Match Point

A brilliantly written and acted conversational drama, with an ending that, as you can see from the reviews here, many viewers will find hard to stomach. But it’s the denouement of the story, surprising, somewhat cynical, going against the established stereotypes, trampling on my idealistic soul, that gives the whole narrative the right poignancy (those for whom Columbo, Perry Mason or other detective stories are daily bread will probably be unpleasantly surprised). The only weakness I can see is the character of the detective, whose speech in the final five minutes (the way he suddenly gets up from bed or gesticulates comically when he reveals his theory) pushes the story to a kind of farce. But that's really just such a small blip on the beauty of the whole. (24/09/2006)

Woody Allen, they are definitely not just comedies. My third encounter with Allen happened with a slight surprise, because after films that are mainly conversational comedies/tragedies, or dream-like pieces, I jumped straight into the thriller genre. Can a perfect crime be committed? The film is actually not about how to prepare for the crime, that is just a part of the whole story. The crime itself is not at the center of the plot. The focus is on a young man who gets married. Not because he is in love, but because his fiancée has a wealthy father who owns a company where the young man could succeed. And so it happens. However, there is something missing in their easy-going relationship. Especially passion, and maybe even love from the man's side. He finds everything he needs in the young woman, Nola, with whom he becomes very close and finds everything he is lacking at home. Hot and beautiful sex, understanding, tenderness. Well, maybe he has that at home, but this adventure is something new, it is beautiful, forbidden, and therefore tempting. Although his relationship with Nola goes through certain twists and turns, it even seems like he would leave his wife for her. But then everything breaks apart. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who played the main character, summarized it beautifully in the following speech (I am paraphrasing): "I love her, but what would I do with her? What kind of life would it be? I am used to a certain standard." Woody Allen shows that he is truly close to all topics. He can precisely express what the character feels, and both Rhys Meyers and the beautiful Scarlett Johansson (yes, I have a weakness for her, I took a picture of her huge billboard in Venice's St. Mark's Square) are perfect in their roles and portray real characters, not just fabricated ones. Even though the film turns into a thriller towards the end, it doesn't bother at all. It is an amazing culmination of what preceded. The film is predominantly underscored by opera music, which may not be tolerable for everyone, but on the other hand, strong melodies fit here and there. Although it is quite dramatic, it still stays within certain limits. But mainly, it is because the film gets under your skin. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/10/prach-uspesna-pokracovani-animaku.html (01/03/2013)

Unfortunately, the final quarter of the film is very different from the rest in terms of its concept, which downgrades the overall impression by at least a notch. From a fairly promising, decently acted, and emotionally powerful film, in the final moments it becomes a comical farce, humorous on its own but not quite fitting. Woody Allen makes the most out of the minimum, he pics talented actors and an attractive theme (a love triangle), places them in an even more attractive setting (English high society), and complements everything with sharp and dynamically written dialogues. But no matter how good the film may seem at the beginning, the ending is very bad and disappointing. Overall, it's something between three and four stars. (24/03/2006)

The "hard" cinematography and the narration going through an avalanche of dialogues with the absence of visual narration initially confuse the viewer, but the dream romance turns into a drama, then into a thriller, and the morality falls on its face into the mud. That’s quite an unorthodox way to go against the sunshine trend, which Allen does get to with a very shaggy insert from the detective office. However, it was probably all worth the feeling of Dostoyevsky turning uneasily in his grave a few times. (22/08/2014)

"So who will be my next victim? You?" Master Allen has found a new muse, moved to London - and shocked the whole world with a total change of genre. He shocked me too, but in the most positive way. Woody touches the conscience of all sinners and wrongdoers while sympathizing with them carefully. By not appearing in the film himself, he gives the viewer a sense of a personal masterpiece and perhaps even confession. At this moment, I feel like we haven't had such a masterpiece from him in a sea of years, especially in a more serious genre branch. Moreover, both the incredibly seductive Scarlett and the incredibly credible Meyers are going full force and make Match Point possibly one of the director's Top 3. (16/12/2006)