Match Point

Woody Allen, United States, 2004, Tamasa Distribution

Comment

Chris, an ambitious young man from humble beginnings has managed to get a foothold in the upper circles of London society through his friendship with Tom, who ranks highly amongst the upper echelons. This scene features the first encounter between Chris and Nola, a young American who has come to try out her luck as an actress in England. He chooses to ignore that she is Tom’s fiancé.

Featuring the same structure and space as in A Place in the Sun, here it’s a table tennis table that keeps them apart, an object that’s easily overcome. The scene is shorter and quicker than the previous example. A very aggressive individual, Chris rapidly burns his way through the standard stages of a romantic encounter, swiftly reducing the distance between himself and Nola, latching on to her physically as he uses the pretext of showing her how to play table tennis as an excuse to be close to her. At this point a third person arrives on the scene, Nola’s fiancé, whose presence separates them, bringing their potentially romantic encounter to an end.