Scoop

I'm a big Woody Allen fan, though I haven't been real impressed with his output these last few years. I said I wanted one more masterpiece from him, and I'm told Match Point may be the fullfillment of that wish. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to see Match Point.

Scoop, his latest, I did see and it is no masterpiece. Scarlett Johnason is adorable and there's some funny chatter but not enough winning dialogue to carryt the film, and the plot is even less equipped for the task. Woody generally turns out a movie a year, and they often feel like a rehashing of old ideas from a man who pressed on when he didn't really have a film to make. Scoop has traces of Curse of The Jade Scorpion and Play It Again Sam. Perhaps it has the most in common with Broadway Danny Rose (where the chatter between Allen and leading lady Mia Farrow did succeed at carrying the film splendidly), but it offered very little that felt new. I'll give it two stars out of a possible four.

I really need to get up to the video store to check out Match Point.