A film
review by James Berardinelli for ReelViews.net.
In my review of Woody Allen's previous misfire, Melinda
and Melinda, I wrote the following: Lately,
Allen's films have sunk into a state of heightened mediocrity - sporadically
entertaining, but often disappointing, at least for those clinging to the hope
that Allen will return to 'form.' I no longer expect great things from a Woody
Allen movie… Indeed, it has been over a decade since Allen has produced a
memorable motion picture. Match
Point puts an end to the
drought, and does so in an impressive and unexpected fashion. Not only could one
argue that this is the best serious
work the director has ever attempted, but it's presented in a way that even the
most seasoned Allen fan will have difficulty recognizing the iconic filmmaker's
fingerprints.
Some of the differences are immediately
evident: Allen does not appear on-screen, the setting has been shifted from New
York to London, and the cast and crew are predominantly British. Other aspects,
although no less important, are more subtle. Allen's usual voice is absent. Match
Point does not deal with a neurotic character and there are no May/December
romances. The comedy is minimal. This is a character piece that develops into a
slow burn thriller. And Allen proves himself to be a master of misdirection. I
thought I knew how Match Point was going to end; I was wrong.
Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is a retired pro tennis player who has signed
on to be a tennis instructor at a posh British club. One of his first clients
is Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), an
affable fellow who invites Chris out for a night at the opera when he discovers
that he and Chris share some of the same tastes (opera, classic novels, etc.).
There, Chris meets Tom's family: his father, Alec (Brian Cox); his mother, Eleanor (Penelope Wilton); and his sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). Chris and Chloe begin seeing each other, and it's
not long before Chloe falls for the dashing athlete. Chris' feelings are more
reserved - he feels affection for Chloe, but no great passion, but he recognizes
the kind of stepping stone that a liaison with the Hewett family could
represent. Enter Nola Rice (Scarlett
Johansson), Tom's headstrong American fiancée. Chris is immediately
smitten. Even as he woos Chloe with the intention of marrying her, he becomes
obsessed with Nola. And, as with any romantic house of cards, this one seems
destined to collapse spectacularly.
Without giving away plot details that
are best discovered by the individual viewer, I can't say much about the film's
final act, except to note that it's much different from what comes before it,
and that's what elevates Match
Point from a solid,
character-based story to a near-masterpiece. No Allen movie since Crimes and Misdemeanors (16 years ago) has left as lasting an
impression. In an era when the filmmaker has churned out one disposable motion
picture after another, it's a welcome surprise to find a gem like Match Point lurking in multiplexes.
This is Chris' story, and Jonathan
Rhys-Meyers (Bend It Like Beckham) is perfectly suited to play the part.
Although there are less-than-laudable aspects to his character, Meyers plays
Chris with sincerity. He's a flawed, but not evil, individual. There's a little
of Stephen Glass (Shattered Glass) in him. He's a sycophant social
climber who's not beyond using a little groveling to ingratiate himself with
someone who can advance his opportunities. And he has a genuine, almost
pathological need to be liked. Rhys-Meyers shows no difficulty handling the
demands of this complex character.
Emily Mortimer and Scarlett Johansson
show different faces of womankind. Mortimer's Chloe is the nurturing,
supportive female: one who takes her husband's denial of an affair at face
value and whose primary goal in marriage is to give her parents grandchildren.
It's a role that Mortimer slides into without difficulty. Johansson, on the
other hand, is simultaneously self-sufficient and needy. The qualities that
attract Chris to her are the ones that make the potential of a long-term
relationship harrowing. This gives Johansson an opportunity to show a little of
the femme fatale. Experienced British thespians Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton
have supporting roles as the matriarch and patriarch of the Hewett clan.
One of the most keenly observed
elements of Match Point is the way in which it shows how
infidelity can erode a marriage. Most movies that delve into this subject do it
in a heavy-handed, melodramatic fashion. Allen's approach is quieter and has
the ring of truth. We are taken through the stages of the affair: its
passionate beginnings, the slide into routine, and the growing gap between
what's real and what the characters want. For Nola, it becomes a question of
whether Chris will leave his wife. For Chris, it becomes a question of whether
he can give up his comfortable lifestyle for a woman who makes him feel, but
may be unstable.
Had Match
Point simply been about the
Chris/Nola/Chloe triangle and the way the deceptions and willful ignorance
impacts all three lives, it would have been a compelling motion picture. But
Allen takes things to the next level, and that's what makes Match Point memorable. For the first time in a
long time, we understand why Allen is considered a master. If this is what
filming in London does for him, maybe he should move there permanently.
Labels:
crime, drama, thriller
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