Match Point

The sunset of life has different effects on the ethics of people: while many become moralists as death approaches, others transform what was experienced in pure skepticism.

Such is the case of Woody Allen, who in his seventies presents us with “Match Point”, a great film whose protagonist is governed by a principle that few would dare to defend these days: it is better to be lucky than good.

From this premise, the legendary New Yorker reaffirms its amoral vision of the world and achieves one of his best films from last decade. The first part of Match Point is a traditional melodrama with little sophistication.

An ex-pro tennis player (Jonathan Ryhs Meyers) meets the rich heir of an aristocratic family and marries her. Soon, the player becomes a star executive thriving family business, but carries the burden of a passionate affair with an aspiring actress (Scarlett Johansson).

So far the film has nothing special, but when the choice between convenience and desire becomes untenable, things change: the protagonist makes a surprise decision and Woody Allen brings out his expertise to bring the movie to higher levels.

From that moment on the film flies away from the dramatic realism of the first half and Allen proposes, with delicious cynicism. the philosophical reflections that have haunted his career. 

The key to the effectiveness of the film lies in the skills of Woody Allen direction and the brilliant performance of Meyers, who has a wide expressive range. In contrast, Scarlett Johansson offers an opaque work, with a terrible scene in which it becomes clear that hysterical outbreaks are not her thing.

Director: Woody Allen

Writer: Woody Allen

Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Emily Mortimer