Don’t miss out Scoop just because you are not interested in the prince’s affairs Andrew of England. The film of Philip Martin online at Netflix from April 5th it is actually much more. In the centre, the historic interview given by the Duke of York to Emily Maitlisthe BBC journalist played by Gillian Andersonknown as the protagonist of The X-Filesalthough in reality his film career was important independently of the famous serial.
How did the meeting, which was held exclusively in the South Hall of Buckingham Palace, come about? Scoop reconstructs the patient negotiation work that allowed the network to establish contact with the Royal House and convince the prince to accept the confrontation in front of the camera; the theme is not her Majesty’s obsession with sex: we are talking about journalists, the journalism that is disappearing, the decisive challenges and the life that everyone must know.
The true story behind the film
The story is known: in 2008 Jeffrey Epstein, a former teacher of a school of VIP children who opened the doors of high finance and the jet set to him, is convicted of inducing the prostitution of minors. According to the accusation, he was responsible for a ring of very young girls directed to politicians and prominent names who sexually abused them. Among these, there also seems to be the prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell), whose closeness to Epstein even after his conviction and release is demonstrated by the reporter’s shot Jae Donnelly in 2010, in New York, during a walk in Central Park.
Almost ten years later, the mass of articles written on the subject would perhaps have risked being forgotten if that photo had not continued to accompany it on the pages of every newspaper. The images manage to have an impact even when all other information tends to fade and it is from there that the central narrative of Scoop. Journalism has been in crisis for some time when in 2019, the BBC announced 450 layoffs. Sam Mac Alisterplayed by Billie Piper (Diary of a call girl And Doctor Who), is among the workers who listen to the announcement with concern.
Newsnight, the daily information program of the well-known British television station of which she is editor, struggles to find breaking news that can really attract the public’s attention and outclass its competitors. The tension between those who believe that their assiduous presence in the editorial office demonstrates the validity of their role (and saves it) and those who instead claim the right/duty to go around looking for news is palpable. It goes without saying that Sam belongs to the second school of thought to understand that from here Scoop comes to life.
A scoop is first of all an achievement
Never give up: this is the subtext of Scoop and the tenacity with which the journalist pursues every contact, even the one from which it is easiest to expect a rejection, to the point of transforming it into a source and guiding the information of other media for a long time to come . Scoop It’s not a film about making a career: asserting yourself even when you’re not invited to share what you’ve patiently collected and not waiting for good opportunities to fall from the sky is another story. It’s this story.
Having hit the mark once is not enough for Sam to see his life and position change within such a competitive environment, but he has the belief that he is participating in something that is worthwhile: this is what he really seeks every time he pursues news. When in Scoop the fateful day arrives and the interview-duel takes place, outside the set Sam and his contact, the prince’s private secretary, also face each other. Amanda Thirsk (played by Keeley Hawes): the two women find themselves on opposing sides and have naturally different expectations regarding the outcome of the interview.
But they both got there by making a pact of solidarity and respect, which makes the game much more subtle than