Scoop

This Woody Allen flick went almost a decade before finally getting a DVD release here in the UK - in some ways I can see why, it's far from his best work but as a fan I still found much to enjoy in this one.Allen takes a starring role this time out which adds an element to proceedings as we likely won't see that much more of him on screen. He plays a stage magician who teams up with Scarlett Johansson's amateur journalist after they get a tip off as to the identity of a notorious serial killer who's bumping off London prostitutes. This tip off comes from beyond the grave in the form of a deceased journalist (just go with it).Allen brings his usual fast patter with the odd corking one liner hitting home while Johansson plays nicely off him - they have a pretty decent, amusing, odd couple dynamic. Hugh Jackman gives us his best Hugh Grant impression as the possible murderer while a raft of familiar faces from British TV and film fill in the background.In terms of Allen's previous work it's similar in tone to Manhattan Murder Mystery for example with a dash of the fantastic from the likes of Midnight in Paris or The Purple Rose of Cairo. Each of those films are superior to this one of course but it's still worth a go. The plot is interesting enough and perhaps most importantly it is genuinely funny for the most part - bringing a fair few chuckles and the odd big laugh. Recommended for fans, cautiously recommended for everyone else.

I suppose it depends on what you're looking for at the time.I was simply looking to add films to the watch list, but when I noticed Woody Allen in the trailer, I watched it straight away.Will it make cinematic history? No. But . . . it's a great way to escape for the time it took to watch it. Woody plays a bumbling magician to great effect and although the story line is a bit far- fetched, isn't that why we watch films - to escape reality?There are also a couple of nice little twists that will have you wondering if you do actually know who the baddie is.Would I recommend it? Let's just say that if it is shown on terrestrial telly and I notice it, I would definitely watch it again.

First off a word of warning about the particular DVD I purchased Scoop. I received a Region 1 product that cannot be played on standard European Region 2 devices. And this is in no way indicated in the product description. I cannot be sure if the description is wrong or if the seller simply made a mistake when dispatching the item. I've contaceted the seller who were quick to refund. As DVD revriews usually appear for all versions of a film, I've rated this purely on the merits of the film, which I've seen before and like, but would advise buyers to opt for a different version from the one I ordered (see product link above).Now to the film itself. This is a bit of fluffy escapism - an unlikely romance with a murder mystery thrown in. Or is it the other way around? I don't think it matters, this is not a film that wants to be taken overly seriously. It's a bit of fun and light entertainment. And there is nothing wrong with that.A recently dead star reporter (Ian McShane) contacts an earnest young student journalist (Scarlett Johansson) and reveals to her that a young and rich aristocrat with political ambitions (Hugh Jackman) is a wanted serial killer, urging her to investigate the story and land the big scoop. With the help of an ageing stage magician (Woody Allen), she sets out on the task. Complications (and romance) ensue.It's a highly unlikely story, but if you're willing to go with it, it's actually quite enjoyable. You have to put up with Allen in front of the camera, but you are rewarded with a very enjoyable performance from Johansson. Jackman works well as her young millionaire love interest. He hasn't really a lot to do, but what he does he does well and he does look gorgeous. However, it is Ian McShane who steals every scene with his few short moments of screen time. The film is well cast with many familiar faces from British film and TV in supporting roles (Charles Dance has a very nice small part as newpaper editor). Apart from Allen whom I don't highly rate as an actor, all turn in solid performances. Nice little film for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Don't expect too much and you should enjoy it well enough.

A stage magician teams up with a journalism student after getting a tip from beyond the grave from the ghost of a dead reporter that the son of a famous and wealthy Lord might be a serial killer called The Tarot Card Killer. An odd one from Woody Allen but one of his more underrated films. His second London set film after Match Point which flopped and didn't even get a cinema release in the UK and is hard to find on DVD. It's actually a lot of fun with excellent performances from Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman and Ian McShane and is a genuinely tense if strange which is probably why it flopped supernatural mystery comedy and it's very witty.

The story line is a little absurd -- including happenings that most would not consider part of their reality, without any attempt from the film to make it integrate it into your reality (i.e. to make them seem credible) . I can handle that. I like a little weirdness sometimes. But the main characters inexpert, ill-thought-out lying and tiptoeing around to investigate was a bit cringey (because it's the kind of things that are embarrassing for the characters) and not really humorous (which I'm assuming it was hoped to be), and Woody Allen made it rather irritating at times, for my tastes. That, I'm guessing, is what was what was meant by `silliness' in other reviews, rather than the slightly absurd story elements. I think to actually like this film you have to like Woody Allen's typical anxiety-stricken, excessive-talking characters, of which I have noted in another film with him in, and be prepared for another character that is written as slightly inept (and over talkative when nervous too) to be alongside that a lot of the time.