Match Point Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Passion Temptation Obsession
There are no little secrets.
Chris Wilton is a former tennis pro, looking to find work as an instructor. He meets Tom Hewett, a well-off pretty boy. Tom's sister Chloe falls in love with Chris but Chris has his eyes on Tom's fiancée, the luscious Nola. Both Chris and Nola know it's wrong but what could be more right than love? Chris tries to juggle both women but at some point, he must choose between them...
| Alexander Armstrong | Mr. Townsend |
| Paul Kaye | Estate Agent |
| Matthew Goode | Tom Hewett |
| Brian Cox | Alec Hewett |
| Penelope Wilton | Eleanor Hewett |
| Emily Mortimer | Chloe Hewett Wilton |
| Alan Oke | 'La Traviata' Performer |
| Mark Gatiss | Ping-Pong Player |
| Scarlett Johansson | Nola Rice |
| Simon Kunz | Rod Carver |
| Geoffrey Streatfield | Alan Sinclair |
| Mary Hegarty | 'Rigoletto' Performer |
| John Fortune | John the Chauffeur |
| Woody Allen |
7.80 out of 10 (29715 votes)
Visitor Reviews
absolutely amazing. realistic.
posted on 28 Aug 2009This movie is amazing, in the EXACT sense of the word. The relationships portrayed between all the characters has a reality to it. It wasn't the crap that they make nowadays where everything is way too rushed and not really showing how the character progresses. As you might have read in other reviews, this movie is about a tennis player who basically is woven into a family that is quite wealthy. He meets his client (he coaches tennis) sister, and instantly she pulls him by her side, feeding him job opportunities. She basically gives him everything he never had. His clients fiancée (whos just a poor starving American actor), he meets and instantly he has lust for. He wants what he can't have, and his comments apparently justify exactly that. Not only this, but he also falls into a lustful romance (maybe romance is not an appropriate word, but i don't know what else to call it) with his tennis clients fiancée. He marries the sister, and he continues to have the affair (long after the client and the fiancée break up).The affair really keeps on going until he gets a phone call that she has to see him at that immediate point of time. She's pregnant. He freaks out, he considers leaving his wife but when the time comes, he just can't tell her. He decides there's only one thing that he can do. The whole entire movie is not thankfully.. graphic in the sexual or the violence. It's all really left for the mind to imagine. He's already gotten used to the comfortable way of life. He kills her, and heres the punchline, he gets away with it.
Woody's latest needs a better script
posted on 24 Aug 2009I was expecting a change of scenery (the film was originally meant to be shot in NYC, but got shot in London instead) to do well for Woody, but with its over-the-top and all too obvious attempts at showing a Crime & Punishment retake just left me wanting more. The London locales are used well, but I can't say the same for the actors. Scarlett Johansson does a fair job at portraying her character with what Allen gives her, but the main actor, Jonathan Rhys- Meyers, can hardly go beyond a handsome-yet-scary face. He delivers his lines as if he's in a high-school play, with highly synthetic and stereotypical acting. The script could also be trimmed to have more meat; it feels very dry and theatrical. I have a feeling that much of my acting complaints are due to the script. On the bright side though, the cinematography was excellent, with effective camera angles and shot compositions. Overall though, it's interesting to see what Allen has been up to lately, considering how different this film feels when compared with his other, more notable, films.
Another Wonderful Woody Allen!
posted on 22 Aug 2009I was misled by the trailer of Match Point, which overemphasises commercial elements, so that initially I decided not to see this film. Then I feel lucky that I have watched this film. It is actually essential Woody Allen: the protagonist driven by the surroundings, the absurd existing, the mismatch and the black humour. The interesting things are in the languages, a typical Woody's way to make the the unreasonable reality explainable. The originality is satisfying.The cast do their roles precisely, sometimes they look like incarnations of Woody himself. The music and the colour of the film place the story in a nostalgic atmosphere, yet coupled with the reference to a stark urban realities. These bring me a few broadened thoughts which I quite enjoy. In short, a rewarding watching.
