It would be hard for me to encourage any filmmaker to be derivative, but in the Woody Allen Comedy’s case, the technique works. Of course, that’s not to say that the derivation used in Allen’s latest film, Scoop, led its craft to match that of, say, Annie Hall. And the statement certainly doesn’t apply to the writer/director’s work in genres outside of comedy; last year’s “thriller” Match Point was so stiffly referential and predictable that I practically felt like boycotting his career. Regardless, I would be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy watching Woody Allen make comedies. Scoop is slightly staler than each of its predecessors from the filmmaker, but Allen’s ear for witty punch-lines and gift in staging combine with fresh performances from leads Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman to make it a thoroughly humorous film.

     Johansson plays Sondra Pransky, a young, American journalism student vacationing in London. During her trip, Sondra doesn’t intend on investigating much more than an interview with a popular filmmaker for her school-newspaper, but runs into much more than she bargains for when she attends a magic show put on by the sleezy, neurotic Splendini (Allen). When participating in the Age-Old “Magic Box” trick, Sondra comes into contact with the ghost of a late, infamous British Journalist, Joe Strombel. Joe informs her that Peter Lyman (Jackman), son of successful aristocrat businessman Lord Lyman (Julian Glover), is the “Tarot Card Killer”, a wanted man who has pathologically murdered a series of short-haired prostitutes. He has discovered this while on his long journey into the afterlife across the River Styx, alongside Lyman’s former-secretary, who was poisoned after her criminal of a boss overheard a telephone conversation in which she suggested his potential involvement in the deaths. Sondra, realizing that she has a story for the ages on her hands, decides to go undercover with Splendini as Jade Spence, a wealthy Californian who attracts Lyman from the second he lays eyes on her.

     Sitting here thinking about all of the recent Woody Allen comedies released, I’m puzzled as to why people are displeased the direction in which his career has gone. Clearly, Allen hasn’t made a truly great film in years, but then again, who has made as many great films as he has? His recent Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Hollywood Ending, Anything Else, and, indeed, Scoop, may be footnotes on his lengthy career, but they still function as enjoyable pieces of work made by a reputable filmmaker. Allen’s skill in assembling pictures is thoroughly apparent here, accentuating his pleasurably fast-talking dialogue as performed by the charismatic pair formed by a saucy Johansson and a devious Jackman. There’s no use in trying to compare Scoop to Allen’s best efforts when it works as a perfectly thoughtful, engaging, and clever film on its own. This film serves as ideal counter-programming to all of the summer’s big, brainless blockbusters.

-Danny, Bucket Reviews (8.2.2006)