Visitors Review

Buzzo-2 (2012-05-21 22:07)

Insulting

After reading some of the reviews and seeing the movie, I have to agreewith the most negative comments made already. I would just like to addthat the editing job was one of the worst I have ever seen.Above all, the whole script and dialogue were downright insulting toits viewers - how stupid can you get?If you want to see what Bad looks like, go ahead and see it. If you arelooking for (much) better performances by just about anyone associatedwith this movie, stay away from Match Point!Now I have to spend one more line to meet guidelines. Barf!

Ethan Alter (2012-05-21 15:42)

Fits squarely into [Allen's] second-tier pantheon.

Dieter Verhofstadt (2012-05-20 03:52)

Some negative marks

Since all the comments here have been very positive - and you may readthose splendid reviews first - let me give a few negative marks thatI'm surprised few people seem to have given.- It is difficult to believe Rhys-Myers' personage is capable ofdeluding his allegedly intelligent wife, while keeping his loverhanging on the telephone. You wouldn't give him that credit. - It iseven harder to believe he has been a professional tennis player,holding his own against Agassi or Henman. His being a pro player wasn'tnecessary for the plot, so I wonder why they insisted on having himdisplay his mediocre tennis skills. - While the movie does a very goodjob in giving us the feeling of boredom and superficiality that governthe posh atmosphere he's gotten into, several scenes take simply toolong. - Finally, I couldn't bear with the tension building and hardlyever resolving, but that may be a strong point of the movie as well.

a-stokes (2012-05-19 22:06)

How can anyone like this film?

This film was simply the worst film I have ever seen in my life - and Ihave seen Prayer of the Rollerboys! About 25 minutes into this film, Iturned to my friend and asked her if I was just imagining how utterlyawful this film was. She agreed with me and we spent the next hour anda half giggling at the cliché-ridden script and embarrassingly badacting. This film was so terrible, I seriously began to think it couldonly be intentional and that they were actually poking fun at this typeof melodrama. I actually left the theatre completely freaked out bywhat I had seen. Woody Allen - a giant name in cinema - has produced afilm packed with wooden, stereotypical characters and dialogue, apainfully bad depiction of English culture (especially his depiction ofLondon) and a plot lifted from a third rate made-for-TV movie.He should be ashamed of himself.

gavs6791 (2012-05-19 14:55)

Average Joe's review - more interesting than entertaining.

MATCH POINT - written & directed by Woody AllenThis movie is set in London, and has the style of a foreign film. WhileI understood beforehand that this was a romantic drama, those expectingsome of trademark Allen's humor throughout this movie will bedisappointed. There is none. What does this movie offer? There isScarlett Johansson's voluptuous presence, playing an aspiring actressfrom Boulder, Colorado. And for those with enough patience, there issome romantic intrigue to resolve.Unfortunately, for most of the American public, without a generouscuriosity for upper class British style, these character's dialogue isvery cold, dry, and emotionless. Even Johansson's character seems to bea bit overdone in this regard until deep into the film, and tocriticize Allen, some of the early romantic repartee seems forced andflounders a bit.Which makes one wonder what Allen's motivation for making this filmwas. Most Americans have no access to or knowledge of upper crustBritish society - could Allen could be condemning their detached andaloof style with this film? These British characters are generallysedated throughout and seems entirely oblivious to current events.The focus of the drama, an Irish, former tennis pro named Chris, seemsa bit too wrapped up in his chauvinist understanding of philosophy andliterature to see the situation he is wrapped up in straight. Women toohave the ability to have absorbed the wisdom of philosophy by this, the21st century, and have a good amount of common sense in general, andChris unfortunately tries to make all the decisions in this own headwithout relying on anyone else. The passion implied by his humble pastsets up the drama for the film.(Note: one must be alert to notice the scene early in the film when itis mentioned the one and only time that tennis was a way of escape forhim from poverty, especially as his manner and speech are on par withany of the upper class company he keeps.)Ultimately I doubt most of the American public would be able to standhow robotic the speech of these Brits is, and so unless you are a fanof foreign films in general, vis a vis a person with two hours ofpatience to blow for the small reward of a reasonably interestingcomment on youth and foolish passion, I suggest you stay away. Aninteresting but not entirely entertaining film that I suspect to beaimed mostly at the British public and the coolness of theirquasi-democratic society.If you are going to see Scarlett Johansson, you will have to wait forher to find another vehicle to titillate your senses; Allen is all forhis message and the sex scenes are gone before they begin to smolder atall. The way she looks now they might have memorable. ----- 6/10

Bruce Newman (2012-05-19 06:50)

England clearly agrees with Allen, and in Match Point he has hit a top-spin winner.

