A modern film noir classic

Rating: 9/10 (7 October 2006)

Matchpoint is a powerful repudiation of the perception that artists do their greatest work when they are young. It is far away Woody Allen's finest drama and indeed one of the cleverest, most disciplined and seamless examples of the film noir genre that I've encountered. Allen explores the all too common dilemma of a man drawn to two different kinds of women, the good woman who offers him success and stability, and the bad woman to who offers him excitement and desire. His resolution of this dilemma seems inevitable without ever being predictable. Further, the film has important, indeed, almost profound things to say about the nature of reality itself as the story vividly illustrates. Matchpoint is not merely a good movie, but, in my opinion, a great one which is second only to Body Heat and Fargo as a compelling exploration of the themes of love, lust ambition and evil.