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 11 wins & 30 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 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. Chris starts to date Tom's sister, Chloe Hewett, 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, 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, a struggling American actress who he meets at the Hewett estate and who is Tom's unofficial fiancée. Nola is vivacious, and she knows the effect she has on men, including Chris. Unlike ...

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Plot Keywords:

irony of fate | nihilism | misanthropy | extramarital affair | infidelity | 

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Taglines:

Passion Temptation Obsession

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks [United States]

Country:

UK Ireland Luxembourg

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:

£751,992 (United Kingdom), 8 January 2006, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$529,434, 1 January 2006

Gross USA:

$23,089,926

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$87,989,926

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many critics and viewers of this movie noted that the plot bore many essential similarities to Theodore Dreiser's 1925 novel "An American Tragedy," as well as the movie version of that novel, A Place in the Sun (1951), starring Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters, and Elizabeth Taylor. Despite the unmistakable similarity between the plots of "An American Tragedy" and Match Point (2005), however, there was no acknowledgment of Dreiser in the credits, and Match Point (2005)'s only Oscar nomination was for Best Original Screenplay (not Adapted). Woody Allen later repeated this tactic for creating a screenplay with his script for Blue Jasmine (2013), which bears unmistakable plot similarities to Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire," but which didn't credit Williams. Allen was again nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Blue Jasmine (2013).

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Goofs

When Chris and Chloe have dinner with Tom and Heather, Heather's hair is in front of her face in one shot, and tucked behind her ear a second later, even though she never touches it.

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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.

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Connections

Featured in 71st Golden Globe Awards (2014)

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Soundtracks

Mia piccirella
from "Salvator Rosa"
Composed by Antônio Carlos Gomes
Libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni
Performed by Enrico Caruso
Courtesy of Sony BMG Entertainment Inc
Licensed by Sony BMG Special Markets

User Reviews

The Turning Point Of Woody Allen

A Noir with English accents. A modern, ancient tale with super stars of the future and a score of crackling vinyl original recordings of timeless arias. A sixtysomething filmmaker with the flair of an impertinent newcomer. A masterpiece. Engrossing, entertaining, elegant, wicked. The meeting between the splendorous Scarlett Johanssen and the breathtaking Jonathan Rhys-Meyers at the ping pong table is right out "A Place In The Sun" - Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift at the pool table - the feeling is James Cain and Patricia Highsmith but the result is unique, bold, enthralling. Allen's British dialogues are refreshingly startling and I don't intend to spoil the pleasure of its perverse surprises by hinting at any of them. Just let me say that if you love cinema, rush to see it.