Scoop Scores With Scraps

     Until last year Woody Allen was in a horrible rut. He made film after film that was accepted by neither critics nor audiences. However, with Match Point, the director’s foray into drama, he had an Academy Award nominated piece of cinema that was embraced by audiences. He didn’t waste any time with his newfound success as his newest work, Scoop, is now in theatres and features the female lead of Match Point.

     Of course, Scoop is a leap from Match Point considering Allen has an acting role in Scoop and it is his return to comedy. All of his chips are on the table with this flick and luckily he has come out ahead. That is not to say that Scoop is great or that it is even close to being as masterful as Match Point. Scoop is what it is – an above average Allen comedy that fan’s will love and everyone else will mildly enjoy.

     As with all of Allen’s comedies, though, a very dry sense of humor is required to get anything out of the jokes. Sometimes they work and other times they don’t (fortunately, the majority leans toward the former) but there aren’t any moments were the typical moviegoer will laugh-out-loud. Scoop is more of a smiling motion picture than a laughing one. It is best just to sit back, relax and enjoy.

     Perhaps the thing that makes Scoop a more effective feature than, say, Small Time Crooks or The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion is its elaborate plot. Much like Match Point, the movie’s storyline can’t be summed up in one sentence. This shows that Allen has learned something from his dramatic success. Judging by this effort, it is a good idea for Allen to place greater importance on the tale than the gags because when the tale works the gags come naturally – especially to a great filmmaker like Allen.

     The plot in question involves a recently deceased newspaper reporter named Joe Strombel, played by Ian McShane, who receives an amazing scoop on the Tarot Card Killer in the afterlife. Summoning as much power as he can, Strombel haunts (so-to-speak) college newspaper reporter Sondra Pransky, played by Scarlett Johansson, during a magic show to inform her of the scoop.

     When Sondra tries to explain the supernatural event to the magician, Sid Waterman, played by Allen, he does not believe her until he sees Strombel with his own two eyes. Based on the scoop, the duo, pretending to be father and daughter, infiltrates the society of millionaire and possible-serial-killer Peter Lyman, played by Hugh Jackman. The impossible task of uncovering the truth is only worsened when Sondra falls for Peter’s charms.

     Scoop will not win over folks that have yet to like an Allen comedy but it is a worthwhile way to spend an hour and a half. Allen has made better but he has also made a lot worse. The star power is there – despite Johansson’s irritating attempts to mirror Allen’s comedic aura – and the story is enough to go off of even without the laughs. It is nice to see that Allen can still do comedy although I, for one, would love to see him do another stellar drama.