Movie Review: Scoop

Scoop is a Woody Allen movie for people who don't like Woody Allen.

Oh, it's got all the talky bits he's famous for. The dialogue is more like a play than a movie, and barbs and banter are quick and overlapping. The film quality is there, too - no glossy Hollywood sheen for Mr. Allen. The movie stars Woody himself, Scarlett Johansson, and Hugh Jackman, with Ian McShane. Ms. Johansson plays an American college student and would-be-reporter visiting posh London friends, and Allen is an American magician who has brought his show there. Johansson's lovely beauty is almost obscured, as she manages to look completely normal and sometimes even frumpy. Her speech and delivery mirror Allen's so much, it's as if her character is a younger version of his, which comes in handy when they pretend to be father and daughter.

Jackman is the wealthy son of a British lord, and the suspect they are secretly investigating, on a tip from a dead reporter (McShane) hoping for one last scoop. The situations they put themselves in are frequently hilarious, and the tension of whether they will get caught is always present. You're kept laughing throughout the entire film, even up to the end, which is both expected and unexpected.

While rated PG-13, it's still a movie for adults. There is no nudity, and if you've come for Jackman's magnificent chest, you'd be better off renting "Someone Like You". A few things shocked my friend and I - Johansson hopes into bed right away with a man she's come to interview, and while you don't see it, it is discussed. We, two grown adults, kept looking at each other, taken aback by this behavior, which seemed unnecessary for plot development. I wouldn't take a teen to see this movie, in any event.

If you are a big fan of Allen and his movies, you may be disappointed. I thought it was a fun farcical mystery, and I laughed the entire time. There are some great lines, and if you find Woody Allen tedious or annoying, as my friend does, you'll find him charming and funny in this film.

Is it going to change your life? No. Will it be one of your favorite movies of all time? Possibly. Is it worth seeing? Absolutely.