HAVING not seen many Woody Allen films before, I was looking forward to seeing what he served up in Match Point, the director's first film made entirely outside New York.

The film centres around the fortunes of tennis coach and Irish ex-pat Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and his rise to success on the back of the wealthy, if a little too kind, Hewett family.

Wilton meets Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) and sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer) and is exposed to the rich lifestyle of their parents, Eleanor (Penelope Wilton) and mega-rich businessman Alec (Brian Cox).

Wilton soon realises he can increase his social and financial standing and makes a beeline for Chloe.

However, during an afternoon of cocktails and croquet Wilton meets Tom's struggling actor squeeze Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson). She is a man magnet and Wilton is a large chunk of iron.

Before long Wilton's good looks and charm have helped him bag a pretty brunette bride in the form of trusting Emily and her father has given him a leg up in the business world.

At this point they should settle down and live happily ever after but Wilton cannot resist the charm of Rice and is soon chasing her with all the enthusiasm of a ball boy on centre court at the All England Club.

The tale soon takes a turn for the worse as Wilton is forced to spin a web of lies to keep his new family funding him and his bit on the side, well, on the side.

Overall, Match Point is a well-shot film, if a little long at just over two hours and the script and plot are quite engaging and entertaining.

However, I found London was a little too clean and crisp and was presented in its romanticised state, good for tourism but unbelievable for people who have been there.

Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton give good performances as the loving father and sceptical mother but Goode and Mortimer are just not convincing in their naivety.

Johansson is nice to look at but her performance is not a patch on her effort in Lost In Translation.

Essentially, Woody Allen has created an entertaining two hours of deceit interjected with some great moments of black comedy.

I can see it appealing to foreign audiences more than the Brits but this will also be good film to watch in an all-girl group or with your other half.