Woody's Latest is Refreshing, Yet a Bit Dry

Match Point (2005) - dir. Woody Allen - 3.5 stars

I 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 even though his new approach adds an indulging flavor, different from his previous films, 'Match Point' ends up leaving a bitter taste, thanks to its uninspired script. The film can never go beyond an over-the-top and all too obvious attempt at a modern Crime & Punishment retake.

The London locales are used well; they're seductive and rich, supporting the power that materialism can have over an immature and uncertain character. The film's protagonist, Chris (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), can never articulate what he wants to be in the future. He only says that he wants to do something worthwhile with his life, but so much depends on luck, as he stresses in the first shot of the film. As luck would have it, a rich Londoner gives him a job, a family, indirectly even a mistress. As a signifier of his weak personality, Chris yields into the temptation of his lavish lifestyle while foregoing his true love. Unlike Raskolnikov (the protagonist of Crime and Punishment) though, his conscience wins the duel with the ghosts of his actions and even makes truce with them.

The scene of the face-off is so theatrical, it would be better suited for a play unfortunately. As a matter of fact, the whole script feels very theatrical and dry; it could definitely be trimmed to have more meat so that the actors could have had more to play with to develop their characters rather than unnecessarily long discussions on whether or not to have dinner with the brother-in-law. Scarlett Johansson does a good job at portraying her character, an American actress who feels lost in almost every part of her life. She has never been able to get a good acting job, nor has she found where she really belongs, dreading her homeland. She seems to be drifting from opportunity to opportunity as luck presents them, but as she loses control, she grows more and more bitter, and the one time she decides to choose the direction of her life, she indirectly ends it. Johansson displays all layers of her character effectively, from the seemingly careless actress completely controlled by others to the decisive grown-up who finally accepts reality but doesn't know how to deal with it. On the other hand, 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. This might be due to Allen's script since he seems to dump almost all the dry and unnecessary lines on Rhys-Meyers' shoulders.

On the bright side though, the cinematography and editing are excellent, with effective transitions, camera angles and shot compositions. The rapid editing while Chris fidgets with the shotgun parallels his state of mind right before he is about to go through with his elaborate scheme, while the increased use of close-ups afterwards build on the claustrophobic feeling of having an unclear conscience. In addition, numerous tracking shots through the English countryside and the recurring use of some of the most beautiful arias are used very effectively to create a sense of on-the-surface tranquility, much like the calm Chris displays when his wife reads him the dreadful news at the end.

Overall though, it's interesting to see what Allen has been up to lately, considering how different this film feels when compared with his more notable films. Will it live up to be like 'Annie Hall', as some other film reviewers have hinted at? Only time will tell, though I personally don't give it much chance.