MID-January '06 Movie Review—Match Point Column

Match Point

BBC Films and Thema Prods. present a Jada production; Invicta Capital Ltd.; Magic Hour Media. DreamWorks Pictures distribution.

Produced by Letty Aronson, Lucy Darwin, Gareth Wiley.
Executive producers, Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe, Stephen Tenenbaum.
Director of photography, Remi Adefarasin.
Directed, written by Woody Allen.

Nola Rice — Scarlett Johansson
Chris Wilton — Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Chloe Hewett Wilton — Emily Mortimer
Tom Hewett — Matthew Goode
Alec Hewett — Brian Cox
Eleanor Hewett — Penelope Wilton

Production designer: Jim Clay
Costume designer: Jill Taylor
Editor: Alisa Lepselter

Rating: R. Running time: 124 MIN.

Column Rating: Definitely See; the setup and payoff are worth the price of admission.
With Your Children? Uh…no.

Woody Allen, a past master at screenwriting and directing, delivers perfection of his style with Match Point. Film noir at its best, this story has an offbeat rhythm, and rainy, gray England for backdrops. He loves the urban settings and picks up good contrasts with the cultural, financial and residential districts, not to mention a lush country club and one each lovely English wooded estate (complete with stables, tennis courts, beautiful gardens, trap shooting and a spectacular library). No fuss with credits, as an old, scratchy record plays opera. Allen, now 70, has been winning awards, and nominated countless times for 40 years. He comes in and out of vogue; he really hits his stride sometimes, as with this film. Never shy on the subject of sex and an aficionado of mysteries, you can expect a lot of both in this love triangle. Opening just 'under the wire,' Match Point picked up nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes earlier this week.

Charming Emily Mortimer, playing Chloe Hewett Wilton, is relaxed and exudes pure lovability. Her award-winning skills shone in this role. And as the smoldering 'other woman,' Nola Rice, Allen chose Scarlett Johansson. She was the young girl everyone thought gave a rather promising performance in The Horse Whisperer. She was an intriguing fourteen-year-old that caught a couple of nominations for that role. Johansson went on to brilliant performances in Girl In The Pearl Necklace and Lost In Translation, for which she netted more nominations and a few wins. For a 21-year-old, she brought depth to the role of Nola, a petulant, wannabe actress (read she's a wannabe rich girl).

For whom are these girls vying? Chris Whilton, a quiet, gentleman tennis pro with a penchant for opera and Dostoevsky. Jonathan Rhys Myers, born and raised in Ireland, is known for his performance in Bend It Like Beckham. A bit surprising this week was his win at the Golden Globes for the TV movie Elvis. The same mouth that worked to portray Elvis, truculent and sensual, translated perfectly for his role as Wilton, a man who takes to luxury and women hungrily. Wilton was on the tennis circuit, but wanted more out of life. He turned pro because he knew himself not to have the obsessive drive to keep at it, and be the best. He wants much more, anyway. His caliber of tennis gained him access to the lovely surroundings of country clubs. An impressive, steadily improving resume finally lands him a position as the newest teacher on the tennis court at a posh English country club.

Early on Wilton is assigned to help Tom Hewitt (Brit actor Matthew Goode), a flighty heir to a fortune, amassed by his father, Alec Hewett. Brian Cox, an award-winning character actor, turned in an excellent portrayal of a man who has been successful, yet attentive to his family—and is just a pleasant guy. Hewett, married to Eleanor (Penelope Whilton, mostly theatre in Britain), also has a daughter, Chloe. He obviously dotes on his children (read corrupted them with love and money, power and status, so as to never allow them a difficult moment; they are witless, completely reliant on their parents and their money, of which they wholeheartedly believe makes Daddy his 'happiest when he is helping us').

An excellent cast for a dazzling romp in England. They allow the characters a depth Allen didn't write. Their superficiality seems fine, as they play their roles. The Hewett kids, born and raised in the society and comforts of the elite, are charming always, and also pleasant. Tom invites Chris to lunch, and learns Chris loves the opera, as he does…brilliant. He invites Chris to join them at the Opera, where he meets sister Chloe, who takes a fancy to Chris. The kids invite Chris to their country home for the weekend. The Hewett parents are charming, casually taking a liking to Chris. Chloe is openly receptive to Chris, and unfussy dates occur. All of this happens rather easily and gently, as things have a way of doing when people of like mind get on well with each other.

The gregarious Hewett family find Wilton quiet and correct in his manner, and Chloe likes him. So what could mess up this lovely turn of events for a tennis pro who wanted a better life? His roving eye, first off. Secondly, as luck would have it, Nola, the wannabe actress who is always around—she's Tom's girlfriend, though Mommy Hewett doesn't really like her much. Turns out Tom doesn't either. But Chris does, his eyes rove to Nola, whenever she is present. What's a man to do? Chloe is wooing Chris and he is just the right amount of tentative, hesitant and polite demureness. Not friendly exactly, but attentive and gentlemanly, certainly.

The family welcomes him and voila, Daddy places him in a great position in one of his companies. At their firm, he is promised increasing 'responsibility' (read more money) and assign him a car and chauffeur. Now he needn't do anymore than Chloe or Tom do to enjoy life as an adult, with Daddy as 'their safety net.' Chloe wants to marry, and marry they do, moving into a posh flat on the Thames riverfront (read spectacularly expensive). Things are great. Chris has grown accustomed to his life, can't get Nola out of his thoughts, and has a wife who wishes to be pregnant—now. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Is he wondering if opera is even good, his job enough as he could care less about it? Is his life enough, filled with endlessly bright, meaningless conversations at table with the Hewetts, in the garden with their friends, at home with his lovely bride? Chloe pouts, "Don't you love me anymore?" Watching in pity, I want to whisper to her that it is likely they are talking apples and oranges. Loving anyone would require Chris to have depth, convictions, compassion, which he seems to lack, entirely. I think she is looking at his beautiful eyes, not into them. Does he like opera, or read classical writings because it allows him to fit into the demographic to which he wishes to belong?

Everyone is happily self-serving, happy with each other being self-serving. Contentment should reign. Which of course, simply won't do for Mr. Allen. He stirs the soup and turns up the heat—and the tension—as we watch helplessly. Meager credits, superficial characters, lackluster musical score emphasizing opera to convey—what? Perplexing morality, and the question looms—does life lurch about on the toss of a coin? We must face the fact that we only admire, and root for, good people. Right? I love roads that disappear around a bend in the woods, then wondering what is around the next turn, OK, and the next, too. Sometimes going for a peek compensates, or not. A dead end, sometimes. When luck would have it, it is possible to pick a good windy-windy road, wiggling along into unseen lovely meadows, to vistas or even a lake. Riding with Woody Allen on this winding road, pitching about in the dark, is a surrealistic Mr. Toads Wild Ride…with a slamming ending to match.

_{Photos copyright BBC Films.}