Match Point (2005)

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

Passion Temptation Obsession

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Tennis | Actress | Instructor | Tennis Pro | Tennis Player

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Chris Wilton (as Jonathan Rhys Meyers)
Alexander Armstrong	...	Mr. Townsend
Paul Kaye	...	Estate Agent
Matthew Goode	...	Tom Hewett
Brian Cox	...	Alec Hewett
Penelope Wilton	...	Eleanor Hewett
Emily Mortimer	...	Chloe Hewett Wilton
Janis Kelly	...	'La Traviata' Performer
Alan Oke	...	'La Traviata' Performer
Mark Gatiss	...	Ping-Pong Player
Scarlett Johansson	...	Nola Rice
Philip Mansfield	...	Waiter
Simon Kunz	...	Rod Carver
Geoffrey Streatfield	...	Alan Sinclair (as Geoffrey Streatfeild)
Mary Hegarty	...	'Rigoletto' Performer

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Summer Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality.

Runtime:

124 min | Turkey:115 min (TV version) | Finland:126 min (theatrical version)

Country:

UK | USA | Ireland | Russia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Certification:

UK:12A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-11 | Spain:18 | Germany:6 | Austria:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Norway:11 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:12 | Hungary:16 | Greece:K-13 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Belgravia, London, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

The film was shown out of competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.

Goofs:

Continuity: Chris teaches Nola how to play table tennis by placing the bat in her right hand, whereas she was apparently left-handed, as seen in her previous shot.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Christopher "Chris" Wilton: The man who said "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It's scary to think so much is out of one's control. There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck, it goes forward, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose.

Movie Connections:

References Diarios de motocicleta (2004)

Soundtrack:

Mi par d'udir ancora

Allen discovers new terrain and creates his most ambitious film in years

It's been said, but for a while one of the best filmmakers of the 20th century has been staggering with mediocre films not nearly up to his potential. But finally Allen has returned to the game with a subtle but perfectly done thriller which allows him to reinvent himself and discover new terrain like a brand new filmmaker.

Match Point offers a simple but powerful message that luck plays a huge part in everyday life which to a major extent is true. Luck plays a huge part in Chris Wiltons life when he gets a job as a tennis trainer at a fancy club and meets Tom, the son of a rich business man. Tom invites Chris to an opera where he meets Chloe, the sister of Tom. From there, Chris and Chloe start to date and Chris, a small and unwealthy man, gets introduced to high society life. He's offered a high stakes job, a personal driver, etc, just to bring happiness into the life of Chloe.

Chris is perfectly content until he meets the beautiful Nola, played by Scarlett Johansson. Nola is everything Chloe is not, exciting, extremely sexy, and unwealthy, which leads to Chris's dilemma. Nola and Chris begin an affair that leads to even more once Tom dumps Nola giving Chris the opportunity to live out all his sexual desires with a beautiful woman, but the high life of Chloe overpowers the little ambitions and lack of money. Match Point is about luck but also about choices made in life for personal enjoyment. Is it better to be rich and not completely satisfied or poor and happy? As a failure, Chris finds luck with Chloe's rich family willing to set him up with whatever he desires.

The film is very similar to Woody's 1989 masterpiece Crimes and Misdemeanors and it takes similar turns. Chris gets himself in the situation where he must choose from a small life with a woman he is satisfied and turned on by or choose a high society life with a woman he barely loves and lacks attraction to. I won't tell you what he chooses, but I will tell you the dilemma leads Allen to his most satisfying, tense, engaging film in over a decade.

It's great to see Allen take such a simple premise, used several times, and put all his trademark qualities into it mixed with a discovery of new terrain. Match Point is an engaging, entertaining film that gives you a taste of the high life and shows you what it can lead a man to. 10-10 for this excellent film by the great Woody Allen. Let's hope this is a revelation for Allen returning him to morality film-making.