Written by Allen, the story requires a huge suspension of disbelief. The supernatural nature of Joe Strombel's ghost sets the tone of the film early on. At times, it seems as if Allen didn't really know whether he was making a comedy or a mystery. His own character's incessant babbling is amusing to a point; after a while, it becomes self-indulging, and I can't help but think, what does it have to do with the plot? In fact, part of the story involving Sid, especially near the end, could have possibly been cut.
Scoop is a letdown in every way after the taut and psychological Match Point, with which we had a case study of how wonderful a writer-director can be if he would simply become transparent and fade into the background. However, with Scoop, Allen is everywhere, and the self-gratifying aspect of the film becomes a nuisance after a while. Granted, there is a certain whimsical aspect of the film that has the trademarked Woody Allen charm and wit. The dialogue is cute and lovely at times. But the plot is thin and predictable, the characters superficial, and the direction unfocused. The editing is choppy and there are minor characters that don't serve any purpose. I only ask: Is this the same writer-director who gave us Match Point last year?
Perhaps it's not fair to Allen. Perhaps we should simply consider this film for what it is and stop comparing it with his other works. In that case, Scoop is adequate entertainment. And here's the scoop: this is one of Allen's more juvenile undertakings, and that's not necessarily a bad thing – if we know not to have high expectations.
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Woody Allen, Ian McShane, Charles Dance
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Distributor: Focus
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content
Running Time: 96 minutes
Ratings:
Script – 6
Performance – 7
Direction – 6
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 7
Editing – 5
Production – 7
Total – 6.1 out of 10
Article comments
1 - Triniman
Match Point was a nice surprise!
I've noticed something. Mention the name of Woody Allen, and the first thing people say is how they are not a fan of his films, generally speaking. I swear, this has happened so many times that I was not even slightly surprised to see you mention that you are not a big fan.