Ten years passed, and Woody Allen hadn’t had a hit for what felt like forever. For most directors, this would mean one or two movies that didn’t do terribly well, but for Allen, this meant that his last 10 movies weren’t all that appreciated (even though I’d argue Deconstructing Harry, Sweet and Lowdown, and Melinda and Melinda are all excellent movies). The overwhelming response to Match Point in 2005 was that Allen had found a new style that felt completely different from anything he had made before.
For starters, it was set in London rather than his beloved New York. It featured all drama, and Allen himself was nowhere to be found on screen. The plot was a kind of retelling of the Martin Landau story in Crimes and Misdemeanors in a way, but this one clicks and pops in a way Allen hadn’t achieved before. It feels modern and stylish, sexy and thrilling. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Scarlett Johansson fill the movie with life. This was more than a return to form; it was a kind of renaissance. That’s quite a feat for a 70-year-old filmmaker.
Continue reading on the next page…
Published: Jun 23, 2013 07:55 pm