Woody Allen Says He Loves London Weather

LONDON (AP) _ Woody Allen says he loves London's famously dreary weather and its residents' ever-expressive slang. <br/><br/>Allen was in the city on Sunday for the British premiere of his new

Tuesday, December 20th 2005, 10:45 am

By: News On 6

LONDON (AP) _ Woody Allen says he loves London's famously dreary weather and its residents' ever-expressive slang.

Allen was in the city on Sunday for the British premiere of his new film ``Match Point,'' which swaps the director's beloved Manhattan settings for the gray streets of London.

``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,'' said Allen. ``I would say 'dicey' when they would say 'dodgy.' I learnt a lot.''

``Match Point'' charts the fortunes of an Irish tennis player, played by Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, at the hands of an upper-crust English family.

It is Allen's best-received film in years and has gotten Golden Globe nominations for best picture, best director, best screenplay and best supporting actress, for Scarlett Johansson.

``The weather was absolutely superb for photography,'' Allen said. ``Gray 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.''