DVD of the Week: Scoop

This is Woody Allen’s latest movie and the second in his series of London based films. It’s in many ways a return to form after the more intensely dramatic Match Point. Here Allen reteams with Point ingénue Scarlett Johansson (a surprisingly gifted screwball comedienne) and reclaims his title as the master of intellectual shtick. This may not be Allen’s best, but he is still a refreshing voice in the contemporary comedy landscape. Unlike most current comedy scribes, Allen still makes an effort to craft comedic lines and clever wordplays instead of merely scripting pratfalls and cheap sight gags. Scoop is a bright and funny film that captures perfectly some of Allen’s wonderful silliness and creative comedy stylings. The plot involves a murder, a magician, a ghost, and a blonde. What more do you need to know?