 Woody Allen has made points with critics with Match Point, which is getting a limited release today (Wednesday). A.O. Scott in the New York Times calls it Allen's "most satisfying film in more than a decade" and "bracingly pleasurable." He notes that the film has "none of the desperate, self-conscious one-liners that have become, in Mr. Allen's recent movies, more tics than shtick. Nor is there an obvious surrogate for the director among the youthful, mostly British and altogether splendid cast. If you walked in after the opening titles, it might take you a while to guess who made this picture." Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times remarks, "Watching Match Point, you could almost conclude that Allen is shedding some of his more calcified habits, that he's molting." Claudia Puig in USA Today says that the film is "proof that Allen, who many have dismissed with his last few forgettable films, is still a filmmaking force." Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News cautions fans that Match Point is not a typical Allen comedy. "What fans want are good movies. This one isn't particularly funny or romantic, but it's gripping and tragic." Indeed, Kyle Smith in the New York Post remarks that of all of Allen's films, "this is the least Woody Allenish." |
