2005's Match Point was a surprise hit that year as Woody Allen made another comeback after years of disappointing and lackluster films. The film earned Allen another Oscar nomination for best original screenplay while one of the film's star, Scarlett Johansson received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Allen's plan to relocate to London and casting Johansson in a thriller of sorts proved to be successful. Months after its premiere at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, Allen and Johansson reunited for another collaboration that marked Allen's return to comedy after the dramatic thrills of Match Point. Setting the film again in London, Allen's tale of mystery and mayhem is doused with the same humor that Allen has been known for 2006's Scoop.

Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, Scoop is about a young, American student trying to be a journalist gets a big scoop from a ghostly spirit who is trying to catch a tarot-card carrying serial killer. Helping the student is an American magician who suspects a rich heir as does the ghostly spirit while the young woman falls for the handsome suspect. Taking cues from his old films and love of mystery and comedy, Allen goes for laughs as the films reveal he's been re-inspired. Also starring Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane, Romola Garai, and Charles Dance. Scoop is an entertaining, witty mystery from Woody Allen.

Known to be a great British journalist, Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) was one of the best who always got his facts right. After his sudden death, Strombel is riding on a boat with death accompanying them when Strombel meets a woman named Jane Cook (Fenella Woolgar), who died recently from poison claiming she suspects her boss and rich heir Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman) to be the Tarot Card killer. The Tarot Card killer has been known for killing hookers in a similar style like Jack the Ripper more than a hundred years ago as Strombel jumps off the death boat hoping to have someone get this scoop. Back in London, a budding college student journalist named Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson) is trying to get a break. An attempt to get an interview with a film director named Tinsley (Kevin R. McNally) failed when Sondra gets drunk and the interview gets blown. Staying with her friend Vivian (Romola Garai), Sondra decides to go with Vivian to see a magic show.

At the magic show, Vivian and Sondra watch a magician named Sidney Waterman (Woody Allen) who calls himself Splendini who entertains his audience with magic. When Sondra is called upon to participate in the disappearing box trick, she sees the spirit of Joe Strombel who gives her a scoop about the Tarot Card killer. Sondra was in shock as she learned who Strombel is and the next day, talks to Waterman about what happened when she was in the box. Waterman at first doesn't believe her until Strombel's spirit re-emerges where he gives them both information about Peter Lyman, who is the son of a well-respected lord (Julian Glover). Sondra and Waterman decide to make their investigation where they find Peter Lyman and where he goes to. Thanks to Vivian's connections, Sondra and Waterman go to a posh gym where Sondra meets Peter where she calls herself Jade Spence and Waterman as her oil-drilling father.

Being invited to a social-gathering at the Lyman manor, Sondra and Waterman go to Lyman's home and Sondra is in disbelief that this charming, handsome man could be the Tarot Card killer. Still, Sondra has to act professional and use Vivian's connections to get into posh parties and hang around with Peter Lyman, in whom she falls for. During a magic performance that Waterman did, Strombel appears out of the magic box in front of everyone who gives Waterman a combination number to a vault that Peter has. At a party in Peter's home, Waterman gets into the vault and finds nothing wrong but one night when Sondra is spending the night at Peter's, she finds a deck of tarot cards. While Waterman and Sondra find clues including a picture of Peter's late mother who fits the description of the victims of the Tarot Card killer. Sondra remains unconvinced yet after another murder, she and Waterman talk to a friend of Vivian’s father named Mr. Malcolm.

Malcolm is an newspaper editor who feels that Sondra does have some speculating evidence but it isn't enough. Plus, news that the real Tarot Card killer was caught ends the investigation as Sondra confesses to Peter and hopes to have a real relationship. Waterman however, remains convinced that something isn't right as Strombel makes a final appearance where an envelope Waterman stole from Peter’s briefcase gives him a big clue. There, the truth comes out as lies becomes revealed and the identity of the real Tarot Card killer.

While the film doesn't rank up there with Allen's earlier, funnier films of the early 70s or some of his other comedies and the 80s and 1990s, Scoop does achieve in what Allen aimed for. A witty, clever mystery that features laughs and the kind of neurotic, insecure characters that Allen is known for. The screenplay is really Allen's most entertaining since Sweet & Lowdown where he finds the right timing for comedy while building the suspense of mystery where although it's kind of predictable. The adventure is still fun to watch where Allen's direction and locations of London really brings a new energy to his comedic style. Allen understands that mystery can be funny and he uses these flawed, characters who aren't smart or very driven but have something that audiences can relate to. Overall, the film features Allen in his finest.

Cinematographer Remi Adefarasin, who worked on Match Point, returns to bring in a more colorful, vibrant look of London in its exterior setting of the country side to the posh, interiors of some of the locations. Production designer Maria Djurkovic and art director Nick Palmer do excellent work into the look of posh London with its inspiring locations as well as costume designer Jill Taylor for the dresses that Scarlett Johansson wore. Editor Alisa Lepselter does some wonderful, tight editing to the film a nice, leisurely pace in its 96-minute running time. The film's soundtrack is filled with a lot of classical cuts that Allen has often compiled but most of its is done in a playful way along with elements of suspense as the music really adds a lot of wit and joy.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled with notable small performances from Julian Glover, Kevin R. McNally, and Fenella Woolgar. Other minor performances from Charles Dance as Mr. Malcolm and Romola Garai as Vivian are excellent and memorable in their supporting roles. Ian McShane is very funny and intelligent as the wise, driven Joe Strombel. McShane, often known for playing dark, brooding characters, proves his range as a comedy actor where he plays his character very straight and intelligent as he steals every scene he's in. Hugh Jackman is wonderfully charming as the shady, charismatic Peter Lyman. The Australian-born actor proves he can do an authentic English accent while bringing a lot of wit and complexity to his character. Coming off films like the X-Men series and The Prestige, Jackman proves that he can do comedy and bring a lot of joy into a performance. Woody Allen is very funny in his usual, neurotic persona. While it's essentially Woody playing himself, Allen sticks with what works and it's consistently funny and witty as Allen brings a cleverness to his role while performing some magic tricks.

While not up to par with the sarcasm in Ghost World and the eerie minimalism of Lost in Translation, Scarlett Johansson gives an excellent performance as Sondra Pransky. A far superior performance than she gave in Match Point, in which it was uneven, Johansson brought more layers as she plays a nerdy, frumpy kind of woman who is driven but not very confident. When Johansson plays the sensual Jade Spence, it's all done in a comical way as Johansson plays a great straight-woman to Allen while having some wonderful chemistry with Jackman. It's clearly one of her better performances and far superior to the recent ones in The Black Dahlia and The Prestige also with Jackman.

While not as groundbreaking or one of his great films, Scoop is still a clever, witty mystery-comedy from Woody Allen. With a great cast led by Allen, Johansson, Jackman, and McShane, it's a film that is filled with some wonderful, funny moments while being entertaining at the same time. Though it's more in the same line of films like Sweet & Lowdown and Everyone Says I Love You, it's clear that Woody Allen is still going strong as Scoop is something that his fans can enjoy.

Woody Allen Films: Bananas - Annie Hall - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Deconstructing Harry - Match Point - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Whatever Works)

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older