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 | 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

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 USA:

$398,593, 1 January 2006

Gross USA:

$23,151,529

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$85,306,374

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

According to Eric Lax's book, this movie is one of Woody Allen's favorite movies. The others being (in order) The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Stardust Memories (1980), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), and Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993).

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Goofs

When Chloe's parents are visiting her and Chris (before he takes Nola's call on his mobile), the stunning view of the Thames from their floor to ceiling windows is strangely static: two boats on the water never move throughout the scene.

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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 The 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2006)

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Soundtracks

Le Rififi
Music by Philippe-Gérard
Lyrics by Jacques Larue

User Reviews

I Know the Score of That Game----40 Love.

Woody Allen goes totally out of character with this provocative and nearly outstanding dilemma of a movie. Former tennis pro Jonathan Rhys Meyers immediately falls for the sister (Emily Mortimer) of one of his ridiculously wealthy clients (Matthew Goode). All seems well in jolly old London until Rhys Meyers meets Goode's seductive American fiancée (another stunning turn from Scarlett Johansson). Interest turns to intrigue and then to lust and then perhaps to love or maybe a little obsession. Rhys Meyers begins to forget about Mortimer and fall into a twisted web with Johansson, but what happens when the plot does not go as planned and relationships become blurred? Allen's Londoners are just as fascinating and messed up as his New Yorkers. The change of venue is a refreshing alteration of pace for the famed film-maker and he nearly makes the whole project work with crazed symbolism and a reincarnation of that new-age style that dominated the European cinema of the 1960s and 1970s. The pacing is a bit off as the picture runs too long and Brian Cox (as Mortimer and Goode's father) is not around near as much as he should have been. Still "Match Point" finds enough momentum to climb over that pesky net. 4 stars out of 5.