Scoop - It's a Woody Allen Flick!

Scoop follows in the tradition of playful Woody Allen films. But as such, does not set it apart or make it specifically "must-watch."

Woody Allen tends to have two types of movies. The first are personal movies; these are marked by the exploratory nature of inter-personal relationships (Woody Allen typically plays one of the characters). The second are playful movies; these attempt to turn normal occurances on their side. Whether it's Sleeper (a regular guy wakes up in a topsy-turvy future), Bullets Over Broadway (a regular playwright forced to use a talentless actress for funding, by the mob), or Curse of the Jade Scorpion (two regular guys are hypnotized into stealing jewels by a crooked hypnotist), they have a typical structure but are entertaining through their quirky character interactions.

Scoop follows these same rules in an almost predictable fashion. This does not make the film un-entertaining, but a little too typical to stand out amongst the others. The best way for these playful movies to stand out is with fantastic performances by the various actors. Well, Scarlett Johansson does a fantastic job and Hugh Jackman plays an arrogant wealthy individual very convincingly (good performance). Ian McShane's character is not very interesting, so that, despite his great performance, it does not add much charm to the movie. And then there's Woody Allen. He plays himself in nearly every role he's cast (particularly the ones he casts himself in); he plays the charming, awkward, self-conscious, loquacious short guy. His stumbling babbling charm makes him a loveable affable character. However he's gotten so old by the time he made Scoop (2006; he's 71 years old), that his babbling charm now appears like old man babbling. Have you ever talked to an old man, and quickly found that it is impossible to leave the conversation? That no matter how nice, how interesting (although for some reason it rarely is..?), how affable the old man is, you just can't find a polite way to leave the conversation. That's how Woody Allen comes off in Scoop. Since he is a primary character, there are a lot of scenes with him, and because he is directing whenever he is talking the other people look very interested in what he's saying, which is actually a little unrealistic.

This is certainly a good movie to watch if you like Woody Allen...or Scarlett Johansson or Hugh Jackman. But if you are looking for a stand out, phenomenal movie/Woody Allen movie...eh.