Thursday, August 24, 2006
Coming off the high that was Allen's latest film, Scoop (2006), it was difficult to watchMatch Point, with the serious mindset it deserved. Besides the fact that it is such different material from his usual films, that is, the Comedy is played marginally to the volatile affair among a young executive and his seductress (played by Scarlet Johannson), there is an intrigue to the film that stuck with me even after it had ended. In part, I think this is because I can't shake the memory of Allen at his goofiest from my head. Of course there are serious moments in his previous films; Allen certainly has a sense of tragedy. Ironically, that is the source for his most brilliant humor (e.g. the deafening breakups in Annie Hall (1977) and Manhattan (1979).
Perhaps it was the setting that set me awry. The majority of Allen's films are conceived and brought to fruition in New York City; that cityscape is often an integral player in his narratives, so its absence replaced by London and the surrounding countryside might account for my displacement. Though, I think this is the part that I like the most; the fact that I have lost my bearings and sense of direction, that the atmosphere is foreign. It's mysterious, intriguing, especially from the perspective of a director who rarely lets us see beyond the borders of the 5 boroughs (note: I do speak from a position of mild ignorance; I have not seen all, or even most of Allen's 42 films). In that respect, perhaps Allen is learning the new geography in the same way; a threatening story in a place that has no sense of his identity. But that's conjecture. Suffice to say for now, in this post that is taking place more than a month hence the film's viewing, I'd like to see it again to (without Scoop fresh in my mind) for more complete thoughts.
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