Scoop
(2005)
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Rated: PG13
reviewed by Rissi C.
This is one of those movies you will either
like or dislike, as its rather odd. It tends to fall into the dislike
category for me, but I’m still trying to decide exactly what I thought of
it. Scoop is a bizarre
fantasy/mystery films that only comes along once in a great while. We begin
with a group of people on a boat, shrouded in a ghostly haze with a figure
at the helm that has no interest in talking with his passengers. Among them
is recently deceased journalist Joe Strombel. Talking with a woman, Joe gets
a tip on what could possibly be the biggest scoop
ever; a name that could possibly be the illusive serial “Tarot card
killer.” The only problem is he’s no longer alive! During magician Splendini
aka Sid Waterman’s’ (Woody Allen) show, Joe appears to American journalist
student Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) to give her the tip and name of
wealthy aristocrat Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman). As Sondra starts to
investigate the seemingly nice yet mysterious Mr. Lyman, she gets Sid to
play along and together they come up with a clever plan to fool him. Seems
simple enough, right... the problem?
As Sondra gets to know
Peter, she begins to care for him and ultimately falls in love with him. For
the inquisitive Sondra, this could possibly be the most dangerous scoop of
her life or the best. Since I wasn’t (that has since changed) a huge fan of
any of the main stars, this wasn’t a must-see, but after reading another
Christian review on Scoop, I
decided it was worth a try.
After reflection, I’ve decided that this will only be one of those films I
might rent on occasion; it probably won’t be finding a place among my
collection. Yes, there is something about it that you find
out-of-the-ordinary, but there is also a peculiarity you can’t quite shake
as the credits’ roll. The cast is fairly well known and that was probably
one of its biggest draws, plus having Woody Allen on board for yet another
of his “famous” comedies only added to whatever positive thinking audiences
had going into this. Allen was
comic and without him I’m not sure where this film may have gone.
Romala Garai also has a small role, which was entertaining since the
actress is quickly becoming one of my favorite
British
stars. Unfortunately, most of her lines are innuendos and being Sondra’s
friend, she questions her on how the “sex” was one too many times and that
quickly became annoying.
The whole theme of death
wasn’t done particularly well and Christian audiences may find it vexing.
The group of people that are no longer among the living are portrayed as
staying very “alive” while simply being toted around on a floating object
with a creepy character not concerned with any discussion at the helm. Their
state is depicted as tolerable, although they are no longer able to enjoy
the pleasures of their former life. This as we know, is nothing what “death”
is really like according to God’s word. Aside from that theme, the content
certainly didn’t add a thing to the screenplay. One of Sondra's character
habits (in my opinion it’s a flaw and a serious one) is sleeping around with
various different men. When we meet her, she is attempting to get
information from a wealthy man and ends up in his room. While we don’t
actually see them together, we
know later what happened from conversation. She also stays over at Peter’s
home at least twice; we see her lying in bed and later walking around
bare-legged. Other sexual innuendos are heard, Sid once quips “what else did
you really accomplish but a possible pregnancy?” Language is heard on more
than one occasion. There is some “comic” violence and brief comments about
victims. A main character dies, which is something I found a bit strange
since the film thus far had been mostly comedic.
In closing, this isn’t a “bad” film –- it has a decent story that throws a few twists and turns along the way, but is weighed down with sexual undertones. I found Sid and Sondra’s relationship endearing and even with her less-than-stellar dialogue, Garai is just as wonderful as ever. The rest of the cast is to be applauded additionally; particularly Allen and Jackman who plays a rich aristocrat with a hint of mystery surrounding him perfectly. The story could have been adorable in a family friendly way, but there is just something here that leaves you feeling a bit uncertain about your thoughts as the credits roll. While the conclusion was halfway expected, it still catches you by surprise in many ways. If you’re a fan of mysteries or have enjoyed Nancy Drew films, this may deserve a rent, but if you’re fans of the cast, check out some of their better performances such as Johansson in The Other Boleyn Girl or Garai in Amazing Grace.