FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Match Point [DVD] [2006]

Match Point [DVD] [2006]
enlarge	Director: Woody Allen Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Alexander Armstrong Studio: Warner Home Video (Icon) Category: DVD List Price: ~~£17.99~~ Buy Used: £1.41 as of 21/11/2009 04:21 GMT details You Save: £16.58 (92%) New (18) Used (29) Collectible (1) from £1.41 Seller: nickbragger Rating: 78 reviews Sales Rank: 7403 Format: PAL, Widescreen Languages: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 119 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 EAN: 7321900876940 ASIN: B000EF5SZS Theatrical Release Date: December 29, 2005 Release Date: May 8, 2006 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review And so Woody Allen picks up his camera and moves the location of his latest film across the channel to London. In the process? IMatch Point/I becomes one of his finer efforts of recent times. P Jonathan Rhys Meyers leads the cast as Chris Wilton, a former professional tennis player, who quickly lands himself a job as a coach. As he goes about his business, he meets Chloe (Emily Mortimer), and a relationship soon ensues, much to the delight of her family. P With some speed, he quickly finds himself working for her father (Brian Cox), and wedding bells aren't too far away. Yet there's a fly in the ointment, in the shapely form of Chloe's brother's girlfriend, played by Scarlet Johansson. Johansson's powers of attraction--and bluntly, she looks terrific here--aren't lost on him, setting the stage for an intriguing mix of thriller and drama that comes very much alive in the final act. P Allen wisely utilises London not just to give his film a different feel to usual, but also to embellish it with a strong cast of primarily British actors. And while IMatch Point/I doesn't deliver the clever humour and wry laughs you find in the majority of the prolific writer-director's work, this is still very much an engaging film. P Ironically, those likely to warm to the film the least are Allen's most loyal fanbase. Save for the minimalist credits and the jazz soundtrack, it's hard to tell he's behind the camera with IMatch Point/I, and that has the trade off of making it accessible to those not usually won over by Woody Allen's talents. And yet still, there's something for everyone here, and while IMatch Point/I is far from the peak of Allen's work, it's still a fine addition to an exemplary body of work.--ISimon Brew/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 78 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...16 Next » Rather Be Lucky Than Good August 26, 2006 prisrob (New EnglandUSA) 25 out of 34 found this review helpful Christopher "Chris" Wilton: "The man who said "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life. People are often afraid to realize how much of an impact plays luck. There are moments in a tennis match where the ball hits the top of the net, and for a split second, remains in mid-air. With a little luck, the ball goes over, and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose." br / br /Woody Allen has given us a film that is full of life messages and meanings and reveals the huge part luck plays in events, giving us the sense that we have less control in our lives than we think. All of the thinking and planning and wondering does us naught, "Luck is the lady tonight". br / br /A one-time tennis pro, Chris Wilton, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers was used to not finding success in his life. But when he teaches tennis to and become friends with Tom Hewett, played by Matthew Goode and marries his sister, Chloe, Emily Mortimer, he sees that money and success are his for the asking. Chris not used to getting what he wants, ever, finds that he is obsessed with Nola, Scarlett Johansson, Tom's fiancée. They have an affair. Chris and his wife are trying to have a child, and it is not working, but he does impregnate Nola and then the trouble begins. Nola comes up dead as does her neighbor. Could Chris be responsible, has his luck run out? Will Chloe become pregnant? Will life become a fairy tale for Chris and Chloe? br / br /The film has an unusual soundtrack consisting almost entirely of pre-World War One 78 rpm recordings of opera arias sung by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso. Opera fans have noted that the arias and opera extracts make for interesting inter- actions with the roles and characters in movies.. The Caruso arias are cut from performances which the characters attend over the course of the film. There are scenes at the Royal Opera House and elsewhere performed by opera singers, accompanied by a piano and not, as is usual, by an orchestra. Arias and extracts include work by Verdi, Otello and Rigoletto, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, Bizet's I Pescatori di perl, Carlos Gomes' Salvatore Rosa and Gioachino Rossini's Guillaume Tell. This is a Woody Allen scheme for a modern day film of sex and obsession interplaying with one of the oldest opera tenors and on an old 78 rpm recording. br / br /Wonderfully entertaining film. Woody Allen has struck gold and Lady Luck:: good fortune, advantage, big break, blessing, break, fluke, opportunity, profit, prosperity, serendipity, success, triumph, victory, windfall all of this is part of br /Life's luck - little control, luck is life's work. br / br /Highly recommended, prisrob 8-25-06 br / A welcome return to form for Allen. June 2, 2006 filthmonkey (UK) 22 out of 31 found this review helpful This wonderful film marks Woody Allen's return to form. His recent output has been rather clumsy and lacking in soul, but this effort redeems him and re-affirms his undoubted talent. The film, ostensibly a love story, turns a deep dark hue when Allen cruelly turns the screw. br /The plot centres around a young man (Meyers) torn between the idealism of making something original and worthy out of his life and the security of wealth