Former tennis pro, Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is accustomed to near misses in his life. Good but not good enough describes his lifestyle. It seems that the luck of the ball falling one way or the other over the tennis net on those close shots defined his very existence. After leaving the tennis circuit, he begins working at a posh tennis club in London and befriends member Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode). With their mutual love for the opera he not only works his way into the family but also marries Tom’s sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer).

Soon doors are opened to the kind of money and success that Chris had once only dreamed of. Chloe’s father Alec (Brian Cox) welcomes him into the family business. And though Chris seems suffocated by the necktie and briefcase he’s bound to he serves up his best shot. Chris appears to have made a decent enough trade off in his new life until his libido sends him reeling in the direction of Tom’s fiancée, Nola (Scarlett Johansson). Infatuation turns to hedonistic abandon, as a one-night stand with Nola has him craving much more.

As Chris becomes comfortable with his prestigious, well-paid executive position at his father-in-law’s company, the fringe benefits like a chauffeur driven car and being a member of the country club rather than a hired hand, forces him to choose between Chloe and Nola. By this time, Nola has changed from coy dilettante to cloying provocateur, demanding that he leave Chloe. Some people think at times they don’t have choices but in reality we always have a choice. We might not like what we’re faced with, but we do have a choice. Chris’ choice is the moral point of the movie.

Written and directed by Academy Award® winner Woody Allen ("Annie Hall," "Hannah and Her Sisters"), "Match Point" represents a departure for the native New Yorker, as he crosses the Atlantic to make a movie about people in London society. His talented ensemble cast includes Scarlett Johansson ("Lost in Translation," "Girl With a Pearl Earring"), Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("Bend it Like Beckham," TVs "Elvis"), Emily Mortimer ("Lovely & Amazing," "Bright Young Things," "Dear Frankie"), and Matthew Goode ("Chasing Liberty"). The film also features Brian Cox ("The Bourne Identity," "Red Eye") and Penelope Wilton ("Iris," "Pride & Prejudice").

We won’t get into the debate about Allen’s return to form or if this is his best picture. It’s an astonishing story with incredible performances, that blows you away, right up until it’s over and you begin to pick apart the "what ifs" and the "wow factors." We will take the position that with this film and "Melinda and Melinda," Allen shows that smart, intelligent and entertaining movies can be made without spending megabucks on special effects and jotting around the globe to various exotic destinations. Woody Allen is indeed one heck of a storyteller.

Without respect to morality, "Match Point" is about being both lucky and good at the same time in the game of life. There are those who think that people that do evil deeds will one day get their just do. Then there are others who tune out their moral compasses and live happily ever after. You’ll like the movie either way you think it continues after the credits roll; one way leaves you satisfied and the other conflicted.