Scarlett serves up the smiles

HOLLYWOOD star Scarlett Johansson was given the red carpet treatment yesterday at the premier of Woody Allen’s eagerly awaited London film Match Point.

The 20-year-old was drafted in as a last minute replacement after original star Kate Winslet pulled out because she wanted to spend more time with her family.

Allen’s first movie to be set in London has been shrouded in secrecy - during filming it was referred to only as Woody Allen’s Summer Project.

Set among the English upper classes, the plot is understood to revolve around a young tennis instructor who gives lessons to a wealthy family. He begins affairs with two women - a romantic entanglement which ends in tragedy.

Apart from Johansson, it features a largely Irish and British cast including Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer, James Nesbitt, Brian Cox and Colin Salmon.

Meyers plays tennis coach Chris who is drawn by passion and ambition into a world of upper class English society - and then sells his soul to the devil.

The Cork actor appreciated the experience: “Woody places trust in the person he casts and with that trust comes responsibility. So when you are doing a part you have to keep yourself in check to give the right tone to the scene you are doing. You feel more part of the process than being told what to do all the time.

“When you are wrong he will tell you but when you are right he does not say much at all. He is an easy director to work with, but he has a lot of experience, that you trust him completely. You do not always feel that. He knows about acting, writing, and directing because he has done it all. You feel protected and therefore you can free yourself, and you up your game when working with him,” he added.

Pregnant pop princess Britney Spears is making her debut film production set in the world of motor racing. She has signed up to produce the €43 million drama called Trading Paint and is expected to take a starring role.

Spears, who recently announced she is expecting a baby with husband Kevin Federline, wants to forge a new career in the movies. She made her screen debut in Crossroads in 2002.