Scoop – Der Knüller (2006)

Scoop – Der Knüller: Directed by Woody Allen. With Jim Dunk, Robert Bathurst, Geoff Bell, Christopher Fulford. An American journalism student in London scoops a big story, and begins an affair with an aristocrat as the incident unfurls.

“In this somewhat familiar story, the now-70-year-old Woody Allen plays a rambling stage magician in London who gets unwillingly roped into helping a young woman (Scarlett Johansson) find out the true identity of a potential serial killer (Hugh Jackman). The girl is an aspiring reporter who receives a tip from the spirit of a recently deceased writer that Jackman may be her man. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWoody had just made the superior and steamy drama MATCH POINT (2005) with Scarlett Johansson and was probably taken with her, so he tried casting her here alongside himself in something comical. At least heu0026#39;s beginning to realize he has become too long in the tooth to continue playing younger girlsu0026#39; love interests, and so he assumes the role of go-between mentor to the two young leads. Unsurprisingly, Jackman and Johansson are destined to become romantically involved as Scarlett pursues her investigation. Hugh Jackman is fine in his part, and though upon my first viewing of this I didnu0026#39;t quite buy Johanssonu0026#39;s performance, a second look found her characterization working for me.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film is only occasionally humorous and rather middle of the road as far as the directoru0026#39;s overall dossier is concerned. Iu0026#39;m always game to continue seeing Woody cast himself in his own future comedies, so long as he keeps writing them more in line with his advancing age. Who knows, maybe he can make a senior citizen type of farce one day. **1/2 out of ****”