Lust and deceit infuse Allen's 'Match Point'
By Nick Boyd
"Match Point," a romantic psychological drama, shot in London (Woody Allen's first film to be shot outside of the United States), deals with lust, luck and doing the right thing in life.
In the beginning, Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) says, "There are moments in a match when the ball hits the top of the net and for a split second it can either go forward or fall back. With a little luck, it goes forward and you win- or maybe it doesn't, and you lose." This sets forth the philosophical theme of the movie, which is luck, something out of our control.
Chris Wilton is a poor boy from Ireland who is hired to be a tennis instructor at a country club. It is there that he is introduced to Tom Hewitt (Matthew Goode) who invites him to a night at the opera with his family, when the two of them discovered that they both share an affinity for opera. We later learn that Chris does not like opera and that this was simply a ploy to rise up among the social elite.
During the show, Tom's sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer), enamors Chris. They soon start dating and eventually get married. Along the way, temptation arises for Chris when he encounters Tom's fiancee Nola (Scarlett Johansson) at a party. The two immediately are overcome with lust for one another and once Tom and Nola break up, unbeknownst to Chloe, an affair ensues.
All of the characters are believable, fleshed out and likeable (at least to a degree). The sex scenes are not just mechanical and routine but truly sensual. Despite the luck motif, nothing about this movie is at all contrived.
This is the first movie I have seen in which operatic music was an integral part in creating an atmosphere and in this case was quite effective. This film vividly evokes London, which in the process imbues a sense of sophistication that elevates the film.
During the film, we observe Chris reading "Crime and Punishment." Is this just luck that he is reading it at that time or could it be that this scene signifies something? This movie, like the outstanding "Closer," seems to be a scathing indictment of modern romantic relationships.
Loyalty is thrown out the window and quickly replaced by the whim of uncontrollable lust. The toll that engaging in an affair entails is perfectly captured here. Chris' distant and cold behavior towards Chloe makes her feel as if it is her fault that she is not measuring up to him.
On the other hand, Nola feels like she is gaining the upper hand as Chris keeps telling her that he will soon leave his wife for her and that even when he and his wife do indeed engage in sexual intercourse, he is just going through the motions.
However, it becomes apparent that Chris is too much of a coward to leave his wife. Therefore, in essence he is manipulating and damaging the lives of two women.
The ending, in which luck plays a crucial part, will leave a sour taste in most people's minds. It definitely did with me, though I still found it fascinating, as I did the whole movie.
Grade: A
Contact Nick Boyd at nboyd@scu.edu.