Scoop 2006

     The funeral of famous British journalist Joe Strombel is being held.  His colleagues and friends are recalling how obstinate he was while seeking a news scoop.  Strombel discloses the identity of the tarot card serial killer of London.  He cheats death and appears to an American student of journalism, Sondra Pransky.  She is on a stage in the middle of a magic show by magician Sidney Waterman.  He tells her that the murderer is the aristocrat Peter Lyman?  Sondra drags Sid into her investigation and they are seeking evidence to learn if Peter is the killer.  Sondra falls in love with Sid and she questions if Joe Strombel is right?

     This film has a LOT going on!!  Murder, suspense, humor, love and entertainment.  Also amusing bits about England, death, magic and journalism.  Plus, supernatural themes, jokes, psychoanalysis and philosophy.  Woody Allen films are usually shot in New York but this is across the pond in the UK!!  Another twist is that Woody possibly doesn’t get the girl!!  5* (I really liked this movie)    
     
96 min, Comedy directed and written by Woody Allen with Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman Jim Dunk, Robert Bathurst, Geoff Bell, Christopher Fulford, Nigel Lindsay, Ian McShane, Fenella Woolgar, Pete Mastin, Doreen Mantle, David Schneider, Meera Syal, Kevin McNally, Robyn Kerr, Richard Stirling. 

Note: Imdb 6.7* out of 10* with 80,060 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 41% with 149 critics 55% with 70,203 audience scores, Roger Ebert 2*, Rolling Stone 3* out of 4* Peter Travers, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 174 reviews, Reel Views 2* James Berardinelli.

Mistakes:  There were several scenes with Scarlett Johansson’s lapel mike radio frequency transmitter strapped on her waist behind her and it is visible.  In the end credit soundtrack section, the composer Edvard Grieg is misspelled as Edvard Greig.  Sondra tells Peter Lyman that her father is having sensitivity in tooth lower #7.  In the American tooth numbering system, number seven is always an upper tooth?  In the British tooth numbering system, there is no tooth number seven?