his fiancé's family can provide. To compound the dilemmas, he is insatiably infatuated with his friend's ex-girlfriend (Johansen). The plot thickens, albeit slowly, in an atmospheric build-up. Meyers portrays the ambitious protagonist with a plummy English accent, trying to mingle convincingly with the upper classes to whose lifestyle he slowly becomes accustomed. (Woody Allen often prefers to play off the aristocratic or at least upper-middle classes, at once plunging the characters into deep and meaningful crises and maintaining a subtle satirical undertone.) Johansen is the seductive femme fatale...or is she? What we know about the characters is not all it appears, and their development as the pace quickens makes for a compelling drama. Johansen is brilliantly convincing in her role, and Meyers expresses all the necessary of ambiguities required of his character, balancing the hero/anti-hero divide. It is untrue, as a previous reviewer alluded, that this is Allen's first venture into a serious drama; although noted widely for his comedy, his Crimes And Misdemeanours, Husbands And Wives, and Interiors are all examples of accomplished drama he has directed. br /I found the film to be very well paced; balancing the passion of love against the dark and more sombre atmosphere in the final third of the film is not easy to do, but Allen has done well here too. Be warned: this is neither a film for those seeking another Love Actually, nor is it an action thriller. br /What also makes this film so sturdy is that Allen returns to his favourite themes: although it is not made immediately obvious, this film revisits his meditations on love, death, chance, fate, morality and meaning - a cross section of Allen's favourite philosophical struggles. This is all done without pretentiousness, which one must identify as being separate to the pretentiousness and pomposity of some of the characters Allen uses to make his points. What is also very reminiscent of his earlier serious films is the idea of confession and confidence. Meyers' character, overwhelmed at times by the burden of the choices he has made or those facing him, confesses to a friend some of his darkest secrets. This is very well done; we learn about the character's sensibilities, whilst, as is true of any confession, we don't see the whole picture. Another such moment arises towards the end of the film, where Meyers has to justify to himself (and others!) the path in life he chose. On the other hand Johansen's character enjoys no meaningful friendship throughout her difficulties; hers is a different colour of loneliness. If you've seen Crimes And Misdemeanours (which I highly recommend), you'll appreciate this parallel to - and the similarities between the two films don't stop there (I'll let you find the others for yourselves). br /It is worth noting that Allen has, perhaps for the first time, set his film in London, which marks a welcome change from New York. Allen does well with it, even casting some familiar British faces (look out for Steve Pemberton, John Fortune (of Bremner, Bird and Fotrune fame), Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), James Nesbitt, Selina Cadell (B, B F also), Penelope Wilton, etc.) br /In short, this film is far from trivial, an accomplished drama returning Allen to what he thrives on: love, death, fate and philosophy. It is very well shot, brilliantly acted (particularly by Johansen), and has haunting, atmospheric soundtrack. br / br /In reference to the criticism of this film made by another reviewer that the plot is too fantastical: it's not. All fiction has an element of invention for the purposes of the story, and in my opinion this was carried off well, if not always unpredictably. The remark that the central character's English accent despite his Irish roots is an oversight in research doesn't rise to a level worth commenting on. br / br /On a practical level, as with all Woody Allen films, there are no extras on the DVD (which personally I don't mind). br / br /I recommend this film wholeheartedly! Five stars! Passion, Temptation, Obsession May 10, 2006 clucky_lucky_ducky (Oxford UK) 13 out of 18 found this review helpful Having never seen a Woody Allen movie in my life (i bought this entirely on casting and tv adverts) i watched with anticipation.... and i want disappointed at all. I really liked this film, good plot and excellent casting. Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers have excellent on screen chemistry. The story revolves around an ex tennis pro who starts a new life as a coach and is befriended by Matthew Goode, he is then introduced to Goode's family and girlfriend (Johansson) after which Meyers becomes attached to Goode's sister and later passion erupt between Meyers and Johansson. br /A brilliant and gripping plot that kept me on the edge of my seat, i think it will be as sugested by another reviewer like marmite (either love it or hate it) but isnt that true of any film??. My suggestion is watch it. it has totally persuaded me to watch other Woody Allen movies. I hope you enjoy it too. A Ring of Ambiguity! July 8, 2006 F. S. L'hoir (Irvine, CA) 6 out of 8 found this review helpful Woody Allen's "Match Point" is reminiscent----in the best possible sense----of those well-crafted and entertaining films that used to be released not only by Hollywood but also by London. The scenario is informed by movies such as "Room at the Top" with its social-climbing anti-hero on the one hand and those eccentric British films in which crime pays----to a certain extent----on the other (Unfortunately, the only ones of which I can remember the names are comedies, such as "Lavender Hill Mob," "Make Mine Mink," and "Kind Hearts and Coronets." I do, however, recall how much I enjoyed British mysteries, which usually contained a strong sense of irony.). Allen's plot and characterizations have also been crafted with an intricacy and psychological insight that would do Agatha Christie proud. br / br /i do not