When Woody Allen's "Scoop" was released back in 2006, I had a mixed reaction. I didn't think the film was a disaster as others proclaimed it, but I didn't think it was a film which lived up to Allen's standards. I wrote a negative review for the film on amazon.com and gave it two and a half stars. Then I bought the film on DVD (even though I didn't like it very much, I still collect all of Mr. Allen's films). After watching it again, I found I really, really enjoyed it! In fact I loved it! I watched it many times over and over again. I now feel the film is worth watching.
What changed my mind? I'm not sure. My initial reaction was the script simply wasn't funny. Allen's performance was too animated. He acted a bit like a ham. I didn't feel there was chemistry between Allen and Johansson.
On a second viewing, I don't understand what my criticism was with Allen's performance. Was it animated? Yes, extremely so. But, hasn't Allen always given an animated performance? His acting in "Scoop" reminds me of the performances he has given in films such as "Love and Death", "Broadway Danny Rose" and "Manhattan Murder Mystery".
"Scoop" marked Allen's second London based film after "Match Point". Both films deal with the British upper-class, secrets and murder. Had it been set in France, it could have had the makings of a Claude Chabrol film.
The film starts with the death of journalist Joe Strombel (Ian McShane). As death leads him to the other side Joe strikes up a conversation with the former secretary of Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), son of Lord Lyman. According to the secretary she died under very suspicious circumstances. She feels Peter Lyman is really the tarot card killer. A serial killer who has been roaming the streets of London killing prostitutes. She feels once she discovered the true identity of Peter Lyman that she was poisoned. With such a "scoop" Joe must found a way to contact the living to investigate the story. He finds a young college journalist, Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) who is on holiday in London.
Joe first contacts Sondra while being part of a magic act by the great Splendini (Allen), as part of a disappearing trick. When he enters the "dematerializer" Joe gives her the scoop. Now Sondra, along with the help of Splendini will try to crack open the case.
Peter Lyman is kind of the London Jack Kennedy. A young handsome man from a powerful, socially connected family with political ambitions. And he has a womanizing problem. It's really not hard to see what Allen had in mind when he wrote this character. As Sondra pursues her investigation she ends up falling in love with Peter, causing a conflict of interest, as she refuses to accept Peter as the killer, even though circumstantial evidence keeps pointing that way.
Allen says after shooting "Match Point" with Johansson he became so impressed with her he decided he wanted to do a comedy with her. "Scoop" was made for the sole purpose of Allen acting alongside her. It isn't very often Allen writes roles for a particular actor or actresses.
It is clear what Allen's intentions are with this film. He wants to take us back to the "Thin Man" series. The amateur detectives in way over their head, dropping wise-cracks in every direction. For the most part Allen is able to get the feel of those movies. Though admittedly his writing isn't always as sharp as in those movies. But Allen does get in some wonderful one-liners. Not wanting to give away the film's best lines I'll just get one example. When talking about his ex-wife, Splendini (AKA Sid Waterman) confesses his wife always thought him immature and states "I had a great rebuttal for her. I coulda nailed her, you know. But I raised my hand. She would not call on me."
Allen also makes comments on the cultural differences more so here than in "Match Point" between Americans and the British. Allen's view seems to be Americans are far more uncultured and uncivilized. Many jokes demonstrate this point, like this one; When getting a tour of Lyman's house Sid says it brings to mind Trollope. Peter says "the author"? To which Sid responds "no, a girl I used to date."
While most people described "Scoop" as a slight comedy, like most Woody Allen films there is a social commentary being made. I think "Scoop" is really a film which warns us, nothing is ever like it seems. Danger lurks everywhere. The powerful are corrupt. Or like Sid says at one point in the film "not everything in this world is sinister. Just practically everything." How true that is!
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