Car shopping and Match Point
I'm a little behind with this news. I'll start with the update. The past week and a half has been quite busy and fast-paced. I've been in negotiations in finally trying to get a car. My parents (well, my step-mother), has offered to pay for the down payment. My dad pretty much instructed me on everything I could possibly know about purchasing a vehicle. It's stressful, and I wish he were here to do it with me, but I think overall it'll be a good learning experience. We went car shopping at a few different places and I finally narrowed my choice down to a used 2002 Hyundai Elantra. I really like the car. It's got some mileage on it, but about the right amount for a car of it's age. It's green, has power everything, and runs well (we took it on a test drive). Best of all, it's relatively cheap. With just a few setbacks, I can hopefully get it (or someother car, if this one doesn't come to fruition) in the very near future.
Also, here's my full review on Woody Allen's new film:
I'm a pretty big Woody Allen fan. I love Annie Hall, admire Hannah and her sisters, and enjoy Bullets over Broadway. However, his lastest films (Sweet and Lowdown, Anything Else, Small Time Crooks) have been either less than stellar or below the quality of work he's capable of. Before going into this film, I heard all the stuff people were saying about it: "It's Woody's best in a long time", "A return to form," "It's unlike anything Woody has done since perhaps Crimes and Misdemeanors." Goody. Finally, a recent Woody film to relish over. Needless to say, I put a lot of stock into this film...and it certainly did NOT disappoint.
Match Point tells the story of a young guy named Chris Wilton who lives in London and is a tennis instructor at an exclusive club. He's ambitious and desires to better himself. It's not long before he makes friends with Tom Hewett, a member at the club and wealthy son to a privileged British family. After realizing their common interest in opera, Tom invites Chris on a family outing to an opera show where he introduces him to his parents Eleanor and Alec Hewett, who is a very rich businessman, and his sister Chloe, who immediately expresses some interest in Chris.
Not one to let an opportunity slip by, Chris sees his "in" through Chloe, whom he genuinely likes, but is ultimately his ticket to self-betterment. Things go as planned, and not long later they get engaged.
This first quarter of the movie is straight-forward and admittedly rather boring. Woody films these scenes at a steady pace, with staid (and at times awkward) dialogue and few cuts. But I urge you to hang on, cuz it's all part of Woody's master plan.
The fourth, and arguably, most important character to come into play is Nola Rice (played by Scarlett Johansson), the American struggling actress fiancee to Tom Hewett. Sexy, tempermental, and mysterious, we get the idea that, like Chris, she has also played her cards aggressively and correctly, but is much more out-of-place. When she and Chris meet, there is an immediate attraction, leading to the obvious conclusion that something will happen between the two of them...And here, I'll stop the conversation about the plot, because there are surprises and turns that need to be discovered if you see the film.
I will say Match Point is a great film. In some ways it is like his past films: the quirky dialogue, the neurotic characters. But mostly it is very much unlike his past films (at least his comedies). He's not featured in it. It takes place in London, not New York. It's funny at times, but not overtly so; more witty and biting underneath. And the way it's written, the "clock-work" plot, the machinations of the characters, the underlying themes of luck, and its overtly scathing social commentary on class is a stroke of pure genius. None of the main characters are truly innocent, all are selfish, want something from someone, want more than what they already have. And although 2/3 of the film may seem taxing because there is nothing to distract the audience from the dialogue (it's categorized as a Thriller, but I think it transcends it): no car chases, nothing of that sort, I say again to hang on, because the last third is absolutely worth it. And I gaurantee, even if you don't like it, that it will at least get you talking. Grade: A+
Also, here's my full review on Woody Allen's new film:
I'm a pretty big Woody Allen fan. I love Annie Hall, admire Hannah and her sisters, and enjoy Bullets over Broadway. However, his lastest films (Sweet and Lowdown, Anything Else, Small Time Crooks) have been either less than stellar or below the quality of work he's capable of. Before going into this film, I heard all the stuff people were saying about it: "It's Woody's best in a long time", "A return to form," "It's unlike anything Woody has done since perhaps Crimes and Misdemeanors." Goody. Finally, a recent Woody film to relish over. Needless to say, I put a lot of stock into this film...and it certainly did NOT disappoint.
Match Point tells the story of a young guy named Chris Wilton who lives in London and is a tennis instructor at an exclusive club. He's ambitious and desires to better himself. It's not long before he makes friends with Tom Hewett, a member at the club and wealthy son to a privileged British family. After realizing their common interest in opera, Tom invites Chris on a family outing to an opera show where he introduces him to his parents Eleanor and Alec Hewett, who is a very rich businessman, and his sister Chloe, who immediately expresses some interest in Chris.
Not one to let an opportunity slip by, Chris sees his "in" through Chloe, whom he genuinely likes, but is ultimately his ticket to self-betterment. Things go as planned, and not long later they get engaged.
This first quarter of the movie is straight-forward and admittedly rather boring. Woody films these scenes at a steady pace, with staid (and at times awkward) dialogue and few cuts. But I urge you to hang on, cuz it's all part of Woody's master plan.
The fourth, and arguably, most important character to come into play is Nola Rice (played by Scarlett Johansson), the American struggling actress fiancee to Tom Hewett. Sexy, tempermental, and mysterious, we get the idea that, like Chris, she has also played her cards aggressively and correctly, but is much more out-of-place. When she and Chris meet, there is an immediate attraction, leading to the obvious conclusion that something will happen between the two of them...And here, I'll stop the conversation about the plot, because there are surprises and turns that need to be discovered if you see the film.
I will say Match Point is a great film. In some ways it is like his past films: the quirky dialogue, the neurotic characters. But mostly it is very much unlike his past films (at least his comedies). He's not featured in it. It takes place in London, not New York. It's funny at times, but not overtly so; more witty and biting underneath. And the way it's written, the "clock-work" plot, the machinations of the characters, the underlying themes of luck, and its overtly scathing social commentary on class is a stroke of pure genius. None of the main characters are truly innocent, all are selfish, want something from someone, want more than what they already have. And although 2/3 of the film may seem taxing because there is nothing to distract the audience from the dialogue (it's categorized as a Thriller, but I think it transcends it): no car chases, nothing of that sort, I say again to hang on, because the last third is absolutely worth it. And I gaurantee, even if you don't like it, that it will at least get you talking. Grade: A+