★★★★½ Match Point

[Gino: 4.0, Twoshoes: 4.0, Twinkletoes: 5.0]

Twinkletoes says: "I've been debating what sort of rating to give this film. As you know I am a pretty big Woody Allen fan. Annie Hall, Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Crimes and Misdemeanors are all amongst my favorite films of all time. He's made a number of other films that I liked only slightly less. That being said his work of the last 10 or so years has ranged from the entertaining but slight (Small Time Crooks) to the unbearable (Curse of the Jade Scorpion).

My problem is this: I walked out of this film incredibly pleased, as pleased as I have been in quite some time. But, why I have to ask myself. Was it because a personal favorite of mine finally made a film I didn't cringe at? Or does this film really hold up to comparisons with his best work? How would I judge this film if it had been directed by someone else? In addition, I was grappling with the fact that I don't think I will revisit this film like I have much of his other work.

Well, after thinking about it, I really do think it holds its own with his best. The film looks great, the acting is uniformly excellent, and the story was tense and had me hooked from start to finish. I'm not going to hold the fact that it may not be as rewarding in future viewings against it. This film is a different beast. This is not one of his comedies that you can watch every few years to reacquaint yourself with jokes and characters. It's a thriller and the nature of this beast is that so much of its pleasure is derived from the way the plot unwinds and reveals itself. It's also nice to see Spud from Trainspotting getting some work."

Gino says: "I came to some of the same conclusions as Twinkletoes. Except, I think my 4.0 has slightly inflated because I too am a Woody Allen fan. I.e. it was a solid 3.5 movie, which is to say a solid film. But I will keep my 4.0. Twoshoes was leaning more toward the 4.5 side. That said, if you didn't know, I don't think you would notice that this was a Woody Allen film at all. Acting was quite good. Some poetic touches. Camera work a lot more intimate and complex than, say his older comedies. This manipulated the viewer skillfully to become involved with the characters. I felt more tense watching the latter half of the film than the plot necessitated, I think. But my stomach was bothering me slightly, so I might have been feeling that in reality. I feel it was a much simpler plot than Twinkletoes implies. Don't expect a thriller with shocking twists, but a solid drama. All in all an enjoyable film, but nothing truly exceptional, I think."