Clever, Modern interpretation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2006)

Easily one of the best films Woody Allen has created in quite a long time. He's finally decided to take the scene somewhere else, besides the streets of New York City. He adds a new flair and taste to this film by placing it in London. You'd almost not know it was a Woody Allen film. I don't know if this is him being somewhat experimental or if it's just his way of trying to make an excellent interpretation without destroying it by injecting to much "Woody". Whatever it is, it works, and this was quite a good film.
The first 75% percent of the movie is dedicated to learning who the characters are and is a little boring, until you start getting closer and closer to the characters. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is Raskolnikov in this movie, and I wasn't too stunned with his acting. I found him quite dull, not very emotional. His acting stumbled in certain important scenes and he was very blunt at times when he needed to be more refined. He is a young actor however and wasn't that horrible enough to ruin the entire movie. Scarlett Johansson, meanwhile plays the beautiful and promiscuous Nola Rice. In Crime and Punishment Nola's character would probably relate the most to Alyona Ivanovna. She was very sexy, but other then that there was no sparkle in her acting either.
The last 20-30 minutes of the movie is where things really start to heat up and where the parallels between "Match Point" and "Crime and Punishment" become more obvious. Just like the book we get into a deep examination of morality, and if crime is ever a solution to any problems you may face. Woody Allen pays homage to the genius, Fyodor Dostoevsky, in one brief scene where we see Jonathan Rhys Meyers reading Crime and Punishment. Beyoned the scope of Crime and Punishment however, this movie also examines fidelity, and monogamy.
It's not an exact 100% copy of the events that occur in Crime and Punishment but the parallels are easily seen if you have read the book. It's a clever modern interpretation, and it works. Even though the acting is a little weak, the story is clever, and the philosophical questions asked are interesting. Good movie.