Match Point **** (2005, Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton) – Classic Movie Review 13,163

The 2005 British psychological thriller film Match Point is slick and satisfying, with a sleek and sizzling Oscar-nominated screenplay. It is one of its writer/ director Woody Allen’s best films. 

The 2005 British psychological thriller film Match Point is slick and satisfying, with a sleek and sizzling screenplay. It is intelligent and ambitious, and full of ideas, one of its writer/ director Woody Allen’s best films. Scarlett Johansson joins the Brit cast of Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, and Penelope Wilton to create a memorable ensemble.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as a former professional tennis player and now tennis coach, Chris Wilton, who marries into a wealthy family, but his social position is threatened by his affair with his brother-in-law’s girlfriend Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson).

It was a hit, earning $85,306,374 worldwide (including $23,151,529 in the US). Its US success is ironic as Allen had to rewrite his New York-set script for an English setting after not finding finance for the film in New York and being partly funded by BBC Films, who required him to film in the UK with largely local cast and crew. Okay, some of the English idioms aren’t perfect, but its serious tone is great, and the filming is as stylish as Allen’s script is clever. He’s captured London rather well, with a good taste and flavour of it, not at all touristy. The dark mood and cynical themes are attractive, highly seductive and entertaining, as long as Woody witticisms aren’t expected.

Allen was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

We are lucky to have Scarlett Johansson here. Kate Winslet was cast as Nola Rice, but quit a week before filming was to begin. Scarlett accepted the part, but the character had to be re-written as an American. Allen said: It was not a problem. It took about an hour.’

The soundtrack is almost entirely of pre-World War One 78 rpm recordings of opera arias sung by the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. The climax 10-minute murder scene is scored with almost the whole of the Act II duet between Otello and Iago from Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello.

Allen reviewed his own film, so I don’t have to. He said it is one of his few A-films and ‘arguably may be the best film that I’ve made. This is strictly accidental, it just happened to come out right. The actors fell in, the photography fell in, and the story clicked. I caught a lot of breaks!’

OK, last word to me. Woody’s right, it came out just right. Yes, the actors fell in. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson have a strong part in that ‘accidental’ success.

The cast are Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Chris Wilton, Scarlett Johansson as Nola Rice, Emily Mortimer as Chloe Hewett Wilton, Matthew Goode as Tom Hewett, Brian Cox as Alec Hewett, Penelope Wilton as Eleanor Hewett, Ewen Bremner as Inspector Dowd, James Nesbitt as Detective Mike Banner, Rupert Penry-Jones as Henry, Margaret Tyzack as Mrs Betty Eastby, Alexander Armstrong as Mr Townsend, Geoffrey Streatfeild as Alan Sinclair, Miranda Raison as Heather, Zoe Telford as Samantha, Rose Keegan as Carol, Colin Salmon as Ian, Toby Kebbell as Policeman, Paul Kaye as Estate Agent, and Steve Pemberton as Detective Parry.

For many years the film’s attractive poster, signed with thanks by Woody, hung proudly on the wall at the Soho Screening Rooms, D’arblay Street, central London.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,163

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