Fridae

You gotta hand it to Woody Allen. The guy just won't give up. Though he's pushing 71, he still continues to make a film almost every year and will probably do so till the day he keels over and dies. And although his recent output has not been as impressive as those from his heyday (Annie Hall, Manhattan, Stardust Memories), they still carry a spark of originality and a twinkle of delight.

His latest, Scoop, is a detective comedy starring Scarlett Johansson as a journalism student who is watching a magic show when she is invited onstage by the magician (Woody Allen). When he puts her inside a magic box, a ghostly vision appears before her and gives the young reporter an extraordinary tip: That the most dashing millionaire (Hugh Jackman) in London is actually a serial killer. Excited by what could be the scoop of the year, Scarlett goes off to investigate, enlisting the help of the bumbling magician along the way�

The best thing about Scoop is the strong performances by the stars. Scarlett proves that she is not just adept at playing sweet young things (Lost In Translation, Girl with a Pearl Earring) or devastatingly sexy sirens (The Black Dahlia, Match Point). She can also play a nervous, twitchy, nerdy girl in spectacles with little awareness of her sex appeal. Hugh also excels as the handsome millionaire � he delivers what could be the most natural performance in his career. The chemistry between the two actors is sizzling. (A scene where both appear in bathing suits will have us drooling at both.)

All in all, Scoop is a light and breezy comedy with some memorable one-liners. We don't expect the younger readers to enjoy it. But the older readers who grew up laughing at Woody Allen's jokes and antics are bound to like this movie. Go see it.