Summer Movie Olympics, Part 13: Here's to Woody

Woody Allen's new movie, "Scoop," is a film that has been widley described as a minor work from a major director. But as minor works go, the movie is pleasant, enjoyable, and even a bit touching. In the end, I liked it a whole lot more than the extremely overrated, stiff and awkward "Match Point," which was hailed as Woody’s “return to form” last winter. I dunno, maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think a return to form and an inferior reworking of a filmmaker’s previous work (“Crimes and Misdemeanors,”) are the same thing. But I digress- we’re talking about “Scoop.”

Ian McShane plays Joe Strombel, a famous reporter who may have discovered the story of the year- that dashing socialite Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman,) may be “The Tarot Card Killer,” a serial murderer who has been killing London’s prostitutes. The story has everything- sex, scandal, murder, rich socialites with dirty secrets, and Strombel can’t wait to break it to the world. There’s only one problem- Strombel is dead. Being the tenacious reporter he is, he finds the nearest journalist in order to deliver the story from the grave- and he ends of finding college student Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson,) as she is appearing onstage as a volunteer in magician Sid Waterman’s (Woody Allen) act. Sondra begins her own investigation, bringing Sid along to help and pose as her father. The only problem is, she begins to fall for Lyman even as she becomes more and more convinced that he is the murderer.

The story is cute and well told, and the performances are decent all around. Jackman is especially good as the charming and possibly dangerous Lyman, while Johansson is adorable and goofy, recalling Diane Keaton's wonderful work with Woody in the 70's, and it seems as though comedic roles suit her better as an actress. She is looser here than she is in most of her dramatic roles. Woody is, as always, Woody. If you’re not a fan of his screen persona, he’s not going to win you over here. But as a huge fan of his work, I enjoyed his low-key performance as the stuttering and awkward Sid, sweating desperately as he lies his way through the Lyman estate to help Sondra.

The movie moves better than many of Woody’s recent movies (including the woodenly mounted “Match Point,”) and he seems to really be having a good time with this movie. The pacing is nice, the performances are relaxed, and the dialogue is breezy. It’s a pleasant enough movie that I hardly cared that I wasn’t laughing too much throughout- I just hope it’s not true as reported that this is his last comedy.

For years, Woody Allen has talked about how he doesn’t just want to make comedies, and it’s always been clear that he wanted to have a career like Bergman or Fellinni. But for my money, he has never made a drama that I’ve loved. Woody is one of the geniuses of comedy, and I’d like to see him make a few more movies that make me laugh as much as they make me think and feel. Woody has made some of my favorite movies- “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall” are among my top ten of all time- and his work is the best when drama springs out surprisingly from the comedy. As he continues to make a movie every year despite his age, I’ll be curious to see where he takes his most loyal fans next. “Scoop” might not be his funniest movie, but if it his last comedy, it’s a fine addition to his filmography. It might be “minor” Woody, it might be a movie that I can only really recommend to Woody-philes- but for those who love his work as much as I do, the movie is a tasty little treat. After a few dissapointing films in the last few years (though I did enjoy "Melinda and Melinda," and liked aspects of "Anything Else,") a minor work that is so pleasurable is something to celebrate.