Enjoyable mystery/comedy with Scarlett Johansson
Added 11/2/2009
"Scoop" is a mystery/comedy/romance written and directed by Woody Allen and released in 2006. Scarlett Johansson stars as Sondra Pransky, a geeky college journalist vacationing in England. She gets a tip from the ghost of a dead newsman (Ian McShane) on the identity of a local serial killer and proceeds to team up with bumbling magician Sid Waterman (Woody Allen); the tip leads them to the rich son of a prominent lord, Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), with whom Sondra unintentionally starts to fall in love. Is Lyman the murderer or isn't he?
Although fantastical and somewhat goofy, "Scoop" is first and foremost a mystery and I did enjoy trying to figure out if Peter Lyman is the "Tarot Card killer." In the story we perceive Peter Lyman largely through the lens of Sondra, who is falling in love with the guy; hence, the viewer warms up to him and doesn't want him to be a notorious killer.
"Scoop" is a comedy but not in the laugh-out-loud sense of, say, "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective"; it's mildly amusing, witty and fun but not laugh-out-loud funny, so if you're looking for the latter don't bother.
The three stars and their chemistry are a highlight. I enjoyed the team-up of Woody (Sid) & Scarlett (Sondra) and their surrogate father/daughter relationship. I knew when I saw "The Horse Whisperer" that Scarlett would grow up to be one of cinema's leading beauties, and so she is! Scarlett was 21 while filming "Scoop" and plays against type; and she does it quite well. The film is worth catching solely for her, just don't expect any raunch or t&a exploitation (although she does have a one-piece bathing suit scene and a nightie scene, which are both rather modest).
Hugh Jackman is a great modern masculine actor, of course, and he does fine here, although I couldn't help wondering if long metal claws would suddenly shoot out of his knuckles!
The London and English countryside locations are nice eyecandy.
The runtime is 96 minutes.
BOTTOM LINE: This is my first Woody Allen film so I'm not familiar with his répertoire and therefore can't compare "Scoop" with his other movies. With this in mind, "Scoop" may not be great or even really good, it is an enjoyable mystery/comedy highlighted by a good cast and locations. "Scoop" doesn't aspire or claim to be anything more and, on that level, I liked it. I enjoyed the characters, their story, the creative zany elements (e.g. crossing the River Styx with the Grim Reaper) and the mounting mystery.
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Very entertaing and interesting
Added 9/13/2009
This was the movie that made me realize that I was a fan of Scarlet Johansson. Though, I suppose one could and should dedicate the greatness of this film to Woody Allen and he has indeed written and starred in yet another good film.
I happened upon this by chance, not sure why it hasn't received more press but it is an excellent mystery, romance, comedy film that is really interesting.
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this has got to be the best woody film. i love it. it's funny and intruging, and scarlett is absolutely wonderful in it- jackman looks as good as ever. a must-see, it's probably a 10+ age limit only for plot complexity and some sensualityScoop.
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Perfectly Executed Comedic Gem
Added 6/23/2009
Charming, quirky, macabre, dark, mood lightening, well directed, hilarious... These are just the beginning of a much longer list of adjectives I could use to describe this wonderful film. If you are a fan of Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, or Scarlett Johansson you simply MUST see this film. The chemistry between the actors is delicious as are the wonderfully scripted lines and gags.
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vERY FUNNY
Added 6/5/2009
i LOVED THIS FIRST OFF AS I LOVE BRITISH COMEDIES, AND THIS ONE WAS GREAT! IT IS A SUSPENSE MURDER MYSTERY COMEDY, I WATCH IT ALOT AND I LAUGH EACH AND EVERY TIME!
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better than the last Woody Allen film
Added 10/21/2009
A mystery comes back from the grave in this funny comedy about a
young reporter trying to prove an English Lord is a serial killer.
The spirit/ ghost of a newsman comes back from the dead
after meeting a dead secretary who says she was poisoned by
her employer.
The young blond American falls for the Englishman
and thinks until the end that
he is innocent...
Woody Allen is a ham and one wonders how a silly fellow like him
keeps getting clunkers filmed?
Some of the laughs actually come off,
Woody Allen can't stop making side comments about the leading lady
that just detract from the film.
Still this is a better film than Mighty Aphrodite.
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Excellent
Added 9/13/2009
This was the movie that made me realize that I was a fan of Scarlet Johansson. Though, I suppose one could and should dedicate the greatness of this film to Woody Allen and he has indeed written and starred in yet another good film.
I happened upon this by chance, not sure why it hasn't received more press but it is an excellent mystery, romance, comedy film that is really interesting.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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