Film: Woody's Perfect Thriller Set In London

With the world enchanted by the Summer Olympics, we thought everyone might want to see more sides of London.  Here is one of my favorite movies set in this historical-meets-modern city.

I’m not always a fan of Woody Allen…most of his recent films have been so-so comedies (with the exception of the highly entertaining Midnight in Paris), but Match Point is one of the best films I’ve ever seen, and definitely the best thriller of recent years. 

Why?  How about this...not a word is out of place and there is nothing extra that should be in the film and nothing that shouldn't. It's a perfectly constructed film in every way. 

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I attribute this solely to Allen’s writing.  Allen just simply has a way of writing a story in a neat, clean circle.  The story starts off with one thread and that thread runs through the entire film ever so subtlety until the ending, when you realize, “Oh, I get it.”

The plot revolves around a young tennis pro who gets a job at an upper class athletic club and soon makes friends with one of the members…an affluent young man who has both a pretty, demure sister and a beautiful, sultry fiancée. The tennis pro falls for the sister but really falls hard for the fiancée.

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What happens from there leads to a complex, intricate series of events that keeps the audience guessing at every turn.

Very much like a jigsaw puzzle, the script flows seamlessly right up to the very end.  The ending, unlike most films I’ve seen recently, will not disappoint or ruin the masterfulness of this film. What happens right up to the last second will only increase how strong this film is…which is proof of Allen’s genius.  

And, no worries if you are not a Woody Allen fan…this film is pretty much devoid of any Allen-esque trademarks…the nervous, pessimistic man, quippy one-liners, groups of people all talking at the same time, etc.   This movie is sharp and edgy in different ways…dramatic ways, which Allen seems just as much at home with than with his witty comedic material. 

This also is one of the better showcases of London on screen.  As Allen’s first time shooting abroad, it would have been natural for him to seem nervous outside of his stable NYC habitat.  If he was, there is no evidence of any jitters here.  London shines like a Belisha Beacon (look it up) under Allen’s expert tutelage. 

If you are an Allen fan and worried about his different locale and lack of wit, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by what you see.  Match Point might not be typical Allen, but it is a spectacularly well-written and well-constructed film. 

Match Point: 2005, rated R, 124 minutes, directed by Woody Allen, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johanssen, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton.  The Niles Library owns this title on DVD. 

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