives and how we don’t acknowledge how much luck is a factor under the illusion that we are in control. Whether it’s luck or not, it is one of the most enjoyable films he has made in awhile.