MATCH POINT : An Awful Performance From Rhys-Meyers Damages The Entire Film...

Rating: 6/10 (11 January 2006)

MATCH POINT
As such an avid film fanatic, it's amazing that it's taken me this long to ever see a Woody Allen film in it's entirety (sp?). Aside from bits and pieces of ALICE, ANNIE HALL, and DECONSTRUCTING HARRY I have never seen Allen's work. Odd that the first film of his I see, MATCH POINT, is deemed as a big change of pace for him.
The film is a very elegantly crafted romantic sex-thriller. It is rich with analogies and symbolism that are obvious enough for the audience to pick up on, but not overtly blatant. The symbolism/message of that first tennis match is well maintained throughout the film with a subtle, gleaning style well managed by Allen.
I enjoyed the concept in the script, and thought that London was filmed beautifully. Allen made brilliant use of the scenery, with London coming across as a sophisticated New York.
However, a main weakness in this film is the disappointing performance of it's leading actor, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers. A charismatic and talented star who has exhibited potential in his previous films... Rhys-Meyers comes up noticeably short here. His performance is monotone, and all surface. He plays Chris, an ex pro-tennis player who is now entering high society through his relationship with Chloe (Emily Mortimer). However, as he becomes more and more comfortable living the comfortable life, he becomes less and less fulfilled by marriage. He seeks out a passionate affair with Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansen) and struggles to continue getting everything he wants.
Though we see that he is torn between a comfortable/luxurious life and the passionate one he has on the side, Rhys-Meyers does little to emphasize this. He seduces when he needs to seduce, he cries when he needs to cry, and he yells when he needs to yell. But I never noticed a constant tone of a man torn and tormented by his own greed. It just seemed Meyers didn't bring enough to the table here. The performance is especially terrible in the opening scenes. This is where Rhys-Meyers has the chance to establish the man Chris is aside from all the situations he is in later in the film... but Meyers delivers nothing but monotone and empty lines.
Thankfully the film has some life pumped into it every time it's leading females are on-screen. MATCH POINT features strong performances from Emily Mortimer and Scarlett Johansenn as the two sides of womanhood that men truly desire... comfort and mystery. Mortimer's Chloe is a less explosive role, b/c she's never given much to react to. However, Mortimer fills her with an ignorant optimism and love that remains endearing. She is subtly suspicious when the affair is obvious, but realistically lied to by a conniving husband.
Johannsen has received most of the acclaim and buzz surrounding MATCH POINT... and it is not entirely unwarranted. She energizes the screen every time she appears (thankfully keeping the audience interested while Meyer's stands there)... and her sexual allure has never been more compelling. She also manages to keep Nola entirely sympathetic. Johannsen's first few scenes had me wary, and I found her initial deliveries to be as monotone as Meyers... however, from the moment Nola has a few drinks with Chris after a failed audition, Johannsen is spot on.
Overall, it's an intriguing film... and it kept me interested for it's 2 hour running time. However, it suffers from an awful leading performance, some plot holes in it's conclusion, and a truly unlikeable and despicable male lead. Perhaps Chris could have been a more sympathetic and tolerable character had he been played by an actor with more talent... but as is, I never once liked the character of Chris. As a matter of fact, I loathed him. My word of choice upon leaving the theatre was "douchebag"... and neither Allen's writing or Rhys-Meyer's performance was able to elevate the character.
For me, MATCH POINT is an interesting film with a terribly handled leading male... and in the end, though the film is interesting, it is far from perfect. I left in a bad mood, and I don't think that was completely necessary. Some additional balancing of Chris' motivations from a directorial viewpoint (Woody Allen) and recasting Chris (kick Rhys-Meyers to the curb on this one)... and MATCH POINT could have been great. As is...
... C- ...