Woody Noir

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2006)

"Match Point" is reminiscent of Film Noir of the 40's like "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "Double Indemity," and "A Place In the Sun." Like those films, it is a story of an ordinary nice guy who get lured to the dark side by lust and money.
While the story might borrow more than a little from James M. Cain, what really sets "Match Point" apart from the older films is the excellent dialog and it's use of irony.
A lot of people are not going to like this film because it is very dialog heavy and you have to really pay attention to every word to fully appreciate it. Since most people are used to CGI and short sentences, it is probably going to have a hard time finding an audience. For people who put forth the effort, it is very rewarding.
Opera fans will be happy to know there is opera singing throughout a large portion of the film, mostly from old recordings of Enrico Caruso. Opera is mostly about sex and murder, so it fits into the themes of the film. An additional point of irony in the film is that the most commonly played aria, "Una furtiva lagrima," while sounding dramatic, is from the opera "The Elixer of Love, which is a comedy; the irony being that this suspense film is written and directed by a film maker usually associated with comedy.
The acting is very good all around, especially Scarlett Johansson who plays a sultry femme fatale. She shows a side I've not seen in previous films.
"Match Point" is not an easy film to watch. You have to pay close attention and listen to every word of the dialog. If you are willing to put forth the effort, this is a very fine film.