Two word reviews
posted on 22 Aug 2009Sh*t Point / No Point. Quite simply one of the worst films ever made. All the cast (pace Scarlett, you darling) were wooden and totally unbelievable, and the "thrilling" conclusion played out like a Channel 5 soft-core special. From the weak pseudo-British banter ("yum yum") to the wholly pretentious Dostoyevsky references, to the leaden metaphors about fate and luck and poor tennis, this comes across as one of the least convincing movies I've seen in some time. Utter, utter dross. How can the creator of Manhattan and Annie Hall produce such a weak, flabby, underdeveloped pile of toss? Save the money and invest in something more enjoyable,like unanaesthatised bowel surgery.P.S. You don't even see Scarlett's Johanssens, so don't hang around. Does that count as a spoiler?
If this movie were a tennis player it would be Tim Henman.
posted on 20 Aug 2009Whilst watching this movie we were forced to actually pause it on at least four occasions to allow ourselves time to recover from the awfulness of this film. The characters were irritating, two-dimensional and unbelievable, and the acting was atrocious throughout. It was only beaten by the dialogue - usually a sure thing in WA movies - which seemed to have been written by some fantasising 15 year old. Normally we find IMDb ratings to be a fair indication of whether a film is worth the time, but on this occasion cannot understand who would rate this film highly. My only thought is that it can only be getting votes from people who would love to come to England and think this is what it is really like over here.Woody Allen should stick to playing his saxophone and watch his old classics on VHS. It's very sad to see him putting out a film that would have not even made it past a script agent's wastebasket had it not had his name on the front.
I think that Mr. Allen needs to get a new lease on life.
posted on 18 Aug 2009Mr. Allen's theme is getting quite tiresome to me. He is so overtly cynical about the human condition (and its possibility for change) that I find him quite boring. Honestly, I can't figure out why people think this film is so good. The acting was fine and the cinematography was also good, but the movie was about people I just don't care about. It might do Mr. Allen a world of good to get out among real people and get to know them. While we all have our issues, I think that he might find a glimmer of hope among some of them. I would certainly introduce him to my friends and colleagues and maybe he might change his mind.There was a time when he found some beauty within people. "Broadway Danny Rose" comes to mind. It's not that I don't find many of his past movies filled with brilliance, even "Crimes and Misdemeanors", which thematically is an exact duplicate of "Match Point," but the unbelievable crush of cynicism is too much to bear.
Best movie I have seen in a long time
posted on 14 Aug 2009This is the best movie I have seen in a long time, and I have been seeing a lot of movies lately, both new and old. It's riveting- I was chewing my fingernails throughout the entire second half and so was my friend.The movie is a real surprise considering Allen's recent offerings. Again we see Allen's affectionate satire and light humor, here enriched by literary references and deepened by its exploration of the complex intersections of sex and class in society. Please go see it immediately.If you're not a Woody Allen fan, and I'm not crazy about most of his films either, I would see this film anyway...you won't be disappointed. He shows us that he can do more than those self-obsessed NYC intelligentsia anxiety-attack films. You'll love this movie and you will be chewing on it a long time after you leave the theater. As for me I'm going to go see it again tomorrow.
One of the best films of the year!
posted on 12 Aug 2009Having just come out of the movie theater I am ready to declare that this is one of the best films of the year. Shot in London, the atmosphere feels very different than that set up in the rest of his films - even Melinda and Melinda, a very recent film and a personal favourite of mine - feels to have belonged to a different director. This was slightly off-putting for me in the beginning but as the film progressed I realised that Woody Allen has reached the point where he can produce any kind of masterpiece even if that means unbalancing the notion of what has been perceived and eagerly acclaimed as his "style". The dialogue is excellent for once more, the plot ingeniously conceived and developed. The theme of crime and punishment along with that of luck and its relation to life are both persistent throughout the film. A lot of wisdom and a lot of opera that helps build the tension. A Woody Allen at his best!
