Mayfair’s already expensive reputation went several million dollars higher last night as the stars of Woody Allen’s latest, Match Point, hit the Curzon for its premiere. With the tabloids winding down for Christmas, the cast were on relaxed form, with Emily Mortimer and Scarlett Johannson admiring each others outfits and taking droll delight in being called ‘ladies’ by the paparazzi and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers running around looking for his fags, while James Nesbitt joshed around with Alessandro Nivola.
Self-proclaimed Woody Allen fan and London mayor Ken Livingstone was on hand, but faced with his idol nerves must have got the better of him: his favourite Allen movies are apparently ‘Manhattan and Woody Hall.’ Bless the man for trying.
Far from the usual niceties, the cast seemed genuinely thrilled to have been working with ‘Woody Hall’, and Penelope Wilton did her best to explain why: “It’s the best thing in the world to be working with your hero, it was a dream come true. It was heaven to stand there with someone you’ve looked up to all your life.”
Urbane studmuffin Matthew Goode was more to the point: “I was shocked. I was like, ‘Are you sure you haven’t made a fucking huge mistake?’” He only realised what he was in when he saw the finished movie. “You watch the film and it’s got his finger prints all over it. After the first three days you start to get used to his style, which is very hands off so you don’t realise it, but you’ve been in these very Woody Allen shots.”
Jonathan Rhys Meyers might now do a neat line in Allen impressions, but he admitted to being surprised to getting the call from the big man. “It’s such a big thing in every actor’s life, ‘Maybe I’ll get the call from Woody Allen some day.’ Mind you, being an Irish actor I didn’t really think it would come for me, I didn’t think he cast any Irish people in his films!” Ah, the luck of the Irish. Aha ha.
It’s not just Jonathan who had the luck, according to Emily Mortimer who plays his on-screen wife Chloe. Woody himself is a superstitious chap: “He’s a huge believer in luck and the theme of this movie is luck and he thinks the whole way this thing together is a giant strike of luck and to a certain extent I feel that way too,” said the lovely lady before launching into a detailed history of the film’s finances (short version: US funders wanted too much control, London offered to pay for it on condition UK actors and locations were used, thrilled cast at Match Point premiere.)
And what about Woody himself? “I always have fun here and it’s a pleasure to come back,” said the director. “There’s no strings attached in London. They didn’t ask to read the script, or check the cast, they just asked, ‘Do you want to make a movie here?’” But wasn’t leaving New York a wrench? “Actually London’s not dissimilar from New York. They’re both big cities. It was different but not radically, film-making has a language of its own and it’s universal. I’m contemplating very seriously making a third film here.”
Meanwhile, leading lady Scarlett Johannson was merrily waxing lyrical about London. We like that. “I lovedLondon. I’ve always had wonderful experiences here, I have family here, many friends. I was thrilled to be coming here for the summer, I’d never had the opportunity to spend more than a couple of weeks here!” But it wasn’t the shops or the assorted Ken-supported tourist attractions that really grabbed Scarlett’s attention. “Setting aside a certain time of day for tea and sandwiches, that’s wonderful! I wish I could do it, just say ‘Oh, you know what I can’t take that meeting because I’m having afternoon tea.’