A so-so retelling on the interview about the Prince Andrew-Jeffrey Epstein bombshell.
Try not get confused with the Woody Allen movie, when you come across my review of “Scoop.” This one is actually a retelling about how BBC Two and Newsnight secured the 2019 interview between journalist Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew, about his relationship with the convicted and soon deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the allegations about Andrew’s sexual assault on a minor, which he denied. It was the then 17-year-old Epstein trafficked. The “scoop of the decade,” as they would call it. It was the interview that gave him negative reactions from the public, which is why he withdrew from his public roles.
The movie’s interview segments want to have the same haunting and important ambiance as in “Frost/Nixon,” but Peter Moffat’s screenplay and Philip martin’s direction aren’t as riveting as the real life story. It has some likable performances in its representation, but they’re upstaged by the film’s blandness.
The movie begins with journalist Sam McAlister (Billie Piper) being a single mother, being criticized by her coworkers and boss Esme (Romola Garai) as defensive, and yet, being persistent enough to go after the scoop of the decade.
It takes some time to strike an interview deal (you know how it gets with publicly disgraced people, especially if this is a royal subject), but it goes into effect. Sam would produce, while Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson) interviews Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell), on location at Buckingham Palace. His private secretary Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes) helps make the arrangements, while being skeptical about it.
The performances I’ve admired come from Anderson, Sewell, and Hawes. Anderson is an American actress, who has the ability to play British characters, and she shifts in mannerisms into Maitlis. Sewell looks good disguised in a fat suit and grey hair, while using the voice to represent the disgraced prince. And Hawes has the tone and consistency, especially during her scenes when she first tells Emily that the interview has a “red line.”
The practice interview scenes and actual interview scenes between Maitlis and Andrew are poignant and edited with charisma. They’re the moments that really keep you involved, if only the overall movie reflected on the very nature on the true story, and not oversell the subject matter on Netflix.
I wasn’t really convinced by Piper’s portrayal of McAlister, because she mostly makes smart aleck expressions, and she goes on and on from time to time. Yes, we do acknowledge that she wants to represent her voice in the newsroom and she has a little boy to take care of. But we also feel that the movie indulges the portrayal in a typical manner.
A story this huge deserves more ambiance and importance than what was given here. It does remind people on what went down, but it needs to be less “Spotlight” and more “Frost/Nixon.” And those are great movies.
There’s also going to be another retelling of this interview-a 3-part miniseries on Amazon Prime called “A Very Royal Scandal.” And it will star Ruth Wilson as Maitlis, and Michael Sheen as Andrew. Maybe that will be the better version. I wanted to like “Scoop,” because of what story it wants to retell, but even biographies deserve better.
Streaming on Netflix Tomorrow
