Out of all the films in the director's cannon, Scoop is probably the closests to being the most typical. Aside from the fact that it is set in the UK instead of New York, it is has all of the elements we associate with Woody Allen, pro and con, funny jokes, not-so-funny jokes, a film with some scructural problems, metaphysical issues, strong performances, a somewhat predicatable plot.
The movie takes a while to get to the main story. Famed London Observer reporter Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) is dead- of natural causes. While boating to his final destination on the River Styx, he gets a tip to the real identity of the Tarot Card Killer, a serial killer that is keeping the city in fright. He manages to communicate with journalsim student Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johanson) while she is taking part in Sidney Waterman's (Allen) magic act. The two team up to try to prove that aristocrat Peter Lymon (Hugh Jackman) is the killer- but unfortanley, Sondra begins to fall for who may be a very dangerous man.
The movie is probably the lightest movie Allen has made since Bananas - the metaphysical issues are so lightly wrought they hardly count. Scoop is funny, but it is not hilarous. The movie is uneven, with some elements not being integrated well into the whole, such as the ghost of the reporter. Johanson gives a cute performance, but she and Allen never develop much chemistry together (I do give Allen credit that he seems to have ended the creepy aspect-he does not try to hit her in the movie).
So I was a little torn here, the film is mostly pleasant while watching it, but easilly forgetable the next day. Is the movie worth running out and seeing? Not really, but you are not going to regret going (unless there is a better movie playing of course). I was on the brink between two and half and three stars here, but it's my policy to give a movie the benifit of the doubt, so it gets a reccomendation, although you might want to wait for the DVD.
Scoop (2006)