Who doesn’t love watching beautiful people do bad things? Look no further than this new film on Netflix.
Sometimes, just when you think Netflix has probably added all its best films for the month, they sneak something extra in there. The streamer just added a killer flick — Match Point, starring Scarlett Johansson.
The film follows Johansson’s character, who has an affair with her fiancé’s friend — a friend who also happens to be dating her fiancé’s sister.
Does that premise sound scintillating? Well, you don’t even know the half of it. The Watch With Us team explains why Match Point is the perfect match for your next watch.
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The Characters are Terrible People — and It Rules
Match Point doesn’t have your typical protagonists, in that they aren’t necessarily good or even likable people. Match Point is all about morality, and the characters at the center of the film have their own definition of the word. Johansson stars as Nola Rice, who falls for a man named Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). The issue is that both are betrothed outsiders to members of the same rich family.
It’s a wicked web that’s been woven, one which considers the extent to which greed and lust influence a person’s willingness to set aside their own personal ethics. Characters seduce, lie and deceive one another, and it’s incredibly intriguing to watch them as they do it — we may even find ourselves identifying with them. We’re only human, right? As Roger Ebert put it in his glowing review of the film, “This is a thriller not about good versus evil, but about various species of evil engaged in a struggle for survival of the fittest — or, as the movie makes clear, the luckiest.”
It Explores Some Complex Themes
Director Woody Allen is known for his character-focused comedies that have a philosophical bent, and that’s no different in a film that’s slightly outside his wheelhouse. In addition to the film’s focus on questions of morality — and what people are willing to do to get what they want at the expense of it — Match Point is also interested in class dynamics, infidelity and fate. Critics have compared the film to Allen’s previous Crimes and Misdemeanors, which also considers the existence of cosmic justice.
Both films are similar but different, in that Allen touches on themes he’s worked with before, but this time with greater depth. Leads Nola and Chris come from lower-class backgrounds, and their desire to couple up with the wealthy partners has everything to do with their longing for better financial standing. Of course, what comes in the way is their equally insatiable desire for each other, which throws a wrench into things. However, the characters are never moved by guilt, only fear — they are notable not just in their lax morals, but total absence of them.
The Story Is Gripping and Engaging
The tight narrative of Match Point is a masterclass in film storytelling, and it wouldn’t be a thriller without its share of shocks and surprises. The central narrative follows Chris, a retired tennis pro who is hired by a country club as an instructor. There, he befriends wealthy member Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) and becomes entangled with his sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer). Of course, things take a turn when Chris meets Tom’s fiancée, Nola.
If that didn’t sound salacious enough, the affair becomes dangerous because it threatens both Chris and Nola’s newfound social status — but is that fear enough to drive them from their lust? You might think you know where the plot could twist towards, but it’s guaranteed that you don’t. The script subverts expectations and keeps the suspense heavy, all leading to an ending that is bleak yet weirdly satisfying.
It’s One of Scarlett Johansson’s Best Performances
Scarlett Johansson is one of our brightest and most beautiful actresses, and it’s exactly that movie star beauty that is utilized with precision for her character in Match Point. Nola’s greed needs seduction on her side for her to get what she wants, and Johansson is adept at playing roles that ask her to use her looks like a weapon.
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Thus, Nola Rice isn’t just a blond bombshell — she’s sexy and alluring, but she knows how to use it. In the prime of her career during the mid-2000s (in between other fantastic performances, such as in Lost in Translation and The Prestige), Johansson’s performance was hailed as impeccable by some critics. It was to the extent that she was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Watch Match Point now on Netflix.
