Scoop

To celebrate Easter on Sunday night, I decided to treat myself to a fun and festive movie (after the excrutiation of "Running with Scissors"). I chose "Scoop", last year's Woody Allen flopper. I'm always down for the underdog. While I feel the premise of the story (and the ending) were quite witty and entertaining, I can't help but wonder...Does Woody Allen EVER play anything but a neurotic Jewish Brooklynite with a bad weave? With all that money and Asian lovin in his life (and mouth), you would think homegirl could be a little more innovative! I do love his obsessive Anglophilia (see: Matchpoint and Scoop) however. Big ups to our uncircumsized brothers across the Atlantic!

This film tells the story of a college journalist (American in London) who is visited by the spirit of a recently deceased reporter who uses her as a vehicle to investigate his one last big story. Unfortunately, dumbo Scarlett JoBoring was casted as this young Inspector Gadget and ruined much of the film for me. This movie would have been fabulous if it was done in the 80's and starred Winona Ryder. Scarface just seems so condescending and unconvincing and all I can imagine is her on the casting couch with a mouthful of Woody's woody to get the role. So many reasons to gag...none of them the right one.

The story, however, is quite sweeping and involved, and although a bit times as tired as a Barry Manilow album (or my weave right about now...), we'll forgive it for the fun plot twists and gratuitous Hugh Jackman shots (who should have been played by the delightful Matthew Goode or some hot BRITISH actor...but we'll take what we can get).

All in all, worth the rental and the 45 strawberries I downed in the process. I give it three fingers in the butt, and two wanting more.