Van Roberts (2012-05-18 04:59)

People Who Hate Woody Allen Movies Might Love This One

No, this is not your typical Woody Allen movie. First, it isn't acomedy. Second, unless you were well versed in Woody Allen movies,you'd never think that "Match Point" was a Woody Allen movie. Third,the plot takes place beyond Woody's usual haunts. Basically, a tennisinstructor Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers of "Mission ImpossibleIII") falls into the good life when one of his tennis students, TomHewitt (Matthew Goode of " befriends him. He thinks that everything inlife is the result of luck. The protagonist--because he certainlyshouldn't be considered heroic--quits teaching tennis. He marries hisgood friend's sister Chloe Hewitt (sweet Emily Mortimer of "PinkPanther"), but he falls recklessly in love with his friend'sgirlfriend, Nola Rice (sultry Scarlett Johansson of "The Island"), astruggling actress looking for roles in England, and they have a torridaffair that he must conceal from Chloe. Meanwhile, poor Chloe complainsthat she cannot have a baby and Chris and she visit many fertilityexperts and struggle to have a child. At the same time, the otherwoman, Nola, gets pregnant. Initially, the husband (Rhys Meyers) wasinfatuated with Nola, but his star rises because his father-in-law,Alec Hewitt (Brian Cox of "The Glimmer Man")hires him to work in hishuge company. Things are exploding for the protagonist at this time. Heis assured of wealth and happiness and the very thing he sought outsideof his marriage becomes an anathema to him. This synopsis takes "MatchPoint" up to about the first hour and a half of its two hour plusrunning time. Woody Allen paces this melodrama superbly and he capturesthe English way of life and language. I cannot reveal what happens inthe last 36 minutes. Indeed, I was on my feet, walking around as Iwatched those last 36 minutes. The suspense--based on the outcome ofthis feature--was simply unbearable. The suspense doesn't end until thelast three minutes of the film and Allen has you on the edge of yourseat throughout those final 36 minutes. Women probably won't like thisWoody Allen movie for its incredible, unpredictable ending. I stillcannot believe how surprised that I was when the movie finally did end.The performances are flawless; nobody delivers a bad performance. Thetwo detectives at the end of the movie were fantastic! One of them isthe fantasdtic Ewen Bremner of "Alien Vs. Predator"). When I boughtthis previously viewed DVD from Movie Gallery, I thought that I was infor a typical, run-of-the-mill Woody Allen drama. Boy, was I mistaken!

Mark Palermo (2012-05-17 14:05)

It's a classy, enjoyable, sometimes uncomfortable working of the writer/director's neuroses. But it's repackaged familiarity.

lquisp (2012-05-16 23:19)

Painful and predictable at best, boring at worst

This was a complete waste of time. The only reason I rated it a twoinstead of a 1 (or 0) is because the acting was good. The script,however, was a piece of junk. It was boring in the worst moments (whichwere many) and in the best moments it was just painful and/orpredictable. I've seen this movie a million times before, done better.It was completely unoriginal, disappointing, with no saving grace but,at least, good performances turned in by the participating actors. Toobad their talents were wasted on an unoriginal and absolutelyabominable script. Don't waste your time on this. I don't want to giveany spoilers, but if you've watched enough movies in your time, justhaving some movie experience will be a spoiler in itself. I keptwaiting for something original to happen. Plus there was not a likablecharacter in the bunch nor was anybody terribly believable as acharacter. I just don't have enough disparaging sentences to linktogether about this film.

Amy Biancolli (2012-05-16 14:06)

In every scene, Allen's direction is unflinchingly clear-eyed, and it's a pleasure being walked through London at the same unhurried pace that he's taken through Manhattan all these years.

Jon Popick (2012-05-14 12:53)

Might be Allen's most shocking change of pace yet

npatel39 (2012-05-13 23:18)

The most amazing movie

This movie is really amazingly poetic, wonderful dialogs, great shots,and beautiful story.As I left the theater, I was in a WOW state. In thetheater I was in, an applause was heard directly after the last shot.Woody is once again a master story teller. He sticks to the basics ofscreen writing and creates a great setup-fall and strong characters whospeak without speaking. Notorious for casting beautiful sensual women,Woody Allen movies are known for alluring the audience into a paradiseworld with a drop of insanity in the honey filled lake. If anyone innew york wants to go see it for the second time with me please emailme. shorty2hops@yahoo.com

(2012-05-10 21:18)

True masterpiece of a thriller, it's sexy, edgy and tense...

