News for today's 2018

Hitchcock...in 3D!

6:00 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3u2jgN_RGVzHoITV68kxl0GTILajLiodgvgoXOE0KKRp4DN1iBb2TeIWtIc-dKX9BtnHI7TNMUyLapjmaFz-QoPRk3yYcUQYuRlOs88gP_SDB7sGGhQvCKE89qKcGc9bUWvTSwtOr0s/s1600/dial+m+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3u2jgN_RGVzHoITV68kxl0GTILajLiodgvgoXOE0KKRp4DN1iBb2TeIWtIc-dKX9BtnHI7TNMUyLapjmaFz-QoPRk3yYcUQYuRlOs88gP_SDB7sGGhQvCKE89qKcGc9bUWvTSwtOr0s/s400/dial+m+poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My introduction to 3D movies <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finally</i> came this past weekend and I’m sure it surprises no one who knows me that this happened by way of a classic rather than one of today’s CGI extravaganzas. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My initiation into stereoscopic 3D film, a process that has been around forever but has gained a firm foothold only recently, took place on Sunday afternoon, when I happily watched the only 3D film Alfred Hitchcock ever made with a near-full-house audience at one of my favorite theaters, <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2010/09/rafael-theater.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the Rafael</b></span></a>.</span><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmv-3C5U97xdc6nWGdbs7N5xnTenPbUUVjS0bURuADbTswBjYBS30OqwuI37tB8I3KcT6bqfK-qN_Mv0Rd9aQwJqv2bNtxcdClL9STFK_q3wtonisIjeAkZ27mYecK5YujJCzM1ZVTlqo/s1600/rafael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmv-3C5U97xdc6nWGdbs7N5xnTenPbUUVjS0bURuADbTswBjYBS30OqwuI37tB8I3KcT6bqfK-qN_Mv0Rd9aQwJqv2bNtxcdClL9STFK_q3wtonisIjeAkZ27mYecK5YujJCzM1ZVTlqo/s320/rafael.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The Rafael Theatre, San Rafael, CA</span></td></tr></tbody></table><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M for Murder </i>(1954) was the last film Hitchcock made as part of his deal with Warner Bros., a studio that had a huge hit with the 3D horror thriller <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">House of Wax </i>in 1953. On the heels of that film’s box office success, Jack Warner decreed, for the moment, that Warners would or should make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>subsequent films in 3D. Hitchcock, who was ever interested in evolving filmmaking technology, agreed to make his final film for the studio using 3D. It would be his first and last foray into the process. Because it could not be released until the Broadway play it was adapted from had ended its stage run, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M</i> did not come out until mid-1954, just as public fascination with 3D films had begun to wane. In fact, once it went into wide release, the film screened far more often in 2D than 3D. The first “golden age” of 3D film had lasted only from 1952 until 1954; the process was an expensive and unwieldy undertaking at the time, and other, less difficult to produce and exhibit technologies, like CinemaScope, would move to the forefront.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">According to AMPAS, “Hitchcock used the All-Media rig developed by the optical department at Warner Bros. to experiment with stereoscopic techniques…” To emphasize the impact of 3D, he paid great attention to the film’s art direction, in particular, set design and decoration, as well as the placement of actors within each scene. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the action, based as it was on a play, takes place primarily on one set, a London apartment interior, this sort of approach was a necessity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, in the hands of an artist of Hitchcock’s caliber, 3D became a showcase not only for the drama at hand but, simultaneously, showcased the process itself. Hitchcock’s distinctive style coupled with the potency of 3D makes for an intense and evocative film experience. All that transpires onscreen - from a woman quietly reading her newspaper to a violent scene of attempted murder - is enhanced by the director's grasp of the 3D format.