DVD Review: Match Point

Any tennis player can tell you that there comes a point in a match where the ball hits the tape at the top of the net and for a split second the ball hangs in suspended space while both players hold their collective breath. Where the ball falls seems to be either mostly luck or unknown physics of how the world spins. Woody Allen's latest movie, Match Point, deals with the former -- the randomness of events in life.

Chris (Jonathan Rhys-Myers), a former tennis pro, has seen far too many balls drop on his side of the net. He's now retired, and takes a job teaching the upper crust of England to hit the ball around. One of his clients is Tom, who takes a liking to him, and invites him out to the opera (they both share a love, and much of the movie's soundtrack is made up of it). The gay vibes between the two fade quickly when we are introduced to Nola (Scarlett Johansson) a blazing-hot American actress whom Tom is dating. Chris is immediatley drawn to her, but there's a problem -- he's currently dating Tom's sister, Chloe (Emily Mortimer).

This is only the opening of the plot, and no more will be given away here. It should be noted however, that this film veers from a tennis-court love story to a much darker field as each minute of its two-hour running time barrels on.

As one might expect, the acting is superb. Rhys-Myers only uses two looks but that is all his character needs. He's either brooding or lusting over something, and by the movies end they are one and the same. Bryan Cox plays the rich benefactor and father of Tom and Chloe. It's clearly a one-note character, but he plays it with enough grace to make us feel like he deeply cares for his children. In fact, he may be the only morally sound character in Match Point, even though he is the wealthiest.

Many will undoubtedly draw comparisons to the movie Closer because of how badly behaved the rest of these characters are. That's the main flaw as well: we start out liking Chris, who has self-admittingly pulled himself up from his bootstraps, and made something out of nothing. We are intrigued by the romance between Tom and Nola and its passion. They met at a party and "one thing led to another," as Tom says.

However, what starts out as an innocuous love triangle quickly degenerates into the very rich behaving very badly. As Chris becomes more and more obsessed with what he can't have, we lose our ability to care for him. Everything thereafter becomes another event without significance -- but considering the theme of the movie, maybe that's what Allen was aiming for.

Verdict: ** 1/2

CD Review: Taking Back Sunday "Louder Now"

Taking Back Sunday has always been the little Long Island emo band that could. It has risen from a word-of-mouth debut album to a group that will move about 200K copies of its latest, Louder Now, the first week out. The band’s debut, the rough-around-the-edges Tell All Your Friends was released back in 2002 --well before boys in tight pants could be seen batting their eye-liner eyes on MTV. It had two stunners “Cute Without the 'E'” and “You’re So Last Summer” and paved the path for the much-improved sophomore effort Where You Want To Be which was a slice of depressed, suburban Americana teen life if there ever was one.

Now back with its third album, and first on a major label, most are wondering if Taking Back Sunday has abandoned its roots by adopting a more mellow pop sound which would make it easier for it to grace the Teen Beat cover. Well, the answer is it hasn’t, but Sunday may have actually stuck a little too close to home.

From the opening notes on Louder Now, there is no doubt Taking Back Sunday have made every effort to be just that. The first cut, “What’s It Feel Like To Be A Ghost?” steals what sounds like a riff borrowed from the last Chili Peppers record and beats it into submission, providing the record with its most viscous punch and most rewarding song.

However, just like lead singer Adam Lazzara sings on “Divine Intervention,” “Yeah, we’re stubborn and melodramatic…See I know a few of your favorite things,” the band has made little to no effort to branch out from what we’ve heard before. There’s never been any doubt that Lazzara and company can craft a great lyric. Louder Now is abound with depressing tales of love and loss that put other bands in this stagnant genre to shame.

There are times when one thinks Taking Back Sunday have the ability to be the best band on earth, like on the lovely “Miami,” which is edgy, funky, dark and beautiful through its entirety, but then the moment is ruined when the next track hits and Sunday‘s carefully polished sound becomes nothing more than self-parody.

And although the lyrics and musicianship are strong, one is left pondering the question: Now on their third album, can these guys still be complaining about girls? In essence, although this album is well-made and well-executed, ultimately you’ll be left wanting more. There’s no doubt Taking Back Sunday have the chops to put the complete product together -- if only they could turn Louder Now into Better Now.

The Verdict: ** 1/2 (out of four)