Woody Allen
Match Point

'Match Point' is a 2005 film. A thriller with dramatic twists that achieved a good level of public success, but I suspect that the presence of the incredibly sensual and restless Scarlett Johansson substantially contributed to the attendance in theaters.

Watched on a Saturday afternoon, I rediscover the cinema suspiciously crowded. The film is far from the usual Allenian stylistic features. Calm and sober (no actor tries to impersonate the usual hysterical character known from previous Allen films), a strange tension runs through the entire film and the roles are entrusted to young actors essentially to be discovered. The setting is London, at times gray and smoky, sometimes cold and humid. It seems Allen was forced to abandon his beloved New York settings for obvious feedback reasons (the European audience follows the director with much more interest than the American one) and for the usual very sad economic issues (financial resources are more easily found in the orbit of the European film market).

As much as the settings change, so do the atmospheres: this time, the 30s-40s jazz mood is set aside to make room for backgrounds of classical operatic music. But if an unusual joyful and sparkling vein emerges from the old jazz, something dark and oblique, gentle but suspenseful, emerges from the classical notes, which is crucial for the success of the filmic pathos.

An Allen screenwriter and director unusually cold and controlled, who describes human material and its filth without a trace of irony, rather he highlights the sly randomness of fate. The 'handsome' (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) juggles his deceptions at will and nonetheless stays afloat. Ruthless, fake, and ambitious. There is a strong contrast between the elitist attitudes of the London upper class and bourgeois behaviors (the tempestuous Scarlett). The protagonist has a clear objective in mind and is willing to pretend to be in love, interested in cultural contexts very distant from him, and he pushes to the limit to achieve full pleasure and result, without losing control.

A matter of favorable circumstances, absurd if you will, that Allen paints perfectly. The director is neutral, powerful, and effective in the exposition of his means. An enjoyable film, a sort of dark and daring thriller that develops the theme of passion, re-addresses that of murder (tackled in the past in "Crimes and Misdemeanors") ultimately becoming delightfully engaging.

The title refers to the protagonist, a former tennis player, and a key action that will take place during the film (better not to reveal it): essentially, life is like a match. A correct shot and triumph will be in your hands.