Match Point

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I swear if Matthew Goode doesn't have an amazing career I'll cry. He's too pretty and too talented and he pulled off Chasing Liberty for god's sake.

He makes it look so easy, but he has such a tiny head that I can't get behind the hotness. He is talented as hell though. He pretty much waltzed away with Match Point without ever getting his hands dirty.

[plush]

I saw it a couple of weeks ago and didn't like it. I can't say it totally sucked, but I just didn't care for it, didn't care for any of the characters either.


JRM is very creepy looking, and I'm not just talking about his character in that movie.His eyes freak me out, totally. Scarlett was okay but I find her extremely overrated and she's been pushed too much in the media lately enough for me to get irritated. But then isn't every starlet pushed that way?

[satellite]

I saw this over the weekend and loved it, even though I'm not into Woody Allen at all. It reminded me a bit of a Neil LaBute film with the misanthropy. I've been a Jonathan Rhys-Meyers fan since Velvet Goldmine so I'm glad he's getting bigger movies.

Scarlett's character Nola intrigued me. Why did she move back to London to audition when she was already financially struggling? You'd think L.A. would be the place for a sexy blonde to make it. I thought maybe Nola had some deeper symbolism as the "ugly American"- beautiful, sexy and tempting on the surface, but then immature, selfish, needy, and overly emotional once things weren't going her way. At first Nola and Chris were playing the same game of trying to get into the family, but Chris played it so much better.

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At first Nola and Chris were playing the same game of trying to get into the family, but Chris played it so much better.

I liked that the film really showed Nola and Chris as being very similar (both foreigners, both social climbers, etc...) yet it made it extremely clear how much easier it was for Chris to be accepted by the family. He was better at the social climbing - relying on much more than his looks, but he was also never targeted like Nola was. Her looks were enough to attract any man (she looked gorgeous in the film!) but she didn't quite have the cunning skills to completely assimilate into the Hewitt lifestyle. She was always herself first and "Tom's fiancee" (or whoever) second. Quite a nice performance from Scarlett.

[peachesandcream]

It tickles me that JRM has now played athletes in two movies (this one and Bend it) because he has a reputation as a HUGE druggie. I bet he couldn't run a mile.

That said, he's gorgeous and I thought he did a great job in this film.

I'm so happy to see Matthew Goode working. I've loved him every since I inadvertently caught Chasing Liberty on cable. He's ridiculously hot.

[satellite]

yet it made it extremely clear how much easier it was for Chris to be accepted by the family. He was better at the social climbing - relying on much more than his looks, but he was also never targeted like Nola was.

Yeah. They didn't come right out and call her a golddigger, but when she was at dinner talking about the classic cars that she wanted to buy after she and Tom were married, I immediately thought - bad move.

Chris always made sure to be super-humble. Maybe from growing up in the class- conscious British/Irish society he knew how aristocratic wealthy people operated and what they expect of a hardworking, ambitious lower class guy. He sought to gain their respect.

Here in America, a woman like Nola can social-climb just on the basis of being a "hot chick" and could easily become a trophy wife. But for the Hewitts good breeding counted for more. Chloe was born wealthy and didn't really have to work, but she was well-educated and a gallery owner/ patron of the arts.

I was surprised that Nola and Tom were engaged after knowing each other for only 6 months, but then again Chris and Chloe married rather quickly too. Is this the standard there?

I see on IMDB that Kate Winslet was originally cast as Nola.. interesting.

[atpeacewithme]

If Kate Winslet had been Nola - the character would have been so much more sympathetic. Kate has a softness and vulnerability that would have made Nola a doll. I see Kate as being better as Chole - she could have fleshed her out more than Emily could.

I did think ScarJo was fantastic and memorable as Nola.

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If Kate Winslet had been Nola - the character would have been so much more sympathetic. Kate has a softness and vulnerability that would have made Nola a doll. I see Kate as being better as Chole - she could have fleshed her out more than Emily could.

I agree with Kate being an extremely sympathetic actress. If she had played Nola or Chloe, it would have been a disaster. I mean, the movie really ended up working for me because I was able to understand where JRM's character was coming from. I can't say that I was rooting for him, but I wasn't rooting against him. A large part of that has to do with ScarJo's portrayal of Nola and Emily's portrayal of Chloe. ScarJo was sexxxxy as hell and intriguing but that got old fast and she really turned into a shrill, insecure girl of a woman. Emily Mortimer's Chloe, OTOH, was nice and sweet but I could understand why JRM would be bored with her and her insular and uncomplicated ways. If Kate had played Nola or Chloe, I don't think the audience would have been able to forgive JRM for his actions because you would be rooting for Kate's character over his in every situation. I know I would have been.

[londonprincess]

When the hell does this movie come out on DVD?? I've been waiting forever! Narnia and Memoirs are already out. What's the deal??

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Amazon has a dvd release date (in the US, at least) of April 25th. So, not too much longer to wait. It seems like it was released ages ago but I think it had one of those slow rollouts to allow word of mouth to build. I wonder if that was a successful move? I know the film was well received critically but I am not sure how it did financially. It seemed to have a lot of buzz when it first came out but it was quickly replaced by other films like Brokeback Mountain and, therefore, Match Point never really gained momentum (like Brokeback) or became the success it might have been. It seems like people who wanted to see this movie might have lost some of their desire during the down time.