Director:
Woody Allen

Cast:
Scarlett Johansson
Hugh Jackman
Ian McShane
Woody Allen

Official URL:

http://www.scoopmovie.net

Country: USA
Rating: PG-13
Studio Name: Focus Features
Running Time: 1 hr 36 mins
Release Date: July 28, 2006

Critics's Rating:
(2 out of 4 Reels) 

July 28, 2006

By Veronica Mixon

Scoop is light-weight Woody Allen. His earlier film, Manhattan Murder Mystery was a far better comic thriller and Allen, who appears in both films, gave a better performance as the husband and reluctant investigating partner of his antsy curious wife played by pal, Diane Keaton. Here, a much older Allen is a magican, Splendini and reluctant investigating partner of college student reporter, Sondra Pransky played by the exquisite Scarlett Johansson. Unlike last year’s Allen film, Match Point where the sexy Johansson was a knock-out beauty who later became a thorn in the side of her married lover, the pouty mouthed young actress is dressed down for most of the film and forced to wear glasses to mask her startling beauty. Instead, she and Allen engage in an on-going insult fest as she drags him along on her quest for the big story and ideal romance.

Scoop involves the re-appearance of English journalist, Joe Strombol (Ian McShane, HBO’s Deadwood) shortly after his untimely death. He surfaces during one of the great Splendini’s magic tricks – placing a girl, namely Sondra (Johansson) in a box and making her disappear. The trick works but Sondra also has a conversation with Joe, who is restless in heaven, and he tells her that he’s figured out the identity of a notorious serial killer in London. Sondra tells Splendini aka Sid Waterman (Allen) about Joe and insists that he help her track down the killer – a well-known, handsome aristocrat, Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman). Ordinarily, someone like Peter wouldn’t notice a girl like Sondra but when she gets his attention wearing a spectacular red swim suit, well, its love at first sight. Then, Sid begins to worry about Sondra because as she falls in love with the wealthy aristocrat, her interest in the story slowly wanes.

Apparently, Woody Allen is in his English phase. He’s repeating some of his well-known storylines on English soil. Match Point became the English version of cruelly poignant Crimes and Misdemeanors and Scoop is far less effective than the excellent, very funny and very well-crafted Manhattan Murder Mystery. Allen’s anxious, bumbling performance is no longer amusing. The saving grace of the film is the gorgeous twosome of Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman. They make a handsome couple and are very believable. They’re ideal and Jackman, best known for his adventure movies like X-Men, really should do more contemporary films. The plot, however, holds no surprises. Scoop is light summer entertainment.

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