The revelations that brought public attention to Watergate, the depredations of Harvey Weinstein, and the abuses tolerated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston have been the subjects of movies. The drama revolved, in part, around the difficulty of getting people to talk.
Now comes the story of how the BBC's “Newsnight” program got its Explosive interview with Prince Andrew in 2019. During a bizarre 49-minute segment, he unconvincingly addressed his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender, and repeatedly denied Virginia Roberts Giuffre's allegations that, at age 17, he had sexual relations with the prince after being trafficked. him for Epstein. The interview was less world-historical than David Frost's conversations with Richard Nixon outside the office (themselves the basis of a play turned film), but the consequences were real. Faced with widespread criticism, Prince Andrew resigned from his public duties a few days later.
How do you get an interview with scandal-plagued royalty? “Scoop,” directed by Philip Martin, chronicles the determined efforts of producer Sam McAlister (Billie Piper), on whose book, “Scoops,” the film is based. Attending meetings at Buckingham Palace may lack the bravado of leather reporting, but there is genuine psychology involved in convincing a famous figure that countering disapproval requires acknowledging it and that the questions asked will be fair. Sam presents his case through multiple discussions with the prince's personal secretary, Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes), and eventually in a speech with the prince himself (Rufus Sewell in significant makeup) alongside Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson). , the journalist he hopes to interrogate. him.
The film finds enough suspense in these negotiations and in Maitlis's preparations for the encounter, an interrogation that, in real life, she deftly carried out without ever registering as impolite. Why Prince Andrew's responses were so tone-deaf (he was criticized for not expressing sympathy for Epstein's victims) is a mystery that “Scoop” elides. (McAlister and Thirsk exchange ambiguous glances as the recording concludes.)
What “Scoop” offers is the modest pleasure – to which any journalist is susceptible – of supporting a team of reporters to get a story. That and the mimicry: exceptional on Anderson's part, less so on Sewell's part, who has a huskier voice and more passably serious manners than the prince shows on television.
Ladle
Not qualified. Duration: 1 hour 42 minutes. Watch on Netflix.
