Match Point is "a winning combination of sex, mystery, brilliant writing and first-rate acting that all adds up to one of the most erotic and exhilarating movies in years." (Maxim). Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is being torn apart by his desire for two very different women. Marrying Chloe (Emily Mortimer) will bring him a life of wealth and success, but his true passion lies with his brother-in-law's fiancee, the stunningly sensuous but unpredictable Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Pulsing with tension, Match Point rides the dangerous line between ambition and obsession to an ending as surprising as it is chilling.
The passion of mad love and the cold calculations of social climbing collide in Woody Allen's Match Point. Former tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Velvet Goldmine) stumbles into good fortune when Chloe Hewett (Emily Mortimer, Lovely & Amazing), the daughter of a wealthy businessman, falls in love with him. But when Chris meets Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation), a much deeper passion is stirred--and his desire isn't deterred when he discovers that Nola is already dating Chloe's brother. But when their affair threatens Chris's increasingly cozy lifestyle, Chris begins to consider a drastic solution. Match Point starts deftly and ends with cunning; though the middle bogs down in banal plot mechanics, Woody Allen fans have justly hailed it as a comeback after Allen's last few cinematic stumbles. Despite weaknesses (Allen still seems to have lost touch with the mundane realities of life; his characters operate in a strange, weightless world of wealth and privilege), the strong performances and clean direction carry the movie through. Also featuring Brian Cox (X-Men 2, Adaptation). --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
3.5 stars out of 4:
The Bottom Line: One of the best movies Allen has ever made, Match Point is a fascinating character piece that changes almost imperceptibly into a first-rate thriller; a movie that can be viewed over and over, it's worth watching and owning.
Not a comedy by Woody Allen:
Woody Allen, known more for his comedies, tries his hand at a crime drama here. However, some parts of the movie are not as believable as they could be. For example, in this age of DNA testing where even a hair is enough to tie a criminal to a murder, how the police don't find anything that makes Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) culpable to the crime is implausible. Moreover, Wilton's decision to kill Nola (Scarlett Johansson) comes as a bit drastic and extreme to the viewer. And a drug addict killing an old... more info
Comeback:
The critical buzz about Woody Allen's latest film, Match Point, is that it's his best since (fill in the blank), and, to a degree, that's true. The last of his films to attain even a limited greatness was 1999's Sweet And Lowdown, with the magnificent performances of Sean Penn and Samantha Morton, and the last flat out great Allen film was 1992's Husbands And Wives. But a case can be made that this film is his best since 1989's Crimes And Misdemeanors, the film which is its most obvious philosophic and... more info
Lust or Love? Which is it in this passionate story with a British twist?:
Jonathan Rhys-Myers and Scarlett Johansson star in this smoldering story of lust, desire, and wealth. Chris, played by Rhys-Myers,is a tennis pro scraping out a living giving lessons, when he meets the son of a wealthy British family and develops a romance with his sister, Chloe, played by Emily Mortimer. Graciously accepted by the family, he becomes engaged to Chloe and is offered a lucrative position within the family's corporation. Enter Nola, played by Scarlett Johannson, the sensuous American... more info