Masaharu Fukuyama and Fumi Nikaido star in Scoop!, A 2016 film written by Masato Harada and directed by Hitoshi One. The film placed fourth in the Japanese box office on its opening day. Not too surprising since Fukuyama is a huge star in Japan.
A rookie camera girl joins a ruff legendary paparazzi in his work to take pictures of celebrities engaging shocking acts for a magazine. Things start going down hill when the two get involved in more cases than they can handle. Including cases outside of the realm of celebrity news.
I'm a fan of Fukuyama's music and acting performance so it was natural that I would check out this film based on wanting to support the projects he takes part in. Scoop come off as a light feeling film if one is to go off the trailer or the plot summary. Actually, Scoop is a disarray of two different layers of film genres. The first layer solely covers the job of a paparazzi's life style. You know might be able to imagine the things they have to go through to get the perfect picture to publish in magazines. Its rude as well as invasive to celebrities but even these paparazzi need a job that provides them with money to survive. This first layer was very exciting to watch because you get a real detailed look into the life of a person working this kind of job. A camera man has to sometimes do more than just hold the camera then click the flash, its also about getting his subjects in the right situation. I could have watched the film all the way to the end without the second layer that comes into the plot. Romance dominates the second layer of Scoop which is a bit uncomfortable to watch. Their acting makes the relationship very believable however the first half and hour of the film is like water and fire if you were to compare the last hour of the film. Nothing wrong with a love story until the love aspect feels a bit tacked on to the rest of the plot. Never mind this, the relationship still worked somewhat. I just wasn't into it anymore once the film tries its hand at a emotional tragic climax. My eyes didn't water, in fact they stayed dry as a bone. I felt more for the girl who was in grief though. Scoop's writers didn't know what the hell they wanted this film to be. Everything was disjointed especially toward the end. Sad thing is the acting and plot progression still magically pulls the film together. I don't know if the director decided to wing the whole project hoping the finished product would come out well or what…. Scoop sure as hell felt that way to me.
Fukuyama makes his movie return for the first time in about two years. Last film he was in was the live action adaption of Rurouni Kenshin. Scoop's leading man still makes him seem like an old body. Now, he's a perverted playboy type of old body. Do you guys know those older people that have that aura of living life long enough to give you life advice? Fukuyama brings this same feel to all his characters. Seeing him play a character that wasn't always put together nicely was a different experience for me. His character could almost be seen as the scum of the earth all while getting the job done for the audience who judges him for taking the pictures. One huge concept about life that he showed me through his performance was the true meaning of having passion. No matter what you have a passion for, you do that certain hobby or Job because you love doing it in your heart. Doing what you love isn't about getting permission from others, instead passion is about doing what you love no matter what. Fumi was like that character that added comedy to the film. Both characters had a "I make fun of you, you make fun of me" chemistry that will make you giggle during the film. Their awkward relationship felt realistic thanks to the fun times they had together. The age difference did enter the back of my mind a few times as I watch scenes of them together though. Fukuyama acted in a Love Song with a girl that was too young for him too. Films are less conservative than dramas in Japan since one is on daytime Television. Scoop goes all out with the taboo age difference relationship. Nothing is held back either. Age is just a number….. eh?
Scoop shoots the night life of Japan. From the side streets leading to clubs to the rooftops of hotel buildings. Celebrities in Japan do really seem to enjoy going out at night with their friends to clubs so the film focuses around this fact most of the time. There's constant shots of the city skyline to signal the beginning of a scene like other films but it never gets old if used in a productive way. Scenes shot during the day make an appearance at the second half of Scoop for change of pace. Things really do enter a new territory at a certain point in this film.
Scoop was a good film with problems. I liked the overall result however some parts of the film felt forced like they wanted to draw in a select audience without being too original. Bear in mind that Scoop is based off of a TV film that came out in 1985. Writers probably couldn't fully decide how to incorporate events that an audience could relate to in today's world verse the screenplay written all those years ago.
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