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 & 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 (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 ...

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Plot Keywords:

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

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

On-set, Jonathan Rhys Meyers learned how to do a very good Woody Allen impression, which he later performed on Live with Kelly and Ryan (1983).

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Goofs

In the scene in the Royal Opera House, the performance of La Traviata is, inexplicably, accompanied by piano rather than full orchestra.

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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 American Masters: Woody Allen: A Documentary (2011)

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Soundtracks

Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto
from "Il Trovatore"
Libretto by Salvatore Cammarano
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave
Performed by Enrico Caruso
Courtesy of Sony BMG Entertainment Inc.
Licensed by Sony BMG Special Markets

User Reviews

Jeeze, did that get better (slow start!)

Was gonna turn it off half way through. Was getting mad at Woody for the obviously male written female dialogue, and what I thought was a cheap and predictable "call back" for a cliche ending. Thought the Allen fans overrated another Allen movie...

I was pleasantly surprised, which says a lot. So much painfully boring and predictable garbage out there. This, on the other hand, was worth the time invested.

Details

Country:

UK USA 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 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