Match (2014) Reviews

• Journey into the Past

  tigerfish502014-10-20

  A 40-something couple from Seattle arrives in New York to interview a flamboyant bi-sexual 70-something ballet teacher about his long career for a dissertation on classical dance. As the questions probe deeper, they begin to focus upon the man's relationship with a ballerina, with whom he'd enjoyed a brief affair many years previously. Before too long it becomes obvious this romance is the focus of the interviewers' interest, and their inquiries soon take a detour into uncomfortable territory. Each of the three characters attracts both sympathy and antipathy at various times, with the dialog crackling with wit, pathos and hostility as the story changes direction, tone and pace like a switchback ride. The narrative journeys through several different zones of the emotional spectrum until it eventually arrives at a satisfying conclusion. The three actors turn in excellent performances, and 'Match' provides sophisticated entertainment along with some thought-provoking insights about making art. Hopefully it will do well, and encourage producers to make more films of similar intelligence.

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• "What could you possible want from me?"

  kevinsolis-974192015-10-01

  I'm not a movie reviewer. I probably couldn't tell the difference between a great performance and a bad one. I'm most certainly a bad judge of film, to give an example I love the movie Battleship. But I can't recall a movie that's ever left me with such a feeling after that I need the closure that comes from writing this. If that is any indication of how good this movie is so be it. The story is as simple as a couple (Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard) interviewing a ballet teacher (Patrick Stewart) with questions about his career. But, can we really ever talk about our lives without bringing up our life and the consequences it has for everyone? Especially so if the questions are driven by motive. In this context the movie starts to feel like the play it is from, so be prepared for intelligent dialog, scenes over analyzed, emotions too dark and complex. There are no explosions as in most American movies, except the ones of our characters. If you're a fan of film festival movies, if you enjoy Broadway, if you prefer music from groups that are not mass market popular then this movie is for you. The characters are so real I felt like an intruder in their lives dealing with subjects so personal I had to avert my eyes to afford them a sense of privacy. All three actors, Stewart, Gugino, Lillard gave the best performances of their careers, which is bit of a surprise from Gugino and Lillard who I've enjoyed in the past but I regard as kind of one-note actors. You'd never know they had it in them which makes it a pleasure to watch. Hurt people hurt people, and there is a lot of hurt and regret in this film. I left the theater wanting to give each of the characters the hug they sorely needed and deserved. Most emotionally drawn films cause you to cry when viewing them. This one made me cry long after, after I was able to piece together the lasting consequences of these strangers' encounter.

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• Some powerful acting and writing

  Red_Identity2015-07-16

  This is definitely a surprising film. If one knows what's going on beneath the surface, you wouldn't hesitate to try to guess how exactly the plot will turn out. But actually, the screenplay is quite detailed and it plays with its own conventions. Never does the film (aside from the ending) stray into exactly what you would expect. I don't think it's a flawless film, but it's definitely one that stands out in terms of never having seen this sort of movie plot play out like this, exactly. Stewart is absolutely fantastic. I could have definitely seen some awards traction had the film come out just at the end of 2014. Carla Gugino is also really strong actually, and proof that she was always a talent that deserved to make it bigger. Matthew Lillard has some impressive scenes, but he's also not nearly as strong throughout the whole film. Not a bad performance but i think that more could have been done with a better actor. Overall, really well done

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• Filled With Twists & Surprises

  larrys32015-10-09

  Not an action flick, this is a character and dialogue driven film containing lots of twists and surprises, and I found it quite engrossing as it offers something different. Instinctively, I felt it might have been a play, and after reading up on it, I saw that is was indeed, with playwright Stephen Belber ably adapting it to the screen and directing as well. Just to note, surprisingly, it contains very raw language and some sexual references in its content. It's pretty much a 3 person movie, with fine performances from Patrick Stewart, Carla Gugino, and Matthew Lillard. Stewart portrays Tobi Powell, a retired world-class dancer and choreographer, who now teaches dance at Juilliard, in New York City. He's a complex bi-sexual man, who can be caustic, bombastic, and "swear like a sailor", yet be into knitting and cooking as well. The ever vivacious Gugino plays Lisa Davis, who has traveled from Seattle with her policeman husband Mike (Lillard) to meet Tobi, and ostensibly interview him for her dissertation on the history of classical choreography. However, after a casual get-together at a local Greek restaurant, Tobi invites the couple to his apartment to continue the interview. It's not long before Tobi senses there's a lot more at play here than a simple interview, and things begin to get rather intense and even sinister. Henceforth, they'll be a number of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the final scenes. All in all, this movie got my attention and kept me engaged from start to finish with its surprises and intrigue, along with the excellent performances from all three leads here.

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• Old and queer in a straight world.

  paulcreeden2016-07-27

  I will divulge that I am a gay man of 66. Any resemblance to Patrick Stewart's character ends there, but I got his character completely. I was also so please not to see another movie about an old gay man coming out at 70. This piece is very deep from my perspective. It is not a light glossing over of the core issues of aging, commitment, loss and imagined alternate realities. It is a hard look which is very touching without being overly melodramatic. Unlike Tobi, I don't cry easily, but I did at the end of this film. Matthew Lillard's performance as the emotionally stunted cop was dead on. I come from a cop family, so I can testify to that. And Carla Gugino played the well-meaning cop's wife equally well. The pace of revealing secrets and emotional baggage was very well done in the screenplay. While I had an inkling of the plot line's end, it did not matter as much as seeing how it would play out with these engaging performances.

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