Mesmerizing, very very disturbing and without a doubt one of the best of the year.

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2006)

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
Match Point is so well made and so mesmerizing that it's actually disappointing when the film ends. It is an excellent, extremely impressive drama and it's true that this is definitely not a typical Woody Allen film.
I'm actually not a major Allen fan. One of the reasons I was looking forward to seeing this was because I had heard how different it was from the usual Allen film, darker and much more Noirish then what you'd expect from Allen. It sounded like something I'd like and I did. This is definitely academy award worthy and it's also really really disturbing.
The theme of the film, as anyone who has seen it knows, is the importance of luck in determining -well-pretty much everything in one's life. It really makes one think in the way many films don't. This film inspired an all night discussion between myself and several of my friends and it's not any film that could do that.
The fact that this could be true-that it all comes down to luck-is actually a very disturbing thing and as far as the way Match Point's story unravels, it is topnotch. The performances were wonderful and the audience is kept on the edge of their seat from the beginning. Match Point manages to avoid a lot of negatives other films don't. (It's not overly long, not boring, the dialog is sharp, the characters are fascinating and the story compelling.) It goes way beyond being a very good film and goes into being an excellent one.
The atmosphere itself is perfect. The musical score is almost hypnotic and the opera music that comes and goes throughout increases the compelling aspect of the picture. The imagery of the scene when Johanson runs into the lush fields in the rain must be mentioned as well. The whole movie is curiously subdued but had an energy about it where you know the film is gathering momentum, that is palpable. The ending is chilling and as mesmerizing as the rest of the film. This really is a must see.
As for negatives there are a few. First was the ghost sequence. Not that I did not think that fit-I did. But I am still confused as to whether that was through Chris's eyes, or was the dream of the police officer. I am still completely unsure of that.
There were also some plot holes in the last act that I'd have liked to have been explained. For example, if the police had Nola's diary then they must have known she had given Chris an ultimatum and was threatening to tell his wife. They had to have known from the diary, the frequency of which Nola and Chris were together, that she was pregnant and that he was having difficulty telling his wife. And yet, from the beginning, way before the old lady's ring is found, with the exception of the one officer, nobody seems to think Chris would do it. That's not just luck, that's something beyond, almost unbelievable. Because in reality, he'd probably be the prime suspect.
Adding to that, is the fact that there is a witness. The "friend" Nola confides in. When Chris calls Nola, the friend asks Nola if that's "him". The implication at least, is that Nola has told her friend all about Chris and their story. If the friend knew that Nola was leaving to meet Chris, wouldn't that put him under suspicion right away? These maybe minor points, but they are the reason I'd give this a 9 over a 10, even though I enjoyed this more then almost any film I've seen this year. This movie is very well made and it will get under your skin and really disturb in a way most films do not. Brokeback Mountain still deserves the Oscar, in my opinion, but Match Point, being this well made, really deserved a nomination as did some of the performers.
One other thing that was a little hard for me to buy was how much everyone loved Chris from the beginning. And that is because, to me, Chris lacked any charm whatsoever. There was no charisma there, he was almost robotic and so it was difficult for me to believe absolutely everyone would want to be around this guy. (It didn't surprise me so much with the women in his life because almost everyone in the world, at one point or other falls for someone that others may not like.) But SO MANY people loved this guy from the women, to his buddies and his wife's family, coworkers etc. Chris, to me, seemed cold, stilted and not really present in an emotional sense, from the beginning so I couldn't understand why everyone wanted to be near this guy. But then again....maybe he's just lucky.
In closing, Woody Allen fan or not...if you want a film that will inspire discussion you've found your dream here. 9 of 10 and a must see.