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2ZPUYjn7aNwezPgdsMbqUB1M3m9NfqmqNQXc1FPzOzfOb4oIiiruxsO5Y2wU3UN3g5zaOcjoC7U_pIk8Z67TlUIfCu_cyEPoGs4cPkJDI2FFQuSUtRwZ_i7gN-dFltRX8ZWTE3Lsh24/s1600/newspaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2ZPUYjn7aNwezPgdsMbqUB1M3m9NfqmqNQXc1FPzOzfOb4oIiiruxsO5Y2wU3UN3g5zaOcjoC7U_pIk8Z67TlUIfCu_cyEPoGs4cPkJDI2FFQuSUtRwZ_i7gN-dFltRX8ZWTE3Lsh24/s400/newspaper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Grace Kelly</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><a name="more"></a><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have seen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M for Murder</i> many times in 2D. I think it may have been the first Hitchcock film I ever saw. There was once a local Los Angeles TV station that aired a different movie every week, all week: in the early evening five nights, Monday through Friday, and then again Saturday night. Was it KTLA? One week the movie was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M</i>. And I watched it every night. Hooked by Hitchcock at a young age! But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M</i> hasn’t been a favorite of mine. After seeing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vertigo</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rear Window</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Notorious</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strangers on a Train</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shadow of a Doubt</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psycho, </i>ETC., it seemed fairly tepid fare. And yet, when I found out it was to be screened at the Rafael, I instantly purchased tickets online. I had realized by now that Hitchcock on the big screen is a different experience from Hitchcock on the small screen (even on a good-sized small screen in HD). This realization first dawned on me when I attended a screening of the silent version of <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/03/hitchcocks-silent-version-of-blackmail.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blackmail</i></b></span></a> (1929) at the Rafael a few years ago and grew more profound with later viewings of <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/05/north-by-northwest-free-to-public.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">North by Northwest</i></b></span></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>(1959), also at the Rafael, and <b><a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/p/a-month-of-vertigo-bloggers-their-posts.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vertigo</i></span></span></a> </b>(1958), at <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2012/03/alfred-hitchcocks-vertigo-at-oaklands.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the Paramount</span></b></span></a>, Oakland’s Art Deco movie palace.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlHSmI8mIFbAsE5-wVkvQXodJIPkMWZ24i6qaY31oeXfqykDM34HWML4ETo2ow7Uo_Zn04JjdfsnQzD_TQytqnFlESe8TTcDInD-mgkZyMrggmtm9fACV2Z2rNyMGPnNDU1ab66RHTyE/s1600/murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlHSmI8mIFbAsE5-wVkvQXodJIPkMWZ24i6qaY31oeXfqykDM34HWML4ETo2ow7Uo_Zn04JjdfsnQzD_TQytqnFlESe8TTcDInD-mgkZyMrggmtm9fACV2Z2rNyMGPnNDU1ab66RHTyE/s1600/murder.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Anthony Dawson and Grace Kelly</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was not disappointed with the newly restored <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M for Murder</i> in Dolby 3D. At all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>With visual depth and dimension it seemed to me a different film. Where, before, the film had seemed as flat as its two-dimensional format, it now, literally, came to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’d thought of it as talky and static (as filmed plays often are) but now its atmosphere teemed with suspense, every word spoken implied more, facial expressions and physical movements suggested barely concealed undercurrents. Dialogue-heavy as it is, the film now seemed to move along at a brisk clip. Though one scene was obviously designed for 3D (and must’ve caused quite a stir when the film was first shown), Hitchcock clearly understood 3D and exploited it with precision in every frame.</span><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhA9_qOai1PKgYWlexljkCDsGDZrquH06UqO_QeeDqrx4nRYIVBLH5byXCePj43Cdodn7ONOskTIm0ZvAB5weenlmgPPTFRJTno4DcRQ3GzvLsl5Y8N0cMxFS7yYdjEVKt561zyZ7oz0/s1600/phone+system.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhA9_qOai1PKgYWlexljkCDsGDZrquH06UqO_QeeDqrx4nRYIVBLH5byXCePj43Cdodn7ONOskTIm0ZvAB5weenlmgPPTFRJTno4DcRQ3GzvLsl5Y8N0cMxFS7yYdjEVKt561zyZ7oz0/s400/phone+system.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">dialing M...