Match Point

I fully admit that I saw Match Point because it starred Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (it's winter, I'm that shallow). So I knew nothing about this movie going into it! In fact, I thought it might be a romantic comedy involving tennis players. OOPS! It was a rather heavy drama. The plot resembled an opera. The soundtrack was almost entirely opera pieces.

Overall, it was a good film. Not great, but good. I found it lacking in terms of character development; who is this lone Irish guy with no family or friends, a former tennis pro who starts out with nothing and ends up in the echelons of wealthy society? To me, there didn't appear to be any chemistry between JRM and Scarlett Johansson, which is kind of awkward if their affair is supposed to drive the movie. And I wanted to know more about her character, too!

There were moments I wish Woody Allen would've explored more. The recurring theme throughout the film is luck. But Allen only takes it as far as mere incidents in life. Given that both the poor Irish bloke (get it? luck?) and the unlucky American girl are central figures in a privileged setting, I thought the film might touch on issues of class. The most fascinating scene of the film started with the phrase "I think faith is the path of least resistance" over a dinner conversation. The scene had so much potential for a commentary on luck, faith, and class. But the scene ends abruptly with the spoiled rich girl brushing off the topic as too unpleasant, and the characters then discuss trivialities.

But I know Match Point isn't supposed to be a philosophical discourse. It wasn't a Greek tragedy (though Greece features semi-prominently); there was no fate or destiny involved, just "luck" and the individual. (Although I did keep thinking that half of the things in the movie described as "luck" can actually be explained quite easily by math and physics and social science.) It was very much an opera, with characters wrapped up in the moment.

And now there is Matthew Goode to think about.