http://www.moviereviewblog.net/2005/08/10/the-island-by-michael-bay/ itsvery Movie Review - independent film reviews Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:24:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 http://www.moviereviewblog.net/2005/08/10/the-island-by-michael-bay/#comment-79 Wed, 04 Jan 2006 23:31:01 +0000 http://www.moviereviewblog.net/2005/08/10/the-island-by-michael-bay/#comment-79 [...] Match Point is not a typical Woody Allen film - it does not play in New York, but in London, and there is no hint of the usual Woody Allen neuroses. Instead of neuroses, Woody concentrates mainly on one message: that it’s luck, not your talent or intentions, that will determine the results of your actions and the destiny of your life. The symbol for luck or bad luck is the tennis ball dancing on the net - it will either fall back into your half of the tennis court, or fall to the other side - luck decides if you win or lose. Which will divide the audience into those who nod approvingly and into those who don’t buy it. Match Point is also a study of morality, social class, and relationships - and it deals with the question what is the more important thing in life - passion and love, or financial and social success. It’s the story of Chris, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is perfect as the man between passion and career, Emily Mortimer is the ideal trusting, naive (and a bit needy) wife, and Scarlett Johansson (who replaced Allen’s first choice Kate Winslet two weeks before shooting started) shows that she can really act (please, no more “The Island” movies!!) and play a “real” character - she is sexy, passionate, wrathful, and vulnerable - and totally believable. Match Point is a serious movie, not a comedy, but it does have it’s comic highlights - and that’s after the social study moves into thriller territory. Ewen Bremner (that’s Spud from “Trainspotting”) is hilarious as Inspector Dowd - and his opinions will decide if the ball falls into Chris’ half of the tennis court or over the net … [...] […] Match Point is not a typical Woody Allen film - it does not play in New York, but in London, and there is no hint of the usual Woody Allen neuroses. Instead of neuroses, Woody concentrates mainly on one message: that it’s luck, not your talent or intentions, that will determine the results of your actions and the destiny of your life. The symbol for luck or bad luck is the tennis ball dancing on the net - it will either fall back into your half of the tennis court, or fall to the other side - luck decides if you win or lose. Which will divide the audience into those who nod approvingly and into those who don’t buy it. Match Point is also a study of morality, social class, and relationships - and it deals with the question what is the more important thing in life - passion and love, or financial and social success. It’s the story of Chris, and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is perfect as the man between passion and career, Emily Mortimer is the ideal trusting, naive (and a bit needy) wife, and Scarlett Johansson (who replaced Allen’s first choice Kate Winslet two weeks before shooting started) shows that she can really act (please, no more “The Island” movies!!) and play a “real” character - she is sexy, passionate, wrathful, and vulnerable - and totally believable. Match Point is a serious movie, not a comedy, but it does have it’s comic highlights - and that’s after the social study moves into thriller territory. Ewen Bremner (that’s Spud from “Trainspotting”) is hilarious as Inspector Dowd - and his opinions will decide if the ball falls into Chris’ half of the tennis court or over the net … […]

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