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Among <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M for Murder</i>’s claims to fame is that it was the first of Hitchcock’s three films starring Grace Kelly. He had first seen the young actress opposite Robert Alda in an early ‘50s screen test for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taxi</i>,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>a film that was never made. She would go on to make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">High Noon </i>(1952) with Gary Cooper for Fred Zinnemann and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mogambo </i>(1953) with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner for John Ford before Hitchcock managed to cast her in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M</i>. If director Gregory Ratoff thought Kelly was perfect for the role of the Irish lass she might have played in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taxi </i>because, he said, “she’s not pretty,” Hitchcock saw something else entirely. By the time the two were finished making pictures together in 1955, Kelly was vaunted as one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood - due in no small part to Hitchcock’s presentation of her.</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zm0CL1K-mWoqTWzGEYj97yrgb0kUHNeA-NThtAqZDOvnk6jsejZ7R1EBx32m36RKk6QYpAF1-3A489-O1c1epiPUM9JCfcHvHutUE5u9vkPBwUmwjw1SrFoHSGEsl7pEwIIYH-e0pOY/s1600/dialmscissors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zm0CL1K-mWoqTWzGEYj97yrgb0kUHNeA-NThtAqZDOvnk6jsejZ7R1EBx32m36RKk6QYpAF1-3A489-O1c1epiPUM9JCfcHvHutUE5u9vkPBwUmwjw1SrFoHSGEsl7pEwIIYH-e0pOY/s400/dialmscissors.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A scene designed for 3D </span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Thanks to the resurgence of 3D, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dial M for Murder </i>can now be seen as it was originally conceived and appreciated as the bona fide classic it is.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3KJJ7KsIimI2EwJyRPWBOQ0H96ViSaUs1Z0fP-SUKef06SmYA9RNYFDofoKpEIipqtnBCx0wmhp1kr16TsQGCXrH0yJPI5-97B9V6TTm_w7KDUiqgWaQLIBfVbQ9JC3WoMAWel5Xy0w/s1600/Dial+M+for+Murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3KJJ7KsIimI2EwJyRPWBOQ0H96ViSaUs1Z0fP-SUKef06SmYA9RNYFDofoKpEIipqtnBCx0wmhp1kr16TsQGCXrH0yJPI5-97B9V6TTm_w7KDUiqgWaQLIBfVbQ9JC3WoMAWel5Xy0w/s400/Dial+M+for+Murder.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

3D Alfred Hitchcock Dial M for Murder Rafael Theatre The Lady Eve (author) Hitchcock...in 3D!

My introduction to 3D movies finally came this past weekend and I’m sure it surprises no one who knows me that this happened by way of a cl...

Woody Allen, Master of Suspense?

12:29 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdCBaLPwrWstMYKgqVUZM_xuVsHIQNCkQZuYuSLh2zXabu9mcf5iU-E_0abwSR9B0rB_CZOfm9C0L3L4SfDff7c5sCJqvQnVqqS1cykTo8TtWaIo64BiWZTUcSiNcFT6oCGPYqY20pROW/s1600/movie+poster+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdCBaLPwrWstMYKgqVUZM_xuVsHIQNCkQZuYuSLh2zXabu9mcf5iU-E_0abwSR9B0rB_CZOfm9C0L3L4SfDff7c5sCJqvQnVqqS1cykTo8TtWaIo64BiWZTUcSiNcFT6oCGPYqY20pROW/s400/movie+poster+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This post is my contribution to The Best Hitchcock Films Hitchcock Never Made blogathon hosted by Tales of the Easily Distracted and Classic Becky's Brain Food. <a href="http://doriantb.blogspot.com/p/best-hitchcock-movies-that-hitchcock.html" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for more information and links to participating blogs.</span></span></i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">~</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">On the face of it, the only thing Alfred Hitchcock and Woody Allen seem to have in common is the distinction of being aknowledged as preeminent auteurs. As Michael Newton put it in <i>The Guardian</i> earlier this year, </span><span style="font-size: small;">"Along with Alfred Hitchcock, Allen must be the most recognizable director in the history of cinema."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /><a name="more"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Hitchcock, who spent most of his career working within the studio system, developed the habit early on of planning and shooting his films so carefully that they were virtually immune to being re-cut by anyone else. Then, in 1954, he entered into a deal with Paramount that allowed him to work autonomously, provided generous production budgets and gave him ownership of those films he both produced and directed. Allen‘s career as a director took off in the 1970s, just as a new generation of independent-minded filmmakers swept into Hollywood. Almost from the beginning he had a remarkable arrangement with his financiers and distributors: as long as he stayed within budget he would have complete artistic freedom. Hitchcock, who began in the silent