if anyone other than Woody Allen had made this film, it would be panned

Rating: 2/10 (2 January 2006)

As a long time Woody Allen fan, I was very disappointed by this film, and amazed by the (mostly) positive reaction it has received. The dialogue and the acting are run-of-the-mill for the most part, and the pace is generally slower than the material merits (face it, you just don't need much time to appreciate what Allen is presenting here). Most of the settings and the character interactions are both precious and banal, and if not for the unfortunately brief appearances of Eleanor Hewitt (Penelope Wilton), Mrs. Eastby (Margaret Tyzack) and Detective Banner (James Nesbitt), the film wouldn't have any spark at all. I saw this in New York and was astonished when people applauded at the end. Match Point, in more than two hours of screen time, does not present us with a single character or situation that is genuinely interesting and/or engaging. What's to like? We are being asked to forgive Woody Allen a great deal here. But I'm sorry -- I'm not up to it.