Whenever Woody Allen produces a new film, I'll dutifully check it out. After all, a bad Allen film is still better than the average fare churned out by Hollywood, but the Woodman has really tested his fans during the past decade. He's been mailing in his screenplays and directing in auto-pilot mode, giving us the same recycled story—only changing the actors and settings. Word was out that it was time for Woody to either retire or take some time off. Not to be; the self-proclaimed workaholic continues to crank out at least one film every year. Only an act of God could stop him from this, and that's not an option in Woody's universe.

Despite Allen's personal nihilistic outlook on Life, his fans continue to hope for the best—that Woody will regain his form and once again entertain while challenging our sensibilities. Thus, hope was rekindled by the positive buzz accompanying Match Point after 2005 Cannes Film Festival premiere, as it was universally dubbed as the best Woody Allen film in many years. In itself that's not much of an endorsement, but it truly the Woodman's best work since his Crimes and Misdemeanors. In fact, his latest film would make an excellent twin bill comparison with that 1989 film--both explore similar themes.

Much has been made of Allen's rebirth signaled by his abandonment of comfortable New York City locales for London and using a number of British actors, but this remains a superficial observation. More interesting are differences in the film's mixed genres and tone. Comic moments give way to dark irony in subdued fashion; Match Point remains as serious as Interiors, reflected by the musical score that forsakes his usual light-hearted jazz for heavy does of tragic Verdi arias.

Opera aficionados will appreciate how Allen weaves various operatic scores throughout the film at crucial junctures to accompany the narrative—most prominently a scratchy Caruso recording of Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amoreï" about a man who takes a dose of love potion and has inherited a fortune. To talk specifically about the various librettos included in the film's soundtrack would give far too much away, as the plot takes Hitchcockian twists and turns around a Tom Ripley-like character who maneuvers his way through the class consciousness of a Jane Austen novel (from a modern male viewpoint) and merges with Dostoevsky's sensibilities. But it's all underscored by Verdi to remind us that we're viewing tragic opera.

Although never on screen, Allen's presence is clearly felt from the very beginning when former tennis pro Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) declares that much of life depends on luck, using tennis as a visual metaphor that reappears to great effect late in the narrative. We've seen Allen expound on his philosophy before�the non existence of God, the meaninglessness of Life, how little control we have over events. The film also examines the nature of unhealthy relationships like virtually all his films do.

Tired of never reaching the top of the tennis profession, Irish-born Chris embarks on a path clearly designed to land him among the British upper crust. Taking a job as tennis instructor at an exclusive club, he looks for his opportunity. When Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) quickly bonds with him and invites him to the opera, Chris jumps. Allen plays on ambiguity here, so we're not sure of Tom's sexuality, but it's evident that Chris is prepared to jump through any required hoops to land him in the right circle. It turns out that Tom has a sexy American-born fiancee named Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson) that really turns Chris' head. Dangerous waters indeed, but conveniently Tom's sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer) is instantly charmed; she quickly jumps into Chris' bed and longs to mother his children.

The wealthy Hewett parents (flawlessly acted by Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton) heartily approve of Chris, yet remain suspicious of aspiring actress Nola, who adroitly cues Chris that he is "being groomed" and will do well as long as he doesn't blow it by "making a pass" at her. Thus, the central conflict proceeds. Will the highly calculating, manipulative Chris safely control his passions the way he played tennis? Will he take a flyer on passion and rely on his cleverness to avoid disaster? Or will other scenarios emerge that rely on a lucky bounce?

While the theology rings familiar Woody Allen notes, he delivers a radically different and mesmerizing narrative with some fresh faces. Previously cast for pretty boy roles, Rhys-Meyers effectively portrays the conflicted anti-hero that carries the film surprisingly well. Johansson realistically comes across as a struggling actress—an intelligent woman aware of her sexual powers with decided vulnerability. She's best in quiet scenes, so it's a huge stretch of credibility when Allen asks her to get angry and throw a tantrum. That over the top scene doesn't work with the same sincerity. Allen must have liked her work since she's acting in his next film.

Match Point doesn't equal Allen's best films that work both intellectually and emotionally—Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors. But after a long hiatus from creativity, it's a welcome change to what had become a tired formula. Even his weaker films never insulted the audience's intelligence, so his latest release ranks as one of the year's "must see" films. It may only emotionally resonate with opera fans, but most of Allen's fans will appreciate screenplay's tight construction and Allen's story telling craft on an intellectual level. It can also serve as a pre-primer for Dostoevsky—you'll still need to figure out whether this refers to The Idiot or to Crime and Punishment.