Not Really the Scoop of a Century, But Maybe the Scoop of a Tuesday or Wednesday

Woody Allen, 2006

Bleak House (the BBC miniseries) has been taking up my movie-viewing time lately, and before I go on, I want you to seriously consider renting or buying Bleak House... before it’s too late. I’m not sure what I mean by that (I am a perfect child about these matters), but you’ll find yourself spouting out similar, italicized expressions after you’ve watched a couple episodes.

OK, where were we? Woody Allen, right? I’ll make it quick.

Scoop is really cute, an almost perfect combination of Allen’s 2001 adorable mystery The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (also worth renting) and last year’s Match Point. Like Jade Scorpion, Scoop involves elements of the supernatural: Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson), a college journalism student, crosses spiritual planes with deceased newsman Joe Strombel (Ian McShane), who gives her an otherworldly tip to track down the infamous “Tarot Card Killer.” Also like Jade Scorpion, Scoop involves elements of the not-so-supernatural. The events of the former film are put in motion by an incident with a stage hypnotist, and Scoop follows suit by similarly launching its plot on stage, this time with “magician” Sid Waterman (Woody Allen).

Although awkward, rambling Sid and Sondra are undoubtably funny characters, and hilariously contrast their loud Americanness with the polished, aristocratic world of Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), Allen comes dangerously close to making the same mistake that he made in 2003’s Anything Else. In that film, Woody Allen provides another unlikely father-figure-like role to Jason Biggs, whose character so perfectly resembles Allen in bearing, gesture, and neurosis, that the film becomes excruciatingly tedious, as we wait for both of them to finish their damn lines already and stop complaining.

The difference here is that though Johansson plays Sondra as bumbling and graceless and Allen-like, she adds a considerable amount of her own feminine ScarJo charm to craft a fairly unique character that plays off Woody Allen but doesn’t become his doppelganger*.

In fact, it only adds to her credentials as an actress to act so differently in two films that are so similar in setting and subject matter. Like Scoop, Match Point involves a murder mystery, the clashing of classes and countries, fashionable London, and Scarlett Johansson’s charm, but get Scarlett to change her style and throw in a little Woody Allen in a Smart Car, and Scoop takes off in an entirely different direction.

Speaking of which, I normally don’t laugh out loud at Woody Allen, being an impatient person who wants the joke to come at me fast before we’re on to the next one. Maybe it’s the effect of age on his person or just the fame and reputation he carries around with him, but he doesn’t even really need to speak his lines anymore. Suddenly, it’s just impossible not to laugh at Woody Allen going by the name of “Splendini” and pulling flowers out of a hat. The aforementioned Smart Car scene is the funniest part of the entire movie, and not a word is spoken.The guy’s retained his fame as comedic genius just by making himself so ridiculous that he gets laughs justs for appearing on screen. Incredible. Maybe I’ll give Manhattan another try, but there’s no way I’m watching Melinda and Melinda. I’m pretty sure a Ferrell/Allen combination would kill me.

*BOORIINNGGG.