(I am blogging light today; this should not be confused with a real post. Also, it contains a spoiler.)
I saw Match Point the other day. It feels ungrateful to complain about any movie that involves Jonathan Rhys Meyers blindfolded–and soaking wet, albeit not at the same time–but did Woody Allen just forget that he’d already made Crimes and Misdemeanors? Because this is the exact same movie.
It’s the only Woody Allen movie I’ve liked—well, okay, it’s the only one of his I’ve watched since the Soon Yi business. I liked it, even though Scarlett Johanson gets on my nerves with her interviews, wherein she talks about older women.
I loved it — his best since “Husbands and Wives”. My wife hated it; we split as radically as we ever have on a film. It made my ten best list of 2005.
BESIDES being a RE-MAKE of “Crimes and Misdemeanors”. it is a TOTAL remake of “An American Tragedy”. I mean, it IS “An American Tragedy.” I simply can NOT believe that someone of Woody Allen’s background (both in film and as an intellectual of sorts) hasn’t SEEN or READ an “American Tragedy”.
I thought this movie stands as clear evidence that Woody doesn’t have any original ideas left. I don’t revoke his film-making license; but he has to wait until he has a real idea before he gets to make another one.
And I am NOT Hugo’s wife !
So it’s doubly plagiaristic, is what you’re saying.
I tried to get through An American Tragedy once. I was at page eighty or so, and I thought to myself, “Why am I reading this? This is horrible. I don’t have to read this,” and found something else. Maybe I should give it another go.
It got great reviews so it was the first post-Soon Yi film I’ve seen and yet he manages to be super creepy again. I’m mad I watched it. I suppose he is just that creepy a person in real life. In today’s news, he is mooning over the “overwhelming sexuality” of Scarlett Johannsen who he directed in the film. Excuse me but isn’t he married?
*spoilers ahead*
Rhys-Davies simply offs the women who are no longer convenient in his life? It is like Crimes and Misdemeanors, Hannah and Her Sisters where there’s plenty of males cheating or harming women. Argh.
*spoilers ahead*
The creepiest point for me was when instead of just killing ScarJo in the back, he calls out her name first, makes her turn around, then shoots her point blank. I am creeped out!
I … thought that movie sucked. Even though Jonathan Rhys-Meyers totally gets the job done for me, that movie made me want to throw things.
Everyone keeps telling me I’ll love Woody Allen, and it just never happens. I guess I’m a bad Jew.
I thought it was awful!
Woody Allen is particularly good when he’s looking into particular communities — i.e., New York Jews. He’s not so good with the British upper class. I thought it was crap. And yes, it was a remake of Crimes and Misdemeaners, just not as good.
Matchpoint was amazing. I cannot speak to the “he basically remade X” comments. But as to the other comments, I disagree.
First, while I have limited contact with the upper crust of British society, the film did photograph London beautifully, so all in all, Woody Allen in London is pretty rad.
Second, ad hominem attacks on Woody’s love that dare not speak its name with sometimes daughter Soon Yi? I’ll go out on a limb and say we can separate the auteur’s personal life from his films. People tend to do that with Roman Polanski, for example.
Third, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is having my baby.
Fourth, Matchpoint is a liberal classic – with its emphasis on context, circumstances, the often-arbitrary bounce of life’s tennis ball/wedding ring. Sometimes that bounce produces crazy results – like getting to make love to Scarlett Johansson while blindfolded, or feeling so desperate one has to shoot Scarlett with a hunting rifle. Where’s the ideological consistency?
Then do rent Crimes and Misdemeanors. It’s an excellent movie, and it has Martin Landau, Angelica Huston, Alan Alda, Mia Farrow, and Jerry Orbach in it.
Speaking of creepy Woody Allen, did anyone see the latest cover of New York Magazine? Yeah, gross.
Ohh.. some of my favorite actors in a movie I never saw – I hope it’s better than Matchpoint.
And piny, I kept slogging thru American Tragedy in the hopes that it got better or had some redeeming value – alas, no.
Roman Polanski is a perv, too. And a criminal.
No one is saying that Woody makes terrible films. He’s made some great films. Match Point isn’t one of them.
Next you’ll be arguing that Coldplay is a great band and Scarlett Johanssen is a good actress. No taste at all, Mikey, no taste at all…*
*I only give Mikey a hard time because I know him in real, non-blog life. And he knows that there is nothing I like better than giving him a hard time.
Er…is that why he’s lecturing? I don’t see why I have to give pervs like Allen and Polanski passes at all; Polanski is a rapist and Allen’s a creep and neither one gets my money.
I haven’t seen Match Point, but Crimes and Misdemeanors is my favorite Woody Allen film, even in spite of the creep factor; in fact, it may be a subconscious meandering on his own creepiness–I think he shot it right around the time that he was ‘falling in love’ with his adopted daughter (it’s hard to even write those words).
Martin Landau and Angelica Houston are just phenomenal in it. Even Alan Alda is great in it.
Andre Previn is Soon-Yi’s adoptive father, not Woody Allen. I don’t know how involved Woody was in raising Soon-Yi, but I do know that Woody and Mia didn’t even live in the same apartment.
Thanks for the info, Erika. I stand corrected.
I’ll go out on a limb and say we can separate the auteur’s personal life from his films.
The magazine cover and his comments reflect his personal life not his films so both his real life and films are creepy.
Scarlett Johansohn is “sexually overwhelming” according to veteran film maker Woody Allen. The director reckons he finds it impossible to concentrate when he’s around the 21-year-old starlet.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/06/28/woody-allen-says-scarlett_n_23998.html