Being known as Woody Allen's comeback film is not an easy title to carry, but `Match Point' lives up to its title every second of screen time. It's sexy and tense, expertly paced and tightly scripted. `Match Point' is, for lack of a better word, perfect. The film flows so evenly and keeps your interest throughout, and actually is able to catch the viewer off guard in the final act of the film by expertly crafting a script that disguises itself very well. That's not to say that the film isn't mysterious from the very beginning; it's dark and ominous in a very discreet and subtle way. The chemistry between the entire cast is rock solid as well, from Jonathon Rhys Meyers to the every scrumptious Scarlett Johansson, and adds layer upon layer to the understanding and ultimate climax of the film.The story follows Chris Wilton, played by Rhys Meyers, who marries into wealth when he finds the beautiful Chloe Hewett, played by Emily Mortimer. Everything seems to be going well for Chris, a former tennis pro turned business man by his new father in law. He has a beautiful apartment, a beautiful wife and a well paying job, and then walks in Nola Rice, fiancée to Chloe's brother Tom. Nola is sexy, she's confident and she's everything Chris has ever wanted in a woman, but she's taken, and so is he. Slowly though the two of them begin to test the waters of chastity and fidelity, and then when Nola is dumped by Tom she becomes fair game for Chris and the two fall deep into a passion they've never experienced before.Problems arise though when Nola decides she's tired of being the `other woman'. She's convinced that Chris loves her and not his wife and is determined to have Chris all to herself. Chris is plagued with decision. Should he leave his wife and his easy life, all his newfound wealth for a woman who can only offer him passion? Should he stay with his wife and forsake his heart's desire? If he stays with his wife how can he convince Nola to stay quiet or, better yet, go away? The film takes a twist I personally didn't see coming and leaves you somewhat breathless in its raw delivery. The acting here is superb. Scarlett Johansson is a scene stealer as the delicious Nola Rice. She's very aware of her sexuality and uses it as a weapon against Chris but more importantly against the audience. Johansson was the perfect choice for the other woman because it's very believable that any man would be drawn to her regardless of the life they are leading. Jonathon Rhys Meyers is also excellent in this film. His performance is very detailed. You can read the constant uneasiness in his face, the constant overwhelming concern about his actions. Emily Mortimer is also fantastic, albeit very sorely underused. Her few key scenes are effective, but she's not given enough of a chance to develop her character. Woody Allen also directs this masterpiece so evenly. His script is tight, his editing is fantastic and the finished product is one to watch again and again. And have I mentioned that London, being the backdrop, is effortlessly captivating and a perfect mood setter! If a well paced and thought provoking thriller is what you're looking for then `Match Point' may just be the film you need to see. It'll keep you at the edge of your seat throughout and is sure to please anyone in your company. It's edgy, it's sexy and it's intense. I still don't quite understand the rating though. The film is PG-13 at best. The sexuality is mild, nothing you couldn't watch on television, and the violence is mostly off camera. `Match Point' delivers scene after scene and remains one of my favorite films of 2005, one of the most surprising, the most entertaining and the most rewatchable films in recent years.

ohjohnny (2012-05-10 10:00)

Is this bizarro-world?

I am stymied by most of the user reviews hailing Match Point as amodern Woody Allen masterpiece. I thought this film was terrible. Thecharacters were one-dimensional and the actors charisma-free, saveEmily Mortimer, who managed to have a personality despite her poorlywritten, cliché-ridden character.Rhys Meyers may be good in other films, but here he is completelyuninteresting and unconvincing. Scarlett Johansson is certainly anunbelievably beautiful woman but not since Helen Hunt have I seen amore misguided and talent-free actress pretending to be really into the"craft." I say that because you can almost see her acting wheelsturning, thinking she's really sinking her teeth in here. Obviously sherequires a director with a surer hand with actors. Maybe Sofia Coppolaknows what she's doing after all, because Johansson was 1,000 timesmore erotic and captivating in that film. And she and Bill Murray hadserious chemistry. Something missing in Match Point.I hate to concentrate mostly on character development and acting, butthey were so lacking in this movie. Even the most paper-thin charactersand implausible plot can be rescued with a few affable actors. No suchLUCK for Match Point.

spooly_montana (2012-05-03 21:29)

Masterful film-making in this romantic thriller

Woody Allen's latest opus, MATCH POINT, poses an interestingphilosophical question: how much of life is determined by chance orjust plain luck? Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star inthis romantic thriller set in London. Originally from Ireland, ChrisWilton (Meyers) is hired on as a tennis pro in an upscale country club.He befriends one of his wealthy pupils, Tom Hewitt, and pursues Tom'ssister Chloe, all the while getting drawn into this upper-class worldof estates, nice clothes, fancy cars and the box seats at the opera.Chris is integrated into the Hewitt family, an apparent futureson-in-law. That is when he meets Tom's alluring American fiancée, NolaRice (Johansson), who catches Chris's eye. Illustrating a basic maletrait, of being able to separate thoughts into "sections," he chasesNola covertly, while marrying Chloe and trying to have a child withher. Chris is given a great office job in the Hewitt company, and isbeing groomed for future leadership and considerably more wealth. Hisobsession however with Nola is always present, and he juggles both hisboring stable home life, and his torrid affair with Nola. PreviousWoody Allen films have handled such infidelity with a bit of comedy andwit. Match Point proceeds into darker territory, with many twists andthrilling turns. Woody Allen transitions into an operatic tone, free ofshtick, trading his beloved Manhattan, for London. Woody treats us withthe same loving eye for location and storytelling, and surprises youwith thick suspense and rich drama. This is Allen's most acclaimed filmin years, and marks a return to his masterful film-making form. Igreatly anticipated this film, and it did not disappoint.

eran-sabaner (2012-05-03 06:35)

A wonderful movie with a surprising ending.......

