In many ways, “Scoop” is not the movie you think it is. Sure, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how the BBC television program, er, “programme” “Newsnight” landed a hotly sought-after interview with Prince Andrew in 2019. At the time, the Duke of York was embroiled in longstanding controversy over his past association with Jeffrey Epstein. A convicted sex offender who had just been arrested again on new charges by the FBI. While that’s a major part of the film’s storyline, what might be the most compelling aspect of the Netflix release is the role talent booker Sam McAlister played in landing what turned out to be one of the most consequential and embarrassing moments for the British Royal Family this century.
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It all starts with a flashback to 2009, where tabloid reporter Jae Donnely (Connor Swindles, refreshingly playing older) goes through all sorts of hoops and bushes to capture a photo that haunted Buckingham Palace for a decade. The image was of Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell, impressive) and Epstein walking together in conversation in New York City’s Central Park and made headlines across the globe. This moment sets up the longstanding controversy around then Prince Charles’ younger brother and is a connection that will be key for McAlister years later.
Fast forward almost a decade and McAlister (a superb Billie Piper) is on edge. She’s not the typical BBC News employee and her colleagues are absolutely punishing her for it. With a previous tabloid background (insinuated at least), her co-workers are super tough on her and complain to the show’s producer, Esme Wren (Romola Garai, quite good) about her lax working hours. In reality, McAlister is doing the job the only way she knows how while trying to balance a 24/7 gig and being a single mother to a teenage son. Things get even more stressful for our heroine when she criticizes the show’s steely-mannered presenter, Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson, fantastic, of course), without knowing she’s within earshot. Embarassing, for sure.
When McAlister sees a press invite for a new “Pitch A Palace” event for young entrepreneurs featuring the Prince, she sees a potential opening. Meanwhile, Andrew’s private secretary, Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes), is desperate to help her boss put the Epstein controversy to bed. Their new “expert” PR consultant wants to go down the same old road by putting the Prince in front of “friendly” press and she thinks Andrew needs something drastically different. She reaches out to McAlister hoping to land a fair report on Prince Andrew’s current endeavor. McAlister quickly pulls her out of Buckingham Palace for an afternoon cocktail and, surprisingly, the pair click. Or, they bond well enough so that when Epstein is arrested and then commits suicide while in custody (the film is not that story, trust), McAlister has a foot in the door to the interview every outlet in the world is clamoring for.
Once the interview is secured, the film shifts gears as Maitlis and her team prepare for the secret sit down and McAlister wonders if she’s even wanted in the room. This is a conversation that could easily go the wrong way for all involved and even the experienced Maitlis is visibly nervous (Anderson handles this perfectly). The interview itself is re-enacted with a nod to Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon,” an inevitable comparison, but in this case, the “gotcha” moment simply isn’t the same and gives “Scoop” an opportunity to stand squarely on its own.
A partial adaptation of McAlister’s novel “Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews,” Peter Moffat’s screenplay is accurately spicey while keeping the focus on the two women at the center of this particular story. Are there some loose ends regarding Epstein and Virginia Giuffre, who sued Prince Andrew for sexual assault? Or the young woman captured on camera by Donnely leaving Epstein’s townhouse minutes before Prince Andrew did? No doubt, but that is likely a tale for another film entirely (or a significantly longer version of this one).
Beyond its subject matter one of the reasons “Scoop” is genuinely compelling is Philip Martin’s direction. The pacing is brisk, but not rushed. And time and again, “The Crown” veteran smartly lets his actors play to their strengths. Piper, in particular, conveys years of McAlister’s angst, disrespect, and perseverance across her face often without saying a word. Martin and his editor, Kristina Hetherington, simply can’t ignore it. So much so that the image you remember the most likely won’t be the interview itself. Instead, it’s McAlister making her way home on an empty London bus as her hard-fought story explodes on social media. And now, she can finally breathe. [B+]
“Scoop” launches worldwide on Netflix on Friday, April 4.