Luck and Ambition in Woody Allen's Match Point
The Role of Luck in Tennis and Life
The film begins with Chris Wilton daydreaming about tennis. He muses that success depends not only on skill but mostly on luck. Sometimes the ball hits the top of the net; if it falls forward, you win, but if it falls back, you lose.
Chris (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a recently retired tennis professional, takes a job at an upmarket London club. He strikes up a friendship with a pupil, Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode), after discovering a shared affinity for opera. Chris soon meets Tom's younger sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer), and the two begin dating. During a family gathering, Chris also meets Tom's fiancée, Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson). While Tom's mother, Eleanor, clearly disapproves of her son's relationship with a struggling American actress, she is pleased that Chloe is with Chris. Chloe eventually encourages her father to give Chris a management position in one of his companies, leading to Chris being accepted into the family and discussions of marriage.
A Dangerous Affair and Social Ambition
Despite his growing relationship with Chloe, Chris is intensely attracted to Nola. During a storm at the Hewett estate, he follows her outside, and they share a passionate encounter in a field, leaving them both feeling guilty yet obsessed. While Nola treats this as an accident, Chris finds himself in an ongoing illicit pursuit. Eventually, Chris marries Chloe. Shortly after, he learns that Tom has broken up with Nola.
Chris and Chloe are unable to have children, much to her distress, and Chris turns into a workaholic to mask his dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, Tom marries a new girlfriend because she is pregnant. Chris tries in vain to track down Nola at her old apartment, but he later encounters her at the Tate Modern while he is supposed to be meeting Chloe. Under his wife's nose, he discreetly gets Nola's number, and the two begin a heated affair.
The Pregnancy and a Desperate Choice
While Chris is spending time with his wife's family, Nola calls to inform him that she is pregnant. Chris is shocked and urges her to have an abortion. She refuses, stating she has aborted twice before and now wants to raise the child with him. Chloe begins to suspect Chris is having an affair due to his strange behavior, but he convinces her otherwise. Nola urges Chris to divorce Chloe, leaving him feeling trapped. When Nola confronts him after discovering some of his lies, he barely escapes public detection.
The Perfect Crime and the Role of Fate
Driven to desperation, Chris steals a shotgun from his father-in-law and hides it in a tennis bag. He calls Nola to tell her he has good news, then goes to her building. He enters the apartment of Nola’s neighbor, Mrs. Eastby, under the pretext of checking her TV reception. He kills her and stages the scene to look like a robbery, taking jewelry and drugs. As Nola reaches her apartment, Chris shoots her as well. He then takes a taxi to meet Chloe at a musical. The police investigate the crime scene and initially conclude it was a drug-related theft.
The Investigation and the Final Outcome
The next day, Chris feigns surprise when the murder makes the news. On his next trip to his father-in-law's estate, he replaces the shotgun. Soon after, Chloe announces she is pregnant. However, Chris is questioned by Detective Mike Banner regarding the Eastby-Rice murders. Before the interview, Chris attempts to throw the stolen jewelry into the river, but his ring bounces off the guardrail and lands on the pavement—mirroring the opening tennis metaphor.
- Chris admits the affair to the police but denies the murder.
- He pleads with detectives not to ruin his marriage.
- Chris is haunted by visions of Nola and Mrs. Eastby.
- Detective Banner has a dream revealing the truth of the crime.
Banner's theory is discredited when his colleague informs him that a drug dealer was found murdered with Mrs. Eastby's ring in his pocket. The film ends with Chloe giving birth to a boy named Terrence. As the family celebrates their "luck," Chris stands at the window, detached. The killer has escaped justice through pure chance.