Tennis, Anyone?
I never did get around to mentioning it before, but last weekend, M. and I went with our friend, Kris, to see Woody Allen’s latest film, Match Point. At least, unlike the Allen movies immediately preceding it (well, o.k., I haven’t seen Melinda and Melinda, or anything after Small Time Crooks for that matter, but with the notable exception of Sweet and Lowdown, I’ve been pretty much willing to accept the lack of critical acclaim since Crimes and Misdemeanors as valid, based on my experience of 3 or 4 in between that I actually did see), this one’s actually good, if not as good as the ones before the great Allen slump. But that may be unkind. It may be that I’m responding to somewhat lacklustre performances from Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, neither of whom was at least actually bad. Or maybe it’s the writing. I think I’ve noticed Allen depending a lot on ad libs, something not even he’s been good at in a long time, and that’s definitely where I had problems with the acting, making it really a problem with the direction, right? The story’s good, though, but if M.’s right, it’s a rehash of Crimes, which I don’t remember well enough (o.k., at all) to confirm. And what is the “point”? It’s better to lose than love? No, really, I’d be interested to hear what anyone else thinks. Nevertheless, if this is representative of a return to form by Woody Allen, as so many say (and as I’d agree), then there may yet be something really terrific from him again soon.