My Review of Match Point

LOVE AND LUST REDEFINED

Having watched only one of Woody Allen’s previous movies (Vicky Christina Barcelona), I must admit that I found his portrayal of human relationships to be bewildering at first. But after a couple of days, as I kept thinking about the movie (or Scarlet Johanssen should I say), I started to like his style of film making and the way he depicts his characters in his movie.  Therefore, when I had a chance to watch Match Point, I obviously expected a varied portrayal of human relationships and my expectations were completely satiated. Incidentally, many movie freaks and film critics regard Match Point as his best work after his 1989 comical drama “Crimes and Misdemeanors”.

Match Point stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Chris Wilson, a tennis coach at a prominent English club who befriends one of his clients, Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode).  Hewett invites him for a party and very soon Chris captivates the attention of Tom’s mother Eleanor Hewitt (Penelope Wilton), father Alec Hewitt (Brian Cox) and sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer).  Chloe and Chris’s relationship rapidly turns romantic but Chris’s interest quickly turns towards Tom’s aphrodisiac girlfriend Nola Rice (Scarlet Johanssen). Rice tries her best to avoid having a relationship with Wilton knowing that they both would be brother and sister-in-law in future, but Chris who continues his relationship with Chloe eventually sways Rice to sleep with him.

Rice and Tom, over a period of time sever their relationship after which Rice travels out of London but when she meets Chris by chance after a few years the whole vigor is re-ignited. Chris, on the other side is married to Chloe and lives a very satisfied life. Rice becomes pregnant and starts pestering Chris to reveal their relationship to Chloe which he is very reluctant. Eventually, Chris’s decision to choose between a satisfied life and ardent love leads us to a heart wrenching, high-emotion filled climax.

The casting is apt and well-chosen.  Jonathan Rhys-Meyers plays the role of a loyal husband and sly lover to perfection. You tend to hate him but as the movie progresses you cannot but admire the prowess with which he delivers his emotions. Scarlet Johanssen too is shrewd at first but towards the latter part of the film, she loses her confidence as Jonathan gains an upper hand. Her acting is very believable and you sympathize with her when she is caught in no man’s land.

Woody Allen’s script is tight with very few loopholes. Dialogues are subtle and witty at some places. The story is meticulously drawn out and builds very slowly, but at the same time keeps the viewer guessing all the time. The movie completely justifies its tagline (Passion Temptation Obsession)!!