The Bottom Line
Pros
- Excellent ensemble performances
- Entertaining and thought-provoking
- Fast-moving script and skillful direction
- Satisfying as entertainment, but also has substance underneath
Cons
- Portrays a noirishly cynical view of human nature
- Unlikable main character who behaves immorally
- May be too stylized for some viewers
- DVD has no bonus materials
Description
- DVD containing drama Match Point (2005), written and directed by Woody Allen
- Film received Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay
- Movie stars ensemble cast including Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson and Emily Mortimer
- Feature run time: 2 hours 4 minutes
- MPAA rating: R for some sexuality
Guide Review - Match Point DVD
Although written and directed by Woody Allen, the overarching tone of this film is quite serious, and those expecting one-liners and laughs might be disappointed. But Match Point shows that Allen's filmmaking skills translate to drama quite well. His comedy often has a dark edge, and he used that sensibility to intensify the cynical, noirish mood of the movie.
Match Point is set in London, where Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is the tennis pro at an exclusive club. There he meets Tom (Matthew Goode) of the wealthy Hewett family and becomes infatuated with the privileged life his new friend leads. He marries Tom's sister (Emily Mortimer) and goes to work for Tom's father (Brian Cox), but he falls hard for Tom's girlfriend Nola (Scarlett Johansson). The conflict between Chris's comfortable life with the Hewetts and his attraction to Nola leads to tragedy.
I'm a Woody Allen fan who missed Match Point in the theater, but when I watched it on DVD, I was not disappointed. Much of the movie unfolds in interiors and through stylized dialogue, all of which worked well on the small screen. The film is beautifully photographed, and the cinematography was very effective for the type of story being told. The movie offers a chilly view of the universe, but an intellectually engaging one.