‘Match Point’ gripping drama

match point”Match Point” is a Woody Allen film masquerading as something entirely different until the climax when it is revealed to be, if nothing else, a Woody Allen film.

As with most of his films, “Match Point” is beautifully shot, well-acted, and superbly directed. The hermetically sealed milieu, and characters, featured in some of his weaker films, supports, rather than undermines, the story here.

Set in modern-day London, “Match Point” follows the upward mobility of Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a retired professional tennis player, with few career prospects.

He lands a job in one of London’s old money country clubs. There, one of its members, Tom Hewett (an enthusiastically jolly performance by Matthew Goode), introduces Chris to his sister; the perfectly charming Chloe (Emily Mortimer).

Soon, it seems, Chris has it all: money, expensive cars, clothes, a posh London flat and a lovely wife. But his eye has been wandering.

Jolted with desire when introduced to Tom’s beautiful fiancée, Nola (Scarlett Johansson), Chris starts to act in a manner that becomes dangerous to his newly privileged standing and a somber film begins to take a sinister turn.

The exclusive cosmopolitan world that Chris has been invited into is one that few will ever experience firsthand; a place where he will, ultimately, do anything in order to remain. Allen expertly tightens the noose of want slowly around Chris’ neck until you are all but certain of just where the story is going to lead. While maybe not a triumphant return for Allen, as he never really went away.

Sure, he’s released some underwhelming films in the past few years, “Curse of the Jade Scorpion” being the nadir, but even a bad Woody Allen film is worth a look.

“Match Point,” with its cloistered and old-moneyed setting, is a film that seems to be of another time and, coincidentally, it feels very much of our time.