Match Point is one of the rare movies that you want to watch it all thetime. I strongly believe that Match Point deserves to have an Oscar.Match Point's plot is definitely gorgeous as the other old Woody Allenmovies. I believe that Woody Allen directed it passionately.The finalwas astonishing. I think Woody thought about it for a long time becauseIt's the one of most heroic final I ever seen. About the actorsperformance, I think Jonathan & Scarlet were a charming couple. BothScarlet and Jonathan's acting was close to perfect. It's totallyunderstandable that Mr. Allen worked for this movie a lot, and he'sback! Should watch it immediately!

(2012-04-30 04:42)

Game Over?

I enjoyed the acting (especially Scarlett Johanssen) and the scenery. The plot was engaging and intense. I didn't favour the climax of the film. I wanted to see that jerk get popped.

faraaj-1 (2012-04-29 08:55)

Woody Allen does Dostoyevsky in London

I've always admired Woody Allen. The sheer number of great films he'smade - Hannah and her Sisters, Manhattan, Midsummer Nights Sex Comedy,Everything you Wanted to Know About Sex, Manhattan Murder Mystery etc.Although some of his newer films weren't totally up to speed, I wantedthem to be successful (not in the financial sense, but critically).Match Point is Allen's first film in years to be not only criticallybut also financially successful. He didn't act in it and its not even acomedy and no its not set in Manhattan. This is a thriller. The lead isan ambitious Irish tennis player who chose not to turn tennis pro andmoved to London instead. He gets involved with the only daughter of anupper-upper class businessman (the excellent Brian Cox) who can give ason-in-law a great career. He also falls in love with the businessman'sson's fiancée - a struggling American actress played by ScarletJohannsen (oh she's hot!). I won't say more about the plot and no itsnothing like Hannah and her Sisters. Instead, it is partially based onDostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.I liked the London photography, the artwork and the Enrique Carusoopera piece which was used to great effect. The first scene withJonathan Rhys-Myer and Scarlet is great. The verbal play reminded me ofBogart and Bacall. But none of their later scenes except the one in thecafé had that writing spark - less style and more realism which was alittle jarring. I also felt Meyers was not a very good lead and actedpoorly in several scenes. Emily Mortimer does a good job as Meyer'sgirlfriend.I would recommend this as a good but not perfect film.

(2012-04-28 07:41)

Whimsy, Passion and Crime Rolled Into One

For me, this is one of those movies you don't think much of immediately after watching it. But days later you find yourself still thinking of it and appreciating it more and more. I loved the London scenery. I loved the music, and the moments throughout the movie that had me on the edge of my seat. The love scenes between Rhys-Meyers and Johansson were very sexy, but not in a way that made them unfathomable. I loved how the movie went to a place I totally didn't expect and never backed away. And I even loved the fact that there wasn't a single likeable person in the entire film. Even the sweet Emily Mortimer character was despicable in how badly she wanted to have babies with someone she was physically attracted to but with whom she had no real emotional connection. Everybody was using somebody, though Rhys-Meyers is portrayed as the villain. I found this movie to be very compelling. I was disappointed by the absence of bonus material on the DVD, however.

Milan (2012-04-27 15:48)

A cross between „Crimes and Misdemeanors" and „Interiors"

This is a fine film by legendary artist, who in his 70's is stillscoring high on the familiar ground of multi-angled relationships,adultery, betrayal and murder you can get away with. As in „Crimes andMisdemeanors", one of his greatest films, the leading character cheatsand murders but as long as he can live with his wrong doings andsettles the score with his conscience, he gets away with a crime heshould be punished for. That is a second film apart from „Crimes andMisdemeanors", where Allen explores the bottom of human conscience andrewards his hero with a pass to a life where it doesn't haveimplications on his life after the committed crime. Same as in„Interiors" human relationships among leading characters aresuperficial enough to make an escape for a Chris Wilton (Jonathan RhysMeyers) that much easier, but than again, many people would doliterally anything to erase their mistakes and protect the comfort oftheir lives.Among the majority of shallow, moronic cinema of today, a remaininglight of one of the last great Directors (with capital D) that is Mr.Allen, shines even brighter to show that there are still great movieswhich are made for audiences above the adolescence. A 9 out of 10.