"Woody Meets His 'Match'"
by Scott Mantz

"Match Point"
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson
Directed by Woody Allen

Flirting with disaster! Jonathan Rhys Meyers makes his move on Scarlett Johansson in "Match Point"

luck (lek) – noun - a purposeless, unpredictable, and uncontrollable force that shapes events favorably or unfavorably for an individual, group, or cause.

Judging by that textbook definition, luck can be a pretty unforgiving word.  That’s because like it or not, luck isn’t something that can be controlled.  Some people have it, and some people don’t.  Sometimes good luck happens to bad people, and sometimes bad luck happens to good people.  Sometimes all the hard work in the world doesn’t mean anything, unless you’re in the right place at the right time to reap the rewards for your efforts.

Tennis instructor Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is about to get very, very lucky when he meets Tom Hewitt (Matthew Goode), a well-to-do pupil at an exclusive British club who shares his passion for opera.  Tom invites Chris to join his upper class family at the Royal Opera House, where he is introduced to Tom’s adoring sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer).  Chris and Chloe hit it off, they get married, they move into a beautiful flat and Chloe’s filthy rich father (Brian Cox) gets Chris a nice, cushy job in the business world.

All is well.  Chris has it made.  He couldn’t have asked for a better life if it was handed to him on a silver platter – which it practically was, lucky guy.

Too bad Chris meets Nola (Scarlett Johansson), an irresistible, beautiful American woman who represents everything that Chloe is not.  Where Chloe is sweet and naïve, Nola is daring and extremely confident about her sexuality.  The problem is that she’s also engaged to Tom.  That doesn’t stop Chris from having an affair with her, but when his attraction turns into a full-blown obsession, his luck takes a turn for the worst with devastating results.

And there you have the premise for “Match Point,” the latest from writer-director Woody Allen.  Yes, that Woody Allen.  Longtime fans expecting the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s flair for neurotic New York-based comedy are in for a refreshing change of pace in just about every way.  In what will surely be judged as one of his finest movies, Allen – filming in London for the first time – has practically re-invented himself with a superbly directed, well written and beautifully acted thriller that slowly tightens the screws as it progresses before reaching a gripping, unforgettable boiling point.

Actually, to describe “Match Point” as a thriller doesn’t really do it justice.  Though it’s clearly being marketed as a “Fatal Attraction”-like guilty pleasure, the film is quite different and plays out more like one of the melodramatic operas that its characters know so well.  This is where Allen’s presence can truly be felt, as his integral use of vintage music for the soundtrack – in this case, operatic selections from “Rigoletto,” “Salvatore Rosa” and “Macbeth” – underscores the passionate, tragic themes of the story and allows them to work on a number of levels.

But rather than settle for the stereotypes commonly found in the genre, Allen keeps the film engaging by developing deep, fully realized characters.  Nola could have been just another one-dimensional femme fatale, but Scarlett Johansson effectively plays her as sympathetic, vulnerable and insecure despite her sexuality.  She only gives into her loneliness after being seduced by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who gives a compelling, irresistible performance as the conniving, calculating opportunist who pushes his luck to the limits.

And speaking of luck, if you are not a fan of Woody Allen’s movies, then lucky you – you will probably love “Match Point.”  It’s so different from his other films, and it completely stands on its own when compared to classics like “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan” and “Hannah and Her Sister.”  But even if you are an Allen fan and have not been impressed by some of his latest offerings – like “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,” “Hollywood Ending” and “Anything Else” – then you’ll be amazed by the re-invigorated spirit for storytelling that Allen has displayed in his bold, new venture.

And that, my friends, isn’t luck.  That’s skill.

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