woody allen's match point
woody allen now considers this the best film he has ever made. i cannot agree with him really but match point is definitely one of his finest. it has all the ingredients of a typical woody allen mix, the over-analyzing, highly-educated intellectuals whose everyday lives are peppered with expensive dinners, tennis matches, art gallery visits, trips to the opera etc. on the other hand, it seeps out of the style of comedy that the fans have grown very familiar with throughout the years.
accused of cannibalizing his own films in his recent comedies, he changed his environment and broke his routine by shooting the film in london. i have always thought that the overcast skies of england are perfect for him, because he always hated shooting on sunny days. it also helped him re-focus and just make one heck of a classy film. he took the audience to the little coffee shops, the exclusive tennis clubs, the expensive restaurants, the tate modern, and even inside the gherkin. one lovely trip.
what makes this film really special for me is how woody allen alluded most of the time to dostoevsky's crime and punishment. it was very obvious that the book was his muse for the film but he did not dare plagiarize it, even a bit. do not expect the same message though. the film centers on the premise that we should not overlook the power of luck. that does not sound very similar to the "enlightenment through suffering" theme of dostoevsky's masterpiece, does it?
jonathan rhys-meyers, scarlett johansson, and emily mortimer are also good, if not great, reasons for you to watch the movie. beauty and talent can really do wonderful magic together.
ang hindi matunaw, tibo. hahaha! echos lang.