Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) gives tennis lessons in the opening of “Match Point” (2005), and writer-director Woody Allen proceeds to deliver a master class in writing and directing. (He was nominated for Best Original Screenplay but snubbed in favor of “Crash” as the Oscars had their flirtation with populism.)
Love vs. lust
This is one of Woody’s best films that isn’t a rom-com (like “Annie Hall”) or a straight tragedy (like “Interiors”). The London-set film is a down-the-middle character drama, focusing mostly on Chris, who is caught between comfortable love and wild lust.
In the first column are cute and caring Chloe (Emily Mortimer) and her wonderful parents (Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton) who are so glad that Chris has made Chloe happy.
“Match Point” (2005)
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer
In the second column is alluring actress Nola (Scarlett Johansson, in the first of three Allen collaborations over four years). Allen taps into the sexy/sad ScarJo who was so effective in “Lost in Translation” (2003).
Getting to know them
A rare Allen film that hits the 2-hour mark, “Match Point” earns its extra 15 minutes. It’s a “What’s going to happen?” mystery, but not a “Who are these people?” mystery. From the start, Allen is very open about who these people are and what roles they slot into.
In many scenes, Allen focuses not on the conversation but on a specific person – who sometimes might be on the periphery of the wider chat.
We really get to know Chris and his conundrum. How enamored you are with 2005-vintage ScarJo and her smoky voice will determine how sympathetic you are toward him. I personally would choose Chloe straight-up, so I saw Chris is slightly more of a villain, although not a malicious one.
We also know how others feel when the camera focuses on them. So it’s a relatively calm movie, yet a sneakily emotional one.
Additionally, the characters themselves are extremely self-aware. Nola admits she’s “sexy.” It’s not cockiness; she simply recognizes that she’s always been able to attract men.
A twisty epic
Never boring throughout its 2 hours, “Match Point” does nonetheless unfold like a long epic because our perspective on what we’re watching changes so many times. Allen cleverly plays with genre expectations.
It starts as a love triangle, maybe even a cute and light one. The film opens with Chris’ monolog about how luck is an underrated factor in life, using the metaphor of a tennis ball hitting the top of the net: an inch one way or the other determines winning or losing the point.
Chris himself is lucky. His first tennis student is Tom (Matthew Goode), with whom he hits it off. Tom leads him to his sister Chloe, with whom he immediately connects in a comfortable romance. Chris is unclear about his career goals, but Chloe’s dad starts him at his corporation and Chris finds he’s good at the work and enjoys the lifestyle.
Series of surprises
Allen makes sure to show that Chris makes an aggressive move toward Nola – Tom’s fiancée — out of the gate. This will be important for how we feel about the two people later. But initially, it’s an innocent love triangle.
Then Allen pulls his first surprise: Tom, who was having an affair outside the narrative, breaks up with Nola. Now that Nola is available, Chris’ attraction is not so cute. “Match Point” has become a movie about a cad cheating on his perfect wife.
Allen plays similar genre-switching tricks later, along with one brilliant twist involving a gold ring bouncing off a rail.
“Match Point” stands out among Allen’s catalog, especially up to the point of 2005. True, Chris’ situation calls to mind Michael Caine’s in “Hannah and Her Sisters” (1986) – albeit without the comedy. But overall, it’s inspired, and one of his best character studies prior to “Blue Jasmine” (2013).
“Match Point” wins with the variety of its game, something that always keeps the “opponent” (the viewer in this metaphor) off-balance.