So bad, it's unintentionally hilarious. T.U.R.K.E.Y
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Match Point
ellenmeilee — 15 years ago(April 10, 2010 04:57 PM)
I would highly recommend this film for two hours of intensely cringey so-bad-it's-almost-goodness.and may I qualifiy this by saying that I would class some of Woody Allen's films as absolute genius (Annie Hall, Play It Again, Sam).
Sadly, Match Point is just dire. What planet is Woody Allen living on, if he thinks anything about this film resembles reality? The script could have been improved by an intellectually challenged 10-year old, and the acting is wooden to the point of 'Acorn Antiques'.
The film contains every cheesy London cliche in the book - spotless streets, strictly white, plummy voiced people only, meetings at the Tate Modern, Thameside luxury apartments overlooking the Houses of Parliament, a top job in finance c/o daddy based in a swanky office in the 'Gherkin' building in the Citynot to mention the weekend country retreat with bird shooting!!
It is a 'must see' filmif only so you can place it in your top 10 'worst evers'. -
CharteredStreets — 15 years ago(April 23, 2010 06:41 AM)
British people are always saying how unlike reality in London this movie is. Duh. It's a movie. Johannson DOES have very sensual lips.
ALL the characters in the movie are HORRIBLE. That doesn't stop the movie being brilliant.
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like! -
projectcyclops — 15 years ago(April 23, 2010 11:09 AM)
Haha, fancy bumping into you here CharteredStreets.
But yes, the other posters somewhat miss the point. This film is one of Woody's best thrillers next to Crimes and Misdemeanors. I can overlook the glossy, shiney London presented here as it's kind of the point, perhaps in much the same way that Woody makes New York look so friendly and fanstastical, when it's anything but. Was Woody obliged to show us the seedy side of London? Is this billed as a social-realist film about working class families living on the poverty line, or as a suspense thriller about the British upper-class and the evil that men do to live in it?
She does have very sensual lips, and Chris Wilton plays a very aggressive game.
He left a note. He left a simple little note that said "I've gone out the window." -
CharteredStreets — 15 years ago(April 23, 2010 04:27 PM)
Cyclops! Of all the message boards in all the world
The characters, like the presentation of London, are all gloss and no depth. The protagonist basically admits in the first line of the movie he's only interested in himself. The view of London may not ring true in some senses, but the movie takes place in an upper-class world that, once given a sniff of, Chris will do almost anything to stay a part of.
Love your sig by the way
If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like! -
Unknownian — 12 years ago(June 07, 2013 11:53 AM)
I haven't liked anything involving Woody Allen since the early 80s. This movie is nothing like his old style flicks I loved, like "Sleeper"..etc, but this may be his best film ever. The Opera music throughout was a bit much, but it's better than the "Ragtime" garbage we are forced to endure in all of his more modern films. I agree with you..the movie is brilliant, and the OP is out to lunch.
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ellenmeilee — 15 years ago(May 14, 2010 02:29 PM)
Aye for real. It's a shocker of a pukefest. I hate to say it as I love Woody, Scarlett et al (although Emily Mortimer is annoying in whatever she's in.)
To those other posters saying that those of us who don't like it 'just don't get it' - SO patronising. We know it's just a movie - but that doesn't make it OK to churn out such a juvenile, cliched script, and such 'walking and sleeping' performances from really talented actors. -
ellenmeilee — 15 years ago(May 17, 2010 03:34 PM)
I am indeedy - perhaps it's only us Brits that think this film is an all-time career low for Woody? When Emily Mortimer asks 'daddy' to get JRM a job in 'one' of his companiesewww. LAZY script writing. And that awful scene where Scarlett is screaming at JRM in her flat - how false does that come across?? Jeez - and this is the man that did 'Annie Hall'.
That being said, it's strangely compelling in its awfulness, and if you watch it as a comedy, it's CLASS. -
amyp3 — 15 years ago(October 01, 2010 08:49 PM)
Maybe it's because my background is part English. Or maybe it's because I recognize bad writing, directing and acting. But I'm an American who agrees with the Brits who think this was a crappy timewaster.
A boring execution of a simple plot, with endlessly long, repetitive scenes. Bad dialog. Dreadful acting, especially in those later Johannsen scenes others have noted. But I blame her writer/ director for some of that.
And the pretentious camerwork - odd scenes where actors are strangely offscreen when they should be in the shot. Oh wait, that was probably deeply symbolic.
On the original Saturday Night Live there was a recurring sketch called something like Bad Theatre, a parody of a Masterpiece Theatre type show. When the "performers" were done with their play, it would cut back to the host, who'd enthusiastically applaud and say, "Awful, awful - couldn't be worse."
Exactly how I felt about this flick. -
richimorton — 15 years ago(February 23, 2011 01:47 PM)
I suspect (and have read!) that alot of N.Americans think this is gritty realism captured on film by the old master for the first time .
"THIS is what England is really like they squeal - deep down we always knew it - thank you for showing us Woody !"
Can you feel that you ignorant patronisers ?
That which does not Kill me makes me Stranger
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wylierichardson-966-922691 — 9 years ago(April 24, 2016 08:02 AM)
What is so objectionable about depicting a wealthy family? Not all Londoners - or Brits - are wealthy, so it's not necessarily a 'cliche' to depict any one given British family as well-off. Don't many British-made dramas depict aristocracy? Do people hate "Downton Abbey" - and almost all other shows on "Masterpiece Theater", for that matter! - on the grounds that it's about wealthy British people?
Scarjo's acting may have seemed 'over the top' at certain moments, but remember that she was trying to convey 'unhinged'; it was the set-up for a furthering of the plot, in which he realizes that not only is Scarjo is about to tell his wife about their affair, she is actually planning to keep the baby that they conceived.
That set up the plot to murder her - it was an act of panic on the guy's part.
When I saw the movie in a theater, there was virtually no snickering on the part of the audience. It also was up for a whole slew of awards, including Best Picture at the Golden Globes and 'one of the best films of the year' by The National Board of Review. -
Ilario1 — 15 years ago(April 24, 2010 11:31 AM)
This movie was not bad at all. I thought it was pretty good. Better than the last string of Woody Allen movies. I didn't really like Scarlett Johannson in this although I do like her in other movies. However, I did like JRM quite a bit as well as Emily Mortimer.
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Dungbeatle — 15 years ago(June 14, 2010 01:25 AM)
Erm, call me crazy, but I have the sneaking suspicion that this film was not meant to resemble reality.
I think it's more a reflection on life and livingthere's an awful lot of talk about meaning and luck, so the movie's rife with metaphors.