Match Point

Hugely overrated. Woody Allen brings the softlens to upperclass English mansions, and pure wooden stereotypes to his characters (the kind Oscar Wilde satirises, Wooden Allen takes as gospel flesh and blood) He has no ear for the cadences of English as it is spoken in England, makes his characters use words and expressions that belong in New York, certainly not in the British Isles ("gotten"!! ) The main male character is supposed to be Irish and has not the slightest hint of Ireland in his accent or imagery. The acting is awful (Scarlett Johannsen included - though she is given very little to work with), the plot close to farce and totally predictable. Mr. Allen is now working out his guilt in English landscapes rather than those of New York. I suppose we should be thankful for small mercies. While this director repeats himself endlessly and shamelessly, at least we no longer have to hear him ranting on to himself and to his shrink about love and death. The screenplay Oscar nomination for this movie is the most ridiculous choice since Mel Gibson's blue bum's beat out 'Sense and Sensibility' for the best film about a decade ago. Buy a tub of ice cream instead.