Woody Allen has gone mad!!!!!
posted on 12 Aug 2009I can't think too hard right now...I'm watching the San Antonio Spurs beat the New Jersey Nets...it's Friday...I finished classes earlier today...and I haven't moved in like 4 hours, so needless to say, I'm a tad groggy.Thankful I am that Match Point, Woody Allen's only critically praised movie in my state of intellectual existence, is a pile of generic garbage glazed ever so lightly with enough cheap high-art ploys that certain individuals actually enjoyed it beyond it's dry dialogue and dreadful plot development. I swear on my DVD copy of Manhattan that this movie's plot development is one of the most agonizing experiences in recent memory. Actually, it's laughable.Like many others have expressed, I too have no strength to write a proper review of this movie. I just want to bring the rating down from an undeserving 8 out of 10!!!Nothing that happens in this movie is believable, including the fact that critics say "Woody is Back!". This movie is a bad day. It's one of those "days" where unbelievable occurrences keep happening and happening, creating an excruciating pain deep in your stomach. Don't believe anyone who praises this movie...they in love with it's sleek British sexiness. This movie has no heart, it's not funny, and it tells no truth about the human condition (despite an overt attempt by Woody Allen early on, at establishing Chris Wilton's (main character) philosophy about luck playing a largely significant role in the outcome of life......ooooohhhhhhhhh Match Point!) The aforementioned philosophy quickly dissipates and gives way to the obvious route of the plot: the incredibly trite tale of seductress lures impressionable (humble by social-status, but this isn't true at all) male. That is the interesting part. The last 30-45 minutes are horribly painful, as FAR TOOOOOOO MUCH TIME IS SPENT ON WHAT THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE AFFAIR. Let me give you an example of the final 30 to 45 minutes of Match Point:Chris: I lust for you! Nola: You're marriedSexChris: I desire you! Nola: Me too!SexChris: I must have you! Nola: Where is this going! Chris: ............SexChris: I really must have you now! Nola: I need to know this is for sure! Chris: I'll tell her in a weekSexChris: I'll tell her next week.SexChris: We're at the country house, I'll tell her when we get back.Sex (a day later)Nola: I WANT TO BE WITH YOU! WHY WON'T YOU TELL HER?!?!? Chris: I don't know, what do you want from me?!?! Nola: I'm pregnant.SexNola: What say you!!!! Chris: I'll leave my wife tomorrow.SexSo basically this keeps going on, while all the while Chris comes to the insane conclusion that he must take deadly actions....oooooohhh, I wonder what it could be. Maybe it's so tough to figure out since tales of affair never end up in anyone's eternal demise.This movie is a joke of a story, and Woody Allen doesn't deserve the praise. He was once a freaking genius, but much like Mic Jagger, he has held on somehow, and let critics tolerate him long enough to eventually feel enough pity for him to utter the words of praise.
dull and plot-driven
posted on 12 Aug 2009After reading all the hype about this film, I had very high hopes for it. Unfortunately, the end result was very, very disappointing. First of all, the plot is an extended variation/rehash of the tragic plot line of Crimes and Misdemeanours. So despite the London backdrop to the story, again nearly nothing new under the sun. Secondly, the movie is SLOW. Almost nothing happens for a very long time, and there are several extremely short scenes which could have been removed without the slightest impact on the storyline. Some scenes have dreadful explanatory dialogue, while others do sparkle (the ping-pong scene, for instance). Third, Rhys-Myers is extremely uneven. Sometimes his performance is riveting (epescially during the third act), sometimes it is stilted and mannered to an extreme. I kept expecting this to be for some sort of story reason, but no such luck. Four, the potential of the plot is underdeveloped. There were tons of possibilities for further complications and obstacles to confront Rhys-Myers with, but they were all ignored. Just when the film becomes interesting, it ends. Five, the resolution of the plot is not believable. And this mainly due to exceptional stupidity from the London Police. In real life, a cop like James Nesbitt would not give up his investigation immediately - he would stay on the scent, try to trap his suspect, look for clues (DNA, gun) etc. Allen wants the punchline about the role of fate to drive the entire film, and sacrifices both character and suspension of disbelief to this end. That's lousy writing. Six, Scarlett Johansson's character becomes intensely unlikeable, although her expectations and desires in the story are justified and basically honest. In short, Woody Allen is nowhere near on top form again. The sad reality is that he probably never again will be...
