Match Point - Region 1 DVD

Jonathan Rhys Meyers leads the cast as Chris Wilton, a former professional tennis player, who quickly lands himself a job as a coach. As he goes about his business, he meets Chloe (Emily Mortimer), and a relationship soon ensues, much to the delight of her family.

With some speed, he quickly finds himself working for her father (Brian Cox), and wedding bells aren’t too far away. Yet there’s a fly in the ointment, in the shapely form of Chloe’s brother’s girlfriend, played by Scarlet Johansson. Johansson’s powers of attraction--and bluntly, she looks terrific here--aren’t lost on him, setting the stage for an intriguing mix of thriller and drama that comes very much alive in the final act.

Allen wisely utilises London not just to give his film a different feel to usual, but also to embellish it with a strong cast of primarily British actors. And while Match Point doesn’t deliver the clever humour and wry laughs you find in the majority of the prolific writer-director’s work, this is still very much an engaging film.

Ironically, those likely to warm to the film the least are Allen’s most loyal fanbase. Save for the minimalist credits and the jazz soundtrack, it’s hard to tell he’s behind the camera with Match Point, and that has the trade off of making it accessible to those not usually won over by Woody Allen’s talents. And yet still, there’s something for everyone here, and while Match Point is far from the peak of Allen’s work, it’s still a fine addition to an exemplary body of work.--Simon Brew