"How the BBC obtained the bombshell interview with Prince Andrew about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

I hardly ever dive into news programs, nor do I have any particular disdain or admiration for either side of the political spectrum. I say this simply because Scoop has some political undertones, and it’s about a news story I only have a passing knowledge of. I’m taking this film at face value, the same as I would for Spotlight or The Post. Scoop’s dramatization of events brings up suggestions rather than certainties, and I judge it solely as a piece of newsroom cinema. 

Scoop receives a career best performance from Billie Piper as Sam McAlister, the go-getter who targets the news stories before they hit. She schedules the interviews that no one is able to get and Scoop highlights her attempts to get a word with Prince Andrew, Duke of York about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It’s a really intriguing dynamic between McAlister and her surrounding peers as they narrowly obtain this bombshell interview. 

It’s a gloomy feature, the sun never quite shines on any given day and that gives yet another complexity to the true-life narrative. This isn’t a film about Epstein, it’s about a singular connection with him coming to light. From start to finish, Scoop focuses on the interview - from the possibilities to get one, to the path they wind up taking. There’s hardly any subplots, assisting the film in not being overly clouded and creating a straightforward narrative with some hardships throughout. 

Not being aware of this particular 2019 interview, I wasn’t entirely sure just how everything would play out. Gillian Anderson’s Emily Maitlis is able to offer the Prince time to turn his wheels and speak with comfort, until he runs out of reasonable excuses. Anderson is tremendous when playing off Rufus Sewell’s Prince Andrew, as well her visible preparation in finding her exact interview method.  

Scoop isn’t claiming to tell a completely true tale, it goes ahead and states at the very start the addition of dramatization in scenes. Now as stated at the beginning, I’m taking this film at face value, while acknowledging it taking some obvious liberties. 

Based on Sam McAlister’s book “Scoops”, it isn’t just a film about a news outlet going out and garnering an exclusive interview that subsequently revoked a Royal title. Philip Martin’s Scoop is a tensely layered drama with excellent performances and an understanding of how to make a film solely about connections, as well as perfectly depicting the ways the characters interact. It’s cleverly written, incredibly fast paced and makes you wonder why more newsroom dramas can’t be more like it.