Match Point (2005)

At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Chris Wilton
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' Performers
Alan Oke	...	'La Traviata' Performers
Mark Gatiss	...	Ping-Pong Player
Scarlett Johansson	...	Nola Rice
Philip Mansfield	...	Waiter
Simon Kunz	...	Rod Carver
Geoffrey Streatfeild	...	Alan Sinclair
Mary Hegarty	...	'Rigoletto' Performer

Storyline

From a humble background and with traditional values, Irish Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is still struggling financially despite being a recently retired high ranked tennis pro. He has taken a job as a tennis instructor at an upscale London tennis club, although he knows there is a better life for him somewhere down the road. He is befriended by one of his students, wealthy Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode). Chris starts to date Tom's sister, Chloe Hewett (Emily Mortimer), a girl-next-door type who is immediately attracted to Chris. Chloe quickly knows she wants to marry Chris, and through her businessman father, Alec Hewett (Brian Cox), tries to help Chris and their future by getting him an executive job in Alec's company. In his life with the Hewetts, Chris begins to enjoy the finer things in life. Through it all however, Chris cannot help thinking about Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson), a struggling American actress who he meets at the Hewett estate and who is Tom's unofficial ...

---

Plot Keywords:

irony of fate | nihilism | misanthropy | actress | upper class | 

---

Taglines:

There are no little secrets.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The family name "Hewett" is a play on the ultra exclusive Manhattan private school Hewitt, which writer and director Woody Allen's daughters attend.

---

Goofs

The computer screens on the detective's desk read 'London Police,' which does not exist. It should read Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, or British Transport Police.

---

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.

---

Connections

Featured in 71st Golden Globe Awards (2014)

---

Soundtracks

Mi par d'udir ancora
from "I Pescatori di Perle"
Composed by Georges Bizet
Performed by Enrico Caruso
Licensed courtesy of EMI Records Limited

User Reviews

Entertaining & thoughtful

I haven't seen many of Woody Allen's movies, this was actually my third, after the classic Annie Hall & the more recent comic mystery Scoop, but i can already say that every single movie was entertaining & yet thoughtful from a certain angle, harmonizing the two is a difficult task for most story tellers, but Woody Allen does it with the ease of a maestro. The way the story builds, from innocence to sin & then an almost surreal sequence toward the end of the movie, is intriguing to watch. Its never predictable, even if anyone watches the movie knowing how it would end,they wouldn't really know or believe how it goes. Full entertainment, yet not cheap or conventional, neither is it over intellectualized. This is good cinema.

Details

Country:

UK USA Ireland Luxembourg France

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Summer Project

Filming Locations:

Belgravia, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$398,593, 1 January 2006

Gross USA:

$23,151,529

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$85,638,656

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Thema Production, Jada Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1