"Match Point" Review

For those who have never been into Woody Allen films or cared much for his humor, his latest, "Match Point," is completely different. Nowhere can Allen be seen in this film and to be perfectly honest, there might be two light laughs throughout the movie. This movie has been compared by critics to "Closer" and Hitchcock. While I can see some very light resemblances to Hitchcock, it is more reminiscent of "Closer."

The story takes place in England with Jonathan Rhys-Myers as a tennis instructor. Myers played professionally, but got tired of it after a while. He doesn't want to teach tennis, but is uncertain of his goals or desires for the future. He claims to want to make a contribution, but doesn't know how. This is until he bumps into Emily Mortimer and everything falls into his lap. Her rich father gives him a job opportunity and he makes the most of it, until he gives in to the temptation of Scarlett Johansson and his marriage, his family life, his stability and security are all jeopardized.

"Match Point" deals with issues of infidelity, class, and the concepts of love vs. lust. When a person is caught in a pickle through his or her own actions, to what length will they go in attempt to undo their poor judgments? Myers has to answer that question in this film, which gives way to a very unexpected finale. The directing, acting, and dialogue are solid. The only area the film lacks is in the plot, but fortunately, even that part of the film picks it up for the final half hour. This may be very different from Allen's most recent efforts, but that's a good thing. "Match Point" is his most solid effort in years!

Overall Grade: 7.5/10