era, was influenced by German expressionism and Soviet montage theory and approached film as visual storytelling. Allen began as a writer and, naturally, has relied more on dialogue and use of the long master shot in his films. Hitchcock became synonymous with big movies with high production values while Allen has made films </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">with an "art house" sensibility and appeal</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> on relatively small budgets. </span><br /><br /><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">And yet, in 2005 Woody Allen made a film of distinctly “Hitchcockian” elements. <i>Match Point </i>is a sexy thriller about luck and morality set in modern-day London. The film showcases two intensely magnetic stars, Jonathan Rhys Meyers (<i>Bend it Like Beckham</i>, <i>Mission Impossible III</i>, <i style="color: black;">The Tudors</i>) and Scarlett Johansson (<i style="color: black;">Lost in Translation</i>, <i>Iron Man II</i>, <i>The Avengers</i>).</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"> </span> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZCcRkBMhllI" width="420"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">With a little luck it goes forward and you win. Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose...</span></div><br />Chris Wilton (Rhys Meyers) is a former professional tennis player hired by a posh London tennis club as an instructor. There he meets Tom Hewett (<span style="color: black;">Matthew Goode</span><span style="color: red;"></span>), scion of an extremely moneyed British family. The two become friendly and when Tom discovers Chris enjoys opera, he invites him to join his family in their box at the Royal Opera House for a performance of <i style="color: black;">La Traviata</i>. There Chris meets Tom’s parents and his eligible and instantly smitten sister, Chloe (<span style="color: black;">Emily Mortimer</span>); romance blooms. Soon after, Chris meets Nola Rice (Johansson), Tom’s luscious fiancée, an aspiring American actress. While the Hewett progeny are attractive enough physically, their wealth, position and lifestyle of culture and privilege are even more appealing. Chris and Nola are good-looking, charismatic creatures and, much as each knows they are onto a good thing with their respective lovers, sparks fly between them.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2n2OOyQbXoQjCnWP-juxIsmlGPLNEEJ8hZZxfsC9DdVxZvavvsFSDCp_qXYQ0r20RhyphenhyphenvGOazvLJ5q7vo9BRGOcpQZA9i0peKjDIzf_8GTF7L1nnM-tpGEuG7d7eon3svGLATz_hH4Or5/s1600/Woody+Allen+blonde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2n2OOyQbXoQjCnWP-juxIsmlGPLNEEJ8hZZxfsC9DdVxZvavvsFSDCp_qXYQ0r20RhyphenhyphenvGOazvLJ5q7vo9BRGOcpQZA9i0peKjDIzf_8GTF7L1nnM-tpGEuG7d7eon3svGLATz_hH4Or5/s320/Woody+Allen+blonde.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson as Chris Wilton and Nola Rice</td></tr></tbody></table><br />This Woody Allen-penned, Oscar-nominated story could easily have appealed to Alfred Hitchcock who knew not only the value of a good, well-scripted story, but also made two films about tennis playing protagonists with problematic relationships and status issues who become involved in murder. In <i style="color: black;">Strangers on a Train</i> (1951), competitive tennis player Guy Haines aspires to a loftier position in life and hopes to divorce his small-town floozy wife so he can marry the daughter of a U.S. senator. In <i>Dial M for Murder</i> (1954), retired tennis player Tony Wendice, who has discovered that his wealthy wife has been carrying on a serious love affair, fears he may lose his meal ticket and cushy lifestyle.<br /><br />But before any inkling of murder surfaces in <i>Match Point</i>, Chris, who is headed for marriage to Chloe and a good job with “one of” her father’s companies, develops a fascination with Nola. When, one day, he runs into her on the street, the two end up having drinks together. They talk about themselves and their relationships with Chloe and Tom and the elder Hewetts. Nola remarks that Eleanor, Tom and Chloe’s mother, hates her but that Chris is more fortunate, he’s “being groomed.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Nola: You’re going to do very well for yourself, unless you blow it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Chris: And how am I going to blow it?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Nola: By making a pass at me.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Chris: What makes you think that’s going to happen?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">Nola: Men always seem to wonder. They think I’d be something very special.