Saw Woody Allen's latest 'Match Point' yesterday. After a long time I got to see a taut, smart, classy, sexy thriller that is unapologetic and interesting. There are some obvious plot holes but that is not what it is about anyway. This story is about luck and about the forceful upward mobility that usually has its problems but is often quite interesting to watch. Beautiful London galleries, estates and posh cars driving beautiful rich people who hide dark and often ridiculous secrets.
In a mostly unknown British cast, Scarlet Johansson is the icing on this rather frosty cake. She does what she is supposed to with her usual vacant gaze which once again bring up the point that she is either amazingly talented or amazingly overrated.
While Allen's narrative shares some resemblance with his other favorite 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and has clear kinship to 'Talented Mr. Ripley', it derives its soul in some weird way from Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' and focuses on the 'Crime' and leaves out the 'Punishment'. In fact, it is strange how modern pop culture often derives from great novel of old and often deals with only its first part. Alas, crime is so much more interesting than Punishment!
In a mostly unknown British cast, Scarlet Johansson is the icing on this rather frosty cake. She does what she is supposed to with her usual vacant gaze which once again bring up the point that she is either amazingly talented or amazingly overrated.
While Allen's narrative shares some resemblance with his other favorite 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and has clear kinship to 'Talented Mr. Ripley', it derives its soul in some weird way from Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' and focuses on the 'Crime' and leaves out the 'Punishment'. In fact, it is strange how modern pop culture often derives from great novel of old and often deals with only its first part. Alas, crime is so much more interesting than Punishment!