Review of Match Point (2005) by Gina W — 19 Jul 2009

Directed and written by Woody Allen, it's as always very dialogue driven with many scenes of people quietly talking to make you pay attention to what's going on. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (who I always think is John Rhys-Davis reading his name), Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, and Matthew Goode, Matchpoint is a tale of deceit, betrayl, choices, and luck.

Meyers plays Chris, a failed tennis player who befriends a rich fellow named Tom (played by Goode) and his sister Chloe (played my Mortimer) and eventually becomes engaged to Chloe and marries into their very wealthy family solving all his problems. This isn't enough for Chris, however, who falls into lust with Tom's fiancé, Nola (played by Johansson) and begins an affair with her. Eventually he gets her pregnant, something he is unable to do with his eagerly fertile wife and complications arise when Nola wants Chris to leave Chloe. This is something he isn't thrilled about because he's become accustomed to a certain way of living. When he takes matters into his own hands to remove Nola from the equation, it becomes a game of luck and deception as the cops try to get to the bottom of the crime.

This movie quietly exudes a lot of drama as Chris casually lies to almost everyone he meets for the course of the movie for his own desires. It's actually quite sad at times, especially when you're trying to discern whether he has ever loved Chloe. He never took Nola seriously and used her as a plaything so you almost have to pity her as well even if she turns into a needy, half psychotic low self-esteem momma-wannabe. There is a cool scene where he literally confronts his own ghosts and tries to deal with some level of guilt. I won't reveal whether or not he gets caught, but I'll say it's a good watch. The characters are well portrayed. I find the portrayl of rich life to be a bit boring and snooty, but probably pretty close to accurate.

Of course I'm horribly disappointed with the character of Chris and I think he never gets enough punishment for what he does throughout the movie. Both girls get lied to and treated horribly even though they don't really realize it that much. He's the worst kind of mooch, the mooch who swears they don't want to be one but is really sucking everyone dry throughout the movie. He never even gets substantially upset, always soooooo composed. It's scary how even he is. Check out this movie, it gets a B+ from me.