Scoop - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution movie review

Woody Allen takes a disappointing turn in 'Scoop'

By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Woody Allen's newest, "Scoop," opens with a bunch of Fleet Street's finest sitting in a pub, swapping stories about their recently deceased mate, veteran newshound Joe Strombel ("Deadwood's" Ian McShane).

"Broadway Danny Rose" Brit style?

Focus Features

'Scoop'

The verdict: Alas, doesn't come near matching "Match Point."

Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane, Woody Allen, Kevin McNally
Run time: 96 minutes
Release date: July 28, 2006
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content.
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If only.

While this isn't nearly as bad as his career nadir in movies such as "Hollywood Ending" and "Everyone Says I Love You," it's a disappointing backslide from the mini comeback of last year's "Match Point."

Joe himself is drifting along the misty River Styx toward the afterlife when he gets a tip he would kill for — if he weren't already dead.

According to a fellow passenger, she was poisoned to keep her from disclosing the identity of London's current version of Jack the Ripper. Calling himself the Tarot Card Killer, he, too, specializes in dead prostitutes.

Back on earth, an American journalism student, Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson, Allen's newest muse), is visiting London. When she allows herself to be shut inside a "De-Materializing Box" for hack magician Sid Waterman (Allen), Joe materializes beside her and passes along his scoop from beyond the grave: The Tarot Card Killer is none other than dashing aristocrat Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman).

Agreeing to be his "legs," so to speak, Sondra asks Sid to help her expose Lyman. But is he really the killer?

And, even if he is, she's not a short-haired brunette hooker and he is awfully cute.

There's no logical reason for her to invite Sid along, other than Allen apparently misses acting and wanted to give himself more screen time. Bad idea. Though he plays Sondra's father figure, not her lover — progress of a sort for the filmmaker — Allen's character isn't especially likable, coming off as querulous old crank more than anything else. And the social points he mixes in about a Brooklyn Jew among English bluebloods aren't especially original or funny.

Fortunately, Johansson remains an engaging presence. De-emphasizing her glamor-girl looks, she's all rounds — round glasses, round lips, round face, round wide blue eyes. She's like a sexy Easter Bunny.

But she's stranded by the script that at times recalls a warmed-over rehash of "Manhattan Murder Mystery," with London in for New York and Johansson for Diane Keaton. At something of a loss as how to approach her character, she sometimes mimics former Allen muse Mia Farrow. And occasionally, she channels Allen himself. When Joe mentions Jack the Ripper, she looks up from the notes she's dutifully jotting down and asks, "Is that capitalized?" giving the line a nervous Woody-ish spin.

The movie isn't a total mess. There are those smashing London locations, as in "Match Point," and Jackman is so very charming you wish someone would write him a decent romantic comedy (remember the dreadful "Kate & Leopold?"). Plus, Allen can still toss out a good one-liner. Asked if he's an optimist or a pessimist, he says, "I see the glass half full, but it's poisoned."

That might not be a bad way to approach Allen's next movie, with fingers crossed that almost all the poison has been poured out.