Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Matthew Goode, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Cox, Emily Mortimer
Woody Allen explored the themes covered by Match Point in his 1989's Crimes and Misdemeanors. In Crimes and Misdemeanors, an affluent doctor has his mistress killed when she threatens to tell his wife of their affair. The doctor fears he would lose everything so he hires a hit man to kill her. The difference is the doctor is troubled by guilt caused by his religious upbringing. Tennis pro Chris Wilton (Rhys-Meyers) has no such qualms. To Chris, his newfound wealth and life of privilege are more than enough justification to rub out his mistress. He doesn't seem to have much issue sleeping at night.
Allen's career as a writer/director/actor has shown great versatility. The same man who made Sleeper also made Annie Hall, Zelig, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Midnight In Paris, Small Time Crooks, and Match Point. These are vastly different films, showing creativity that most writers and directors can't touch. Most people would view Match Point and not even realize Woody Allen made it, because it seems so vastly different from his previous works. It is indeed his most cynical and damning in its depiction of human nature.
The aforementioned Chris Wilton is a former tennis player turned tennis pro at a local London club. He befriends Tom (Goode), whose father is wealthy and who immediately invites Chris into his inner circle. Chris is soon introduced to Tom's sister Chloe (Mortimer), who falls for Chris and the two get married. Chris likes her well enough, but sees her more as an avenue to the good life. His father-in-law Alec (Cox) gives him a cushy job with his firm and life seems good.
Things are complicated when Chris meets Nola (Johansson), who is Tom's fiancee. She is an American actress looking to hit the big time. Chris and Nola take a liking to each other and begin a passionate affair. Things become further complicated when Nola falls for Chris, who is not willing to leave his wife or more importantly his life of privilege and wealth. Nola threatens to tell Chloe of the affair, which would send his world crashing down. To Chris, that is worth killing for.
Naturally, Chris is not an expert hitman and his staged robbery/murder quickly leads the police to him. As one character puts it, "You behaved like someone waiting to be caught." Even though Chris appears to be one step away from being arrested, things seem to hinge on a moment when Chris attempts to throw away a ring from the staged robbery into the Thames. The ring hits a handrail and lands on the cement. Will this destroy him or exonerate him? I won't reveal, but the outcome fits right in with Allen's view of justice in this seemingly godless universe.
Chris is not one bit likable, but yet we care what happens to him. Do we care because we care about him or is it because we want to see how he worms his way out of this jam, assuming he does at all? It is certain that he is reprehensible, but his story remains fascinating. Allen asks us to identify with his amoral justifcations even if we don't agree with them. People have killed for a whole lot less than the reasons Chris has. Nola is no bargain either, but her heart has its reasons for wanting to be with Chris and for acting scornfully when she knows she can't.
Match Point contains Allen's least sympathetic characters and some of the most intrigue. We know Nola's love for Chris will lead to doom. We know Chris will step on whomever he must to continue to live his affluent life. Things can't really end happily for such people. For Chris, staying out of jail is his most pressing concern. The rest, such as killing Nola, he can live with.
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