Matchpoint: Riveting Social Tennis

Friday night, myself, Hil and the mighty Leslie K went to the Kingsway (great area!) to catch Woody Allen's Matchpoint.

While Woody's star has diminished of late (and deservedly so, for some lacklustre scripts and his perverse home life), I'd heard good things of this latest offering.

In a similar vein of seriousness to his other brilliant piece Crimes and Misdemeanours, Matchpoint is an incredible film. A tale of adultery, fame, riches, and more, Matchpoint plays much on the theme of how luck is something that is vitally important - even if it can't be accounted for. Luck can swing when one's life is in a balance.

While I could go to great pains and give a plot synopsis, it would really be missing the point at conveying how much I enjoyed this film. At times, the script is so tight, and the scenes so exact, that it "reads" like a Dicken's parable. This is Woody's finest film, and his craftsmanship is superb - note his masterful use of music to build tension, the shots that linger (Hil's point) and spot-on casting. Everyone in this film is perfect for the role - and the scene where an enviable Rhys Meyers tears apart Scarlet Johanson's shirt is worth admission alone. Caliente!

So, check it out. Matchpoint. Winner!