Scoop

Scoop (Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane) – This is vintage Woody set in London.  It’s a comedic mystery romp with exquisite scenery set amidst a backdrop of the rich.  Leave it to Woody to figure out a way to make the story of a serial killing a fun adventure.  The plot is predictable, but it works as effectively as if Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mysteries were to meet any of his most neurotic comedies.  Giving himself his largest role in many years, Woody plays Splendini, a mediocre magician whose schtick keeps audiences laughing. There are a few twists like the death of an investigative journalist who comes back from the dead to share his newfound knowledge with a college would-be journalist (Johansson).  Scarlett is far better here than in Woody’s Match Play since she fits the description well and isn’t asked to play older or wiser than she is.  And the (grand)father-daughter relationship between her and Allen works in an unexpected way.  My favorite line from the movie, and it’s typical Woody, is “I was born of the Hebrew persuasion but I converted to narcissism.”  There are gems like this throughout the film.  There is a major plot mistake in the film (see if you find it), but that’s irrelevant because the joy of Scoop is in the journey, not the plot itself.  Woody doesn’t get much better than this, and the joy in the audience was evident by both the laughter and the applause at the end (which is anything but typical for a Des Moines movie audience).