London woos Woody

Woody Allen

Woody Allen has revealed his love of English slang at the premiere of his first London film, Match Point.

Allen spent months in Marylebone and Chelsea to film the story with a host of British actors and Scarlett Johansson in the starring role.

"The weather was absolutely superb for photography," Allen said. "Grey skies photograph beautifully, the light it casts is very soft. Filming in New York can be so hot in the summer but here it was perfect for my melancholy spirit."

He learned a lot of slang from using a British cast. "I let the cast improvise a lot, especially with the slang where they would say 'g and t' for gin and tonic. I wouldn't say that. I would say dicey when they would say dodgy. I learnt a lot."

It was Allen's first film shot entirely on location in London. Set among the English upper class, it tells the story of the rise in society of a tennis pro, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.