want to give away the writer-director's ironic twist, clues of which are provided both in the title and in the DVD cover, other than to say that it is a stunner! br / br /Instead of wasting time, money, and petrol to drive to the cineplex and watch the same old Hollywood summer blockbusters, purchase this DVD, stay home, and enjoy a glimpse of a fascinating world to which one----in the shoes of Allen's antihero----might easily become accustomed. br / br / seduction, infidelity and love amongst the British upper-class... April 24, 2006 M. J Leonard (Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA United States) 18 out of 27 found this review helpful Woody Allen in his latest movie, the devastatingly entertaining Match Point, he explores the whims of misfortune, the vagaries of right and wrong. The movie is an extraordinarily bleak look at the moral morass of betrayal, illicit sex, hypocrisy, and crime. What a tangled web of secrets and lies that we weave, at least one would think so after watching this beautifully acted movie. br / br /Relying on several crucial characters, some great London locations and precise storytelling, without a shot or line of dialogue wasted, Allen has created a perfect chamber piece, an intense and elegant look at sexual infidelity, and the price one ultimately pays for having deceptively good or even bad luck; it's all just a fortuitous role of the dice, the unforeseen luck of the game in Match Point. br / br /How much is one willing to give up one's exclusive lifestyle for love? Chris Wilson (a phenomenal Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is presented this question as he steadily becomes involved with the wealthy Hewett family. Chris has just been offered a job as tennis pro at a prominent English club when he befriends one of his clients, Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode). After a friendly practice session, Tom discovers that Chris is an opera lover and is invited to share an evening out with his rich family. br / br /Chris soon charms Tom's mother Eleanor (Penelope Wilton), his father Alec (Brian Cox) and sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer) and after obtaining a job in Alec's company, steadily becomes accustomed to his newfound life of privilege. The lovely and sweet Chloe makes it known that she's rather enamored of Chris and they soon embark on a romantic relationship. br / br /But Chris is almost instantaneously attracted to Tom's sexy American girlfriend Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson). Chris soon becomes infatuated with Nola and, despite continuing his relationship with Chloe, eventually persuades her to sleep with him. Nola initially scoffs at his later advances, and later she breaks up with Tom and also leaves London, but a chance meeting a few years later with Chris re-ignites the same old passions. br / br /Chris is now forced to carry on a clandestine affair with Nola, to juggle the demands of his high-powered job and also continue in his duties to the Hewett family. He cares for his wife and enjoys the lifestyle the family affords him, but Chloe is constantly on at him to get her pregnant, yet he really does love Nola. Circumstances ultimately force him to make a difficult choice between maintaining his financial security and giving it all up for true love. br / br /While this story isn't anything new - the tribulations of infidelity have been told time and again in various forms - what makes Match Point so great is Allen's tightly focused direction. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the story is very well laid out and planned, and builds very slowly, keeping the viewer guessing, so one never really knows where the story is heading. br / br /Kudos should also go to Allen that he can imbue such finely wrought performances out his sexy ensemble of young actors. Rhys-Meyers and Johansson play Chris and Nola as somewhat downtrodden by their adopted upper-class family. Both are kindred spirits from the wrong side of the tracks, and while Chris unhesitatingly buys into the wealth and prestige, Nola is somewhat cynical and diffident towards Hewett family. br / br /Scarlet Johansson gives a fiercely sexy, dynamic, and feverishly sensual performance as Nola. Provocative, saucy, edgy, and vulnerable, she's a mass of conflicting emotions. She's hesitant to become involved with Chris again, but when she does, she throws care to the wind, and becomes a desperate, needy and chaotic emotional mess. br / br /Emily Mortimer is also terrific Chloe. Given perhaps the harder role to play, Ms. Mortimer imbues Chloe with a whiney sweetness. Chloe is obviously a product of her class; she's good-natured, and kindly but also a bit snottish. She's pleased to fall in love with a man not of her class and thinks herself blessed by his ostensible affection. br / br /But Match Point ultimately belongs to Jonathan Rhys-Meyers who is a revelation as Chris. As the loving son in-law and the dutiful husband, Meyers infuses Chris with a serene faï¿½ade, but there's always an abundance of cunning desires. He's the working class outsider who will resort to any lengths to fit in, but his persistently good nature holds a passive aggressive streak that is ultimately deceptive. br / br /Match Point is suffused with a glow of bittersweet romance and ruefulness among the elite, English upper class, and Allen has more than nailed their grandiloquence and aristocratic pretensions. Maybe that explains why Allen's work as writer and director seems here to be more engaged and energetic than it has in years. Indeed, if it weren't for the distinctive graphic style of the credits and the scratchy records on the soundtrack, most viewers probably wouldn't even realize that they're watching a Woody Allen movie, it's all so dark and morally bankrupt. Mike Leonard January 06 Showing reviews 1-5 of 78 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...16 Next »

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