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHduv9W5vE3va16FHrc2e6KXLo6eRZoR3h7Fm_hnEJ1TSCpENeuqZbX-pSoFqogmbn8Euom_aWidHRSOrFhyphenhyphenOQdQPxxqrQZ6OH0UZVCPNgFqGHXkl2AdSXc6MTJdHZ_Rd302iU8zQExGA/s1600/Chris+and+Nola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHduv9W5vE3va16FHrc2e6KXLo6eRZoR3h7Fm_hnEJ1TSCpENeuqZbX-pSoFqogmbn8Euom_aWidHRSOrFhyphenhyphenOQdQPxxqrQZ6OH0UZVCPNgFqGHXkl2AdSXc6MTJdHZ_Rd302iU8zQExGA/s320/Chris+and+Nola.jpg" width="311" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarlett Johansson will portray Janet Leigh In "Hitchcock" (2013)</td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">The two laugh, but Chris is powerfully tempted. Scarlett Johansson's Nola Rice begins as an assured, almost taunting beauty confident of her sexual appeal. She isn't quite the Grace Kelly version of the <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2011/08/hitchcock-blonde.html" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Hitchcock blonde</a>, but falls somewhere between the worldly hedonism of Ingrid Bergman at the beginning of <i>Notorious</i> (1946) and Kim Novak's subdued sultriness in <i>Vertigo</i> (1958). A blonde who flirts with danger, Nola is Hitchcock's kind of woman.</span><br /><br /><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">When fate eventually provides the moment, the two indulge in a frenzy of passion, but Nola warns, "this can't lead anyplace." Chris goes on to marry Chloe and Tom later breaks off with Nola (Tom: "mother poisoned the well"). Chris adapts to life on the corporate fast track, he and Chloe move into a spectacular, glass-encased apartment overlooking the Thames and she is soon fixated on becoming pregnant. The vitality begins to drain from Chris's life. As luck will have it, he and Nola meet again and this time she, who is beginning to lose her self-confidence and show slight signs of wear, is available. A torrid affair begins. As Chris embarks on a double life, the atmosphere quickens with tension. When his romance with Nola hits the wall of reality and she begins to pose a threat, unrelenting suspense mounts until a neatly executed plot twist brings unexpected resolution.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NCNhPLortkk" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The man who said, "I'd rather be lucky than good" saw deeply into life...</span></div><br /><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">What helps to create the film's tension and suspense are themes and motifs that echo Hitchcock: </span><br /><ul><li><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><i>The Wrong Man</i> - Occasionally Hitchcock turned this theme on its head and the innocent man accused would be a secondary character rather than the protagonist. This character's sudden death puts an end to further police investigation. The device is employed in both <i>Blackmail </i>(1929) and <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i> (1943)  - it also occurs in <i>Match Point</i>.</span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><i>Doubles </i>- A recurrent Hitchcock theme in which two characters seem kindred spirits until their bond is broken. Classic examples are the relationships between Guy Haines and Bruno Anthony in <i>Stangers on a Train </i>and "the two Charlies" in <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i>. Chris and Nola appear to be two of a kind when they meet over a ping pong table. But, as she learns, he plays "a very aggressive game."</span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><i>Obsession</i> - <i>Vertigo</i> is a virtual meditation on obsession, but Hitchcock contemplated fascination several times. Young Charlie is enchanted by her Uncle Charlie in <i>Shadow of a Doubt</i>, Bruno is obsessed with Guy in <i>Strangers on a Train</i>, two young men are enthralled with a philosophy in <i>Rope </i>(1948), </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">in <i>Rear Window</i> (1954) </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">L.B. Jeffries becomes obsessed with his neighbors' lives and his belief that a murder has been committed.</span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><i>The staircase motif</i> is an image Alfred Hitchcock used frequently - famously in <i>Suspicion </i>(1941), <i>Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Vertigo </i>and <i>Psycho </i>(1960). Staircases are prominently featured in <i>Match Point.