Opening 16 Nov 2006
Directed by:
Woody Allen
Writing credits:
Woody Allen
Principal actors:
Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Ian McShane
The latest Woody Allen film Scoop, actually puts the word “fun” into a good murder mystery. Yes, it is really quite funny and a nice change from his predictable neurosis dramas. The intriguing but light-hearted development of the plot could be associated with similar mystery series from Nancy Drew or Agatha Christy. The delightful and capricious story was complimented with exceptional acting performances that genuinely warm the heart.
A renowned British news reporter, Joe Strombel (Ian McShane), mysteriously kicks the bucket while covering the story of the “taro card” killer. Strombel’s findings were to be exposed shortly before his death and would have incriminated high ranking British dignitaries and revealed the killer. Sondra Pranksy (Scarlett Johansson), an American student of journalism visits friends from London during the investigation of Strombel’s death but is unaware of the story’s importance. Sondra attends a magic show with her girlfriend and is called out of the audience to participate in magician, Sid Waterman’s (Allen), missing person act. She agrees to be put into the magic box and while she is missing from the audience, Strombel’s ghost appears. He gives her the last thread of evidence he had needed to connect tycoon, Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman), to the murders. Sondra reappears before the audience, all out of sorts, but with the Scoop that London is waiting for and the dream story which will make her famous. Two unlikely detectives, Sid and Sondra, take us on a wild goose chase as they become entangled partners in order to solve the mystery of London’s taro card killer. (Karen Pecota)