As good as Bergman, at last
posted on 10 Aug 2009It did Woody Allen much good to look at the world through an English eye. This got him out of his usual thing. And thanks God, he doesn't act in the movie. Suddenly, there is depth and culture in this clever study of British bourgeoisie faced with the more rugged type of an American aspiring actress, a cute orphan who's mother drank. On the other hand, the main concerns of the British aristocracy are their sense of duty, and the need to breed an heir. But above all, it's this pervading love of Verdi, a typical European trait. The music is from the "the Traviata". And the soundtrack bares much due sound of scratch. And as the action heats up, leading to a brutal double murder, Verdi's opera gets more pathetic, and the voices start to quiver.Match point is a master's work : the turmoil of young harts with an intrigue that is razor sharp. The story's hinges are subtle, just like tails or heads. Scarlett Johansson is a natural as wannabe movie actress. Whereas her mother in law would love to see her do anything but that.British wit with Italian Bel Canto : Woodie Allen, at last, is as good as Bergmann.
you can only polish a...
posted on 08 Aug 2009I have only walked out of one movie in my life. Last night i almost made it two.Almost everything i would have said has already been said in the other negative comments i've read this morning on IMDb. However, wooden script, unvelievable plot, underdevloped characters (how can a young man coming from a poor background in Ireland not have even the slightest trace of an Irish accent - without a good explanation!)The cinematography was generally excellent and the acting wasgood on the whole, but, as they say, you can only a polish a t**d so much, it will always smell like a ...If there was a Vote for "truly awful, one of the worst movies i have ever seen in my life...etc - minus 10", i would have cast itI'm still smarting from wasting my £5 - still can't work out how others can praise this movie. Surely it can't be a case of the emporer's new clothes?
Clever, Modern interpretation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.
posted on 04 Aug 2009Easily one of the best films Woody Allen has created in quite a long time. He's finally decided to take the scene somewhere else, besides the streets of New York City. He adds a new flair and taste to this film by placing it in London. You'd almost not know it was a Woody Allen film. I don't know if this is him being somewhat experimental or if it's just his way of trying to make an excellent interpretation without destroying it by injecting to much "Woody". Whatever it is, it works, and this was quite a good film.The first 75% percent of the movie is dedicated to learning who the characters are and is a little boring, until you start getting closer and closer to the characters. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is Raskolnikov in this movie, and I wasn't too stunned with his acting. I found him quite dull, not very emotional. His acting stumbled in certain important scenes and he was very blunt at times when he needed to be more refined. He is a young actor however and wasn't that horrible enough to ruin the entire movie. Scarlett Johansson, meanwhile plays the beautiful and promiscuous Nola Rice. In Crime and Punishment Nola's character would probably relate the most to Alyona Ivanovna. She was very sexy, but other then that there was no sparkle in her acting either.The last 20-30 minutes of the movie is where things really start to heat up and where the parallels between "Match Point" and "Crime and Punishment" become more obvious. Just like the book we get into a deep examination of morality, and if crime is ever a solution to any problems you may face. Woody Allen pays homage to the genius, Fyodor Dostoevsky, in one brief scene where we see Jonathan Rhys Meyers reading Crime and Punishment. Beyoned the scope of Crime and Punishment however, this movie also examines fidelity, and monogamy.It's not an exact 100% copy of the events that occur in Crime and Punishment but the parallels are easily seen if you have read the book. It's a clever modern interpretation, and it works. Even though the acting is a little weak, the story is clever, and the philosophical questions asked are interesting. Good movie.
