Comedy

Mystery

Scoop

BBC Film

Ingenious Media

Phoenix Wiley Productions

Jelly Roll Productions

United Kingdom

United States of America

English

Scarlett Johansson

Woody Allen

Hugh Jackman

Ian McShane

Charles Dance

Romola Garai

Kevin McNally

Jim Dunk

Robert Bathurst

Geoff Bell

Christopher Fulford

Nigel Lindsay

Fenella Woolgar

Pete Mastin

Doreen Mantle

David Schneider

Meera Syal

Robyn Kerr

Carolyn Backhouse

Guo Toa

Sam Friend

Mark Heap

Suzy Kewer

Jody Halse

Matt Day

Elizabeth Berrington

Rupert Frazer

Christopher Godwin

Julian Glover

Paula Wilcox

John Standing

Sanjeev Bhaskar

John Light

Tina Rath

Caroline Blakiston

Richard Johnson

William Hoyland

Moya Brady

Rosie Cavaliero

Anthony O'Donnell

Lynda Baron

Phil Cornwell

Victoria Hamilton

Meg Wynn Owen

Alexander Armstrong

Anthony Stewart Head

Julia Deakin

Margaret Tyzack

Helen Chapman

Eran Creevy

John Sessions

Toby Jones

Jeffry Wickham

Richard Stirling

Letty Aronson

Gareth Wiley

Stephen Tenenbaum

Remi Adefarasin

Alisa Lepselter

Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto

Gail Stevens

Juliet Taylor

Maria Djurkovic

Nick Palmer

Philippa Hart

Francesca Dowd

Scott Kordish

Carrie-Ann Banner

Louise O'Malley

Pietro Lorino, Jr.

Kerry Smith

Cassandra Sigsgaard

Kim Armitage

Michael Harm

Sue Quinn

Aurelia Thomas

Lucy Foulds

Sarah Bicknell

Hannah Capron

Louise Begbie

Gill Farr

Chris Cull

Stephen Thomson

Andrew 'Monty' Wilson

David Williamson

Bradley Woodbridge

Colin Smith

Dave Creed

William Rigby

John Arnold

David Cozens

John Adefarasin

Ben Adefarasin

Clive Coote

Jimmy Wilson

Ian Franklin

Mark Funnell

Tony Burns

Ben Wilson

Charlotte Sewell

Charlotte Finlay

Karen Beale

David Wootton

Sallie Jaye

Polly Earnshaw

Tracey L. Miller-Smith

Lisa Tomblin

Charlotte Hayward

Peter Glossop

Shaun Mills

Stephane Malenfant

Tamana Bleasdale

Samar Pollitt

Joey Coughlin

William Davies

David Wheal

Julie Schubert

Waseem Barlas

Peter Trotman

Roy Clarke

Lee Isgar

Enyo Mortty

James E. 'Eddie' Nichols Jr.

Robert Hein

David Wahnon

Eytan Mirsky

Sylvia Menno

Glenfield Payne

Coll Anderson

Ryan Collison

Jay Peck

Thomas Kodros

Lee Dichter

Richard Stammers

Michelle Corney

Gemma James

Morgan Neville

Jill Taylor

Jack Rollins

Charles H. Joffe

Helen Robin

Nicky Kentish Barnes

Tori Parry

Michael Elliott

David M. Thompson

Duncan Reid

Peter Touche

Nathaniel De'Lineadeus

Chris Lyons

***Enjoyable mystery/comedy with Scarlett Johansson***  

"Scoop" (2006) is a mystery/dramedy/romance written and directed by Woody Allen. 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 partner with bumbling magician Sid Waterman (Woody Allen); the tip leads them to the rich son of a prominent lord, Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), whom Sondra starts to date to acquire information. Is Lyman the notorious killer 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 for the guy; hence, the viewer warms up to him.

"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 knee-slapping 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 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 sequence, which are 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! 

"Scoop" is an enjoyable mystery/dramedy highlighted by refreshing originality, a quality cast with good chemistry and English locations. I admit that I didn't think I'd like the film during the first 25 minutes or so, but then I caught on to the movie’s vibe. The interactions between the three main characters, their story and the mounting mystery pulled me in and glued me until the end. I also enjoyed the creative zany elements (e.g. crossing the River Styx with the Grim Reaper and the reappearing ghost reporter) and the film's overall refreshing air. 

The movie runs 96 minutes and was shot in London & the English countryside.

GRADE: B+

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