</i></span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><i>The dominant mother</i> is another Hitchcock trademark. Mrs. Bates is a powerful unseen presence in <i>Psycho;</i> in <i>Notorious</i>, Mme. Sebastian has all but emasculated her son<i>. </i>Outspoken Eleanor Hewett's disapproval of Nola in <i>Match Point </i>is pivotal.</span></li><li><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;"><i>Landmarks</i> are common backdrops for important scenes </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">in Hitchcock films - t</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: small;">he list is long, from the British Museum in <i>Blackmail</i> forward. <i>Match Point </i>showcases London landmarks including The Tate Modern museum, The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the stunning Parliament View Apartments and The Queen's Club. Unlike Allen's treatment of New York in <i>Manhattan </i>(1979), <i>Match Point </i>is no homage to a city, rather, the attractions of London enhance the film's narrative.</span></li></ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9cI720lOtaqflVMPBJ217t6ro2B7ht5inyWq1nbbPzTFLtVhJkFRMBnr_BrV7v3yRtqY4wB-AwRsDFp2jCZkQut_2Ah-4RXR9WkWlfWhP445TrHtYkbzyX42nbv98P_l4fR4zB1bh1tP/s1600/jonathan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9cI720lOtaqflVMPBJ217t6ro2B7ht5inyWq1nbbPzTFLtVhJkFRMBnr_BrV7v3yRtqY4wB-AwRsDFp2jCZkQut_2Ah-4RXR9WkWlfWhP445TrHtYkbzyX42nbv98P_l4fR4zB1bh1tP/s320/jonathan.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan Rhys Meyers</td></tr></tbody></table>As well known for his ability to cast a film as Alfred Hitchcock, Woody Allen has said that his philosophy is to “hire the best actors, shut up and get out of their way.” One of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Match Point</i>’s great strengths is its cast, especially Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the central role. His Chris Wilton subtly and evocatively transforms from a beguiling “boy from Ireland come to London” who would like to do something special with his life, to a remote and preoccupied rising executive with dark secrets on his compliant conscience. Rhys Meyer’s sympathetic introduction along with selective point-of-view camera work engages the viewer; Chris is captivating. By the time he has fallen into desperation and is entangled in murder, we find ourselves complicit and anxious about his fate. Hitchcock managed this trick many times with his proclivity for point-of-view editing and masterful casting. Who could help but identify with Robert Walker’s Bruno Anthony in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strangers on a Train</i> as he struggles to retrieve a lighter from a drain so that he can plant it as false evidence? Who doesn't share the nervousness of Anthony Perkins’s Norman Bates in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psycho </i>as he waits for a car to sink after he’s pushed it into a swamp?  <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Woody Allen was elated with <i>Match Point </i>and was widely quoted at the time of its release in 2005 that he considered it his best film to date. Everything had come together, he said, and the production had been blessed with luck. Every actor exceeded his expectations, there was no trouble gaining access to desired locations and even the weather cooperated. He reflected that the storyline lent itself to the film medium and he’d been able to take advantage of that, focusing on action as much as dialogue. The movie, best described as a “moral thriller,” was his first successful drama and reinvigorated his career. Allen’s screenplay was nominated for an Oscar and Jonathan Rhys Meyers was awarded the Chopard Trophy at Cannes.</span></span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOL6IHJ0NTX2F3qAzyslae25Hj15HoUtQUsU9nrcKarhXkvM-H_-8l2msWJmH3U_wPb3-nbfhnyCy2R5oAOE2pGXgu7g6SbTwdk2Tvscf83K3sp58aqhSJEECyWWAjHFbCJ-VMbF49-QP/s1600/woody+and+his+blonde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOL6IHJ0NTX2F3qAzyslae25Hj15HoUtQUsU9nrcKarhXkvM-H_-8l2msWJmH3U_wPb3-nbfhnyCy2R5oAOE2pGXgu7g6SbTwdk2Tvscf83K3sp58aqhSJEECyWWAjHFbCJ-VMbF49-QP/s320/woody+and+his+blonde.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filming <i>Match Point</i>: Scarlett Johansson and Woody Allen on the set</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">~</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u><b>Sources</b></u>:</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Conversations with Woody Allen</i> by Eric Lax, Knopf (2007)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Woody Allen: cinema's great experimentalist</i> by Michael Newton<i>, The Guardian</i>, January 13, 2012 (quote only)</span></span></div></div>