Review of Scoop (2006) by Jeff B — 20 Jun 2012

Scoop dutifully dispels two myths about iconic filmmaker Woody Allen: A.) His most recent comedies lack laughs; and B.) In the wake of Match Point, his comeback bell has run. For while Scoop delivers a smattering of belly laughs, it rarely zings to the heights of his early '70s anarchic slapstick (Bananas, Sleeper), his late '70s serio-comedic masterstrokes (Annie Hall, Manhattan), or his early '80s revisionist comedies (Zelig, Purple Rose of Cairo). If anything, it comes close to his hit-and-miss laughing fits in the '90s (Manhattan Murder Mystery, Deconstructing Harry) where some jokes work but others painfully misfire.

In this R-rated comedy, a hard-nosed dead reporter (McShane) scoops the story of a lifetime on the way to the afterlife, so he haunts a novice newshound (Johansson) into tailing a possible serial killer (Jackman), a charming socialite with whom she falls in love.

Allen's curriculum vitae aside, Scoop almost stands on its own merits, albeit somewhat wobbly. While the cast does an admirable job of making this romp enjoyable (especially Allen himself as a magician half-heartedly pretending to be Johansson's father), the plot's worn through such that the holes show. Moviegoers have seen this story before, that of a love-struck character falling for a possible killer (Basic Instinct, anyone?), but it proves to be Allen's dead reporter gimmick that adds that original twist...if only the writer/director used it to better effect. McShane's total screen time amounts to less than five minutes. Allen simply did not milk enough laughs from this scenario, especially that of the boat trip to the afterlife. The set-up alone is humorous, but the follow-through needed some work.

Bottom line: Won't give the audience a Woody.