Rental of the week
Occasionally I run across a film that I want to recommend for rental. The recent release of Woody Allen's 'Match Point' is the rental of the week. Though the visuals were more impressive on the big screen, I believe the film holds up on a TV monitor just fine.
I suppose everyone has a preconceived notion of what a Woody Allen film is whenever the subject comes up. With 'Match Point' however, Allen has done something very new, well, new for him. The silent moments in the film seem even more silent and even lonely, when I reminded myself who was running the show. The wry, witty dialogue marathons we have come to expect from him are not at all present, and instead we are treated to a film of passions, weakness, betrayal, breakdown. And yes, I'm still talking about Woody Allen.
A certain plot devise is used in a very clever fashion. The opening scene narration illustrates that in tennis, a ball can at times hit the net, bounce straight up, and go either way, determining the outcome of the match as if by pure chance. At the end of the film, something similar happens, and pure chance swings someone's luck in a very different direction, and in a way I didn't expect at all.
The visuals are complimented by a great score and performances from actors who seem happy to be given the freedom to do something powerful, challenging. 'Match Point' is definitely worth renting - especially if you haven't seen it yet, and certainly worth seeing again - especially if you have a crush on Scarlett Johansson.
I suppose everyone has a preconceived notion of what a Woody Allen film is whenever the subject comes up. With 'Match Point' however, Allen has done something very new, well, new for him. The silent moments in the film seem even more silent and even lonely, when I reminded myself who was running the show. The wry, witty dialogue marathons we have come to expect from him are not at all present, and instead we are treated to a film of passions, weakness, betrayal, breakdown. And yes, I'm still talking about Woody Allen.
A certain plot devise is used in a very clever fashion. The opening scene narration illustrates that in tennis, a ball can at times hit the net, bounce straight up, and go either way, determining the outcome of the match as if by pure chance. At the end of the film, something similar happens, and pure chance swings someone's luck in a very different direction, and in a way I didn't expect at all.
The visuals are complimented by a great score and performances from actors who seem happy to be given the freedom to do something powerful, challenging. 'Match Point' is definitely worth renting - especially if you haven't seen it yet, and certainly worth seeing again - especially if you have a crush on Scarlett Johansson.
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