Scoop (2006)

An American journalism student in London scoops a big story, and begins an affair with an aristocrat as the incident unfurls.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Jim Dunk

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Dunk	...	Funeral Speaker
Robert Bathurst	...	Strombel's Co-Workers
Geoff Bell	...	Strombel's Co-Workers
Christopher Fulford	...	Strombel's Co-Workers
Nigel Lindsay	...	Strombel's Co-Workers
Ian McShane	...	Joe Strombel
Fenella Woolgar	...	Jane Cook
Pete Mastin	...	Death (as Peter Mastin)
Doreen Mantle	...	Joe's Co-Passengers
David Schneider	...	Joe's Co-Passengers
Meera Syal	...	Joe's Co-Passengers
Kevin McNally	...	Mike Tinsley (as Kevin R. McNally)
Robyn Kerr	...	Tinsley's Fans
Richard Stirling	...	Tinsley's Fans
Scarlett Johansson	...	Sondra Pransky

Storyline

In the funeral of the famous British journalist Joe Strombel, his colleagues and friends recall how obstinate he was while seeking for a scoop. Meanwhile the deceased Joe discloses the identity of the tarot card serial killer of London. He cheats the Reaper and appears to the American student of journalism Sondra Pransky, who is on the stage in the middle of a magic show of the magician Sidney Waterman in London, and tells her that the murderer is the aristocrat Peter Lyman. Sondra drags Sid in her investigation, seeking for evidences that Peter is the killer. However, she falls in love with him and questions if Joe Strombel is right in his scoop.

---

Plot Keywords:

implied sex | swimsuit | serial killer | strong female lead | scantily clad female | 

---

Taglines:

The perfect man. The perfect story. The perfect murder.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 July 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Woody Allen Fall Project 2006

Filming Locations:

CityPoint, Moorgate, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,046,924, 30 July 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,525,717, 28 September 2006

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$39,215,642, 28 September 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Ingenious Film Partners, Phoenix Wiley

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scoop is one of three 2006 films to feature both the topic of magic and magicians as main characters. The other two are The Illusionist (2006) and The Prestige (2006), the second of which also stars Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson. Woody Allen was tutored in magic and illusion for the movie by Scott Penrose.

---

Goofs

Sondra tells Peter Lyman that her father is having sensitivity in tooth "lower # 7." In the American tooth numbering system, number seven is always an upper tooth, specifically the upper right lateral incisor. In the British tooth numbering system, there is no tooth number seven.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Funeral Speaker: Don't mourn for Joe Strombel. Joe Strombel had a full life. A newspaper man in the best tradition. A great credit to the Fourth Estate. It didn't matter if the bombs of the war zone were falling, it didn't matter how high up the political scandal went, or how many big corporations or small time racketeers leaned on him. Whatever the risk, if there was a story there, Joe went after it. And he usually got it.

---

Connections

References All the President's Men (1976)

---

Soundtracks

Recado
Composed by Luiz Antônio & Djalma Ferreira
Performed by Lester Lanin
Courtesy of Epic Records by arrangement with Sony BMG Entertainment

User Reviews

Scoop (2006) **1/2

In this somewhat familiar story, the now-70-year-old Woody Allen plays a rambling stage magician in London who gets unwillingly roped into helping a young woman (Scarlett Johansson) find out the true identity of a potential serial killer (Hugh Jackman). The girl is an aspiring reporter who receives a tip from the spirit of a recently deceased writer that Jackman may be her man.

Woody had just made the superior and steamy drama MATCH POINT (2005) with Scarlett Johansson and was probably taken with her, so he tried casting her here alongside himself in something comical. At least he's beginning to realize he has become too long in the tooth to continue playing younger girls' love interests, and so he assumes the role of go-between mentor to the two young leads. Unsurprisingly, Jackman and Johansson are destined to become romantically involved as Scarlett pursues her investigation. Hugh Jackman is fine in his part, and though upon my first viewing of this I didn't quite buy Johansson's performance, a second look found her characterization working for me.

This film is only occasionally humorous and rather middle of the road as far as the director's overall dossier is concerned. I'm always game to continue seeing Woody cast himself in his own future comedies, so long as he keeps writing them more in line with his advancing age. Who knows, maybe he can make a senior citizen type of farce one day. **1/2 out of ****