Scoop

I am not a huge fan of Woody Allen. I loved Match Point, and Manhattan Murder Mystery was great. But after awhile, I get tired of Woody Allen playing Woody Allen. Match Point was near perfect, and a great part of that was because there was no Woody Allen acting. Scoop was funny, but there was something missing from it. It had potential, but it fell flat in the end.

Scoop is a light comedy. Sondra Pranski is a journalism student in Lonodn visiting friends. Through a magic show, she ends up in contact with a dead journalist who has a tip. He thinks the Tarot Card serial killer currently active in London is a Lord’s son. Sondra decides to take on the job of getting the scoop. The trouble is, naturally, that she falls for the guy she’s investigating. Is he guilty? Will she care either way?

What did I like about Scoop? Well, there was Scarlett Johansson. She was funny and sweet, just like the journalism student role called for. Hugh Jackman was delicious as the aristocrat. Romola Garai was funny as Scarlett’s upper crust friend. Some of the dialogue was just hilarious, and some scenes between Woody Allen and Scarlett were right on. Ian McShane was funny in the scenes he had as the spectral journalist intent on getting his scoop even beyond the grave.

What did I not like about Scoop? I though the ending was off tone. Woody Allen hammed it up way too much. Scarlett and Hugh had very little chemistry, and for the majority of the time, the chemistry between Woody and Scarlett fell flat. Scarlett’s costuming was awful and just did not fit the character at all.

I’m not disappointed in the movie completely. It had its moments. I just feel that it could have been so much more than it was. It could have been another Manhattan Murder Mystery, which is what I was wanting. Unfortunately, to me, Woody Allen has become beyond a parody of himself, and with no Diane Keaton to play opposite (Nothing against Scar Jo; Love her. It’s just those two had chemistry. Bam!), the whole film was missing a big chunk of what would have made it perfect.

Rating: 3 Purrs for getting Scar Jo and Hugh in swimsuits, and a few Woody Allen perfect one liners