Ohh What A Damn Good Movie !!!!!
posted on 04 Aug 2009The Genre of this film was beautiful and its climax was hard to imagine. Scarlett Johansson was Beautiful and that makes this film even more worth watching. The Script and plot development was beautifully done. When talking about the script. This Movie is about a guy who is stuck between two woman at a time and is finding it difficult to cope up with both at the same time and has therefore have to make a decision in the end. The Title of this Film is very symbolical to the whole movie. The endings pretty SAD and i m sure no one would walk out with a happy face after watching this movie. Well people who love Scarlett Johansson ..this is the right choice !!!! The actor also has done a pretty good job. The audience will also face the formal British conversations in the movie. This movie is definitely worth watching once and it wouldn't be a risk renting its DVD or buying it.
The vision in the eye of the beholder
posted on 02 Aug 2009I am in general quite hesitant to watch Woody Alan's movies. I find them too pretentious, snobbish and just too "american" to deal with. However, "Match point" was a different story. Unlike so many movie out recently, it has so MANY dimensions and story themes. Usually a movie is made by just one of the many dimensions reviewed to the eye of the beholder in the movie.Let me try to quickly point our why I give it 10 out of 10 for this reason only (not to mention that the action was superb, carefully matching the story lines). 1. The traditional Greek tragedy story line. Just listen to the music, and read the definition from Aristotle who write that tragedy results in a catharsis (emotional cleansing) of healing for the audience through their experience of these emotions in response to the suffering of the characters in the drama. He considers it superior when a character passes from good fortune to bad rather than the reverse; at the time, the term "tragedy" was not yet fixed solely on stories with unhappy endings. Chris is such a classic example of a character that went from good fortune to bad and reverse so many time, accompanied splendidly by the music. 2. The cotinuous reference to luck and the "match point" theme. It was done in a splendid way so many times! 3. Love and lust theme. Or in other words the feelings we can live with and the feelings we need to live with! 4. Longivity! Chris could not create a live when he was not putting his mind into it. Or something else... But anyways, despite of the mechanical aspects of the act, he managed to create live when he did make love the women he cared about. Not only when he had to do it for the sake of making babies. 5. "Crime and punishment". No this is not Dostoevsky neither Shakespeare, even though we had our "Hamlet" moment, but it was clearly shown that no crime goes unpunished. The detective knew he was guilty. He was going to be sent to jail as he did use a well known weapon he could had access to. BUT we are shown, again in relation to the Greek tragedy theme, that like "Antigone", the moral values could be much harder than any punishment men could cause as our here is practically dead at the end of the movie. Yes he DID deserve to be send for life to jail, but the jail in his soul he is living in is much harder punishment that anything else could cause him... 6. Family values. Yes this is a family values movie. The father character is just great. Always supportive and almost flawless. Is Chris trying to be like this? We will never find out, as his future is doomed...Happy to read your thoughts. Cheers. Mike
Not even worth a DVD rental
posted on 31 Jul 2009The only reason Allen continues to be able to fund his so-called movies is because there are New Yorkers who continue to see his movies out of pity for the loss of his supposed "genius," or they are new to the City and feel that an Allen movie is the obligatory trial by fire to becoming a bona fide Gothamite.Saw Matchpoint last night in a packed theater and was absolutely astounded that anyone would think this film had any originality. It was like a glossy regurgitation of a film major's senior project, which only family and friends are forced to endure.It was lamentably long and so predictable to be excruciating. If I wasn't sitting in the middle of the row, I would have left the movie. Allen managed to capture English eccentricities with the capital U of Mitford sisters' fame, which made the two hour (???) torture just barely palatable (immediately offset by the fact that I had paid $11 for this drivel).Matchputrid will now be my litmus test to find the pretentious bores hiding behind their pseudo-intellect and their gushing declarations that Allen and, especially, his newest film are why New York is the center of their sad universe.
Enthralling Every Minute
posted on 27 Jul 2009From the start, this pulsating movie moved inexorably toward a tension level that moviegoers get to experience only rarely. Scarlett Johanssen captures attention from the start, and holds it with her beauty, sexuality and emotions that appear genuine. Yet the other players establish themselves immediately, too.Throughout, I found myself wanting to yell, "How stupid," "No, don't do that" and "That's crazy." Each time I felt that way, though, I recognized that the film was reflecting real life--because desperate people commit unreasonable acts, forgetting the potential consequences.The movie title fits perfectly, which is not often the case. In fact, every viewer should give special attention to the opening scene, which sets the theme.While many movie fans think of Woody Allen as a comedic actor and writer, all of us have to tip our hats to him for this memorable drama. I know I am going to recommend it to friends and family. This one keeps you guessing. . .even beyond the final credits. A true gem, in my judgment.
Insightful, Intelligent, and What a Thrill (Especially the Ending)
posted on 25 Jul 2009When Woody Allen is in top shape, the man knows no fear. In "Match Point" he treats us to a tale that is supposed to teach us something by exploring the illicit adventures of a not so bright but lucky chap. He just happens to always be at the right place at the right time, and in most cases, he succeeds in spite of that force of nature played by Scarlet Johanson.In fact, part of the fun, is watching his journey through a mine field he creates himself. He knows what is best, and yet he surrenders himself to passions he understands but has little moral fiber to fight. This film takes to England and explores how the upper classes live, how they interact, and what they offer to people who get lucky to interact with them. Woody Allen subtly offers an insight into how breeding affects your social maneuvers. For example, he does wonders with the cast, and that's what makes Johanson's Nora so interesting and dangerous. She recalls Glenn Close's Alex in "Fatal Attraction". Is she a character that is too emotional for her own good? or Is she a victim of circumstances beyond her control? or Is she the victimizer? There is a very strong performance here, and it should come with a warning for this actress brings intense carnality to the screen. She is an object of desire, and she plays it to the limit.Rhys-Meyers gives a solid performance as the man who is able to move up in the world, with the approval and support of his newly found benefactors and a devoted wife. Along with Johanson, they keep the film going, and their interaction perfectly supports the tightness of Allen's script. It's through their history that we learn our lesson, and that lesson should be a point of contention between many members of the audience. It's a solid film, with much intelligence, much entertainment, and a return to greatness for a man who has explored the complexity of the human soul before, and who knows what weak creatures we are.
Compelling
posted on 25 Jul 2009Going through the abundant and recently updated collection of my mother's DVDs, fighting to stave off boredom, passing the many titles I'd seen before and the ones I didn't want to see, I came across Match Point. I didn't know anything about it, but seeing that it had the endlessly sensual Scarlett I thought that even if the film itself was a loss I'd have something to watch. Oh, and the rundown on the back sounded interesting enough. I've only just discovered who the director is, and it's been quite some time since I've seen it. My painfully clear lack of attention to detail aside (and please don't take that as a reflection of my comments, it's there when it counts), I liked this film a lot. Well acted, well scripted, well shot and quite thought-provoking. The story is believable when it needs to be, the plot builds perfectly and the characters are real, well developed and likable. Rhys Meyers does brilliantly as a suitably self-confident prat (almost annoyingly so at times, which adds to his character's depth) and is great at conveying the fact that his character is cool and always in control, even when things start going to hell. If you didn't follow the actions and behaviour of his character from start to finish, you'd think he knows instinctively how to handle any situation and it's only through the ending that we're shown why, and what a great ending it is. Unexpected, definitely. Implausible, certainly, as some of the other comments have pointed out as a negative, but for me that just makes it better. Highly recommended.
The ending destroyed all
posted on 30 Aug 2009I have seen Match Point, and i try real hard to like it, but at best i am indifferent. At the start the movie is like a firecracker sparking off bits of sun. It is insightful. I mean the bit about luck, and how it determines life, excellent,smart script writing, very genuine. And of course, the character of Nola is very charming and sexy. The characters are all in these very interesting and awkward circumstances. I can't deny that this movie has a lot working, but that's what makes it so sad when it stops working,and starts to dysfunction like a leaky pipe going from leaving a few drops, to puddles.The whole movie, well, it all falls apart in the end. All the artistic cleverness of this movie gets completely ruined by the murder of Nola. I mean it's like someone took a beautiful picture and lit it on fire, or someone threw paint on an original master piece before they made prints. I think the end is of such poor quality, that it actually drains the beauty out of the entire film, and it is there for shock value alone.