For more movie summaries, see Kam's Kapsules.
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NOLA,THIS COULD BE THE START OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP: Bounder Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, right) seduces Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) the second member of Chris's love triangle, without a thought about the possible consequences of his selfish behavior. |
In 1989, Woody Allen made Crimes and Misdemeanors, a psychological thriller about an adulterer's desire to murder his mistress who was threatening to ruin his marriage unless he left his wife for her. In Match Point Allen revives the same theme, however, the tale of forbidden love gone wrong is set in London instead of Manhattan.
The picture has all the elements of a forties film noir classic: a story of suspense featuring an irresistible, dangerous young woman, a protagonist plagued by moral ambiguity, and cinematography offering acute camera angles and stark visual contrasts of black and white. The film's tension is generated by ethical questions like "When is it okay to kill to protect one's reputation?" rather than by whether the perpetrator will get away with the crime.
This story of ambition and betrayal revolves around Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) who is the tennis pro at an upscale country club. He is scheming to improve his station in life by ingratiating himself with Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), one of his wealthy tennis pupils.
Feigning a taste for refined music, Chris accepts an invitation to join the Hewett family in their private box at the Royal Opera House. That evening he meets Tom's shy and retiring sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). Next, at the family's country estate, he meets the other woman in his love triangle, Tom's fiancée, Nola (Scarlett Johansson), a struggling actress from Boulder, Colorado.
Even though he's smitten by Nola, Chris deliberately sets about sweeping the shy Chloe off her feet. He is eagerly welcomed into the family by Chloe's mother, Eleanor (Penelope Wilton), and offered a corporate position by her father, Alec (Brian Cox). So, Chloe starts making wedding plans.
Meanwhile, Chris still secretly desires Nola. She rebuffs his initial overture with a warning that an illicit liaison would be bad for them both. But his persistence eventually pays off, and the two engage in a series of trysts.
They continue to meet after Chloe and Chris marry and even after Tom breaks off his engagement to Nola. Complications ensue when Nola informs her lover that she's pregnant, that she plans to have the baby, and that she expects him to abandon his wife and move to her modest flat.
Of course, there's no way a cad like Chris would ever think about giving up the life of leisure he had so carefully developed. The only issue is to what lengths he will go to keep Nola silent about their affair.
Woody Allen does an exquisite job at setting up the mystery. But because his female characters remain undeveloped, unlikable archetypes, the film doesn't provide a satisfying resolution. Worse, the male lead appears to be a serious version of the flip, introspective misogynist Allen himself usually portrays in his earlier semi-autobiographical comedies.
Match Point is an intriguing adventure if you haven't seen Crimes and Misdemeanors and don't mind rooting for a despicable, amoral philanderer.
Very good (3 stars). Rated R for sexuality, violence, and mature themes. Running time: 124 minutes. Studio: Dreamworks Pictures.
For more movie summaries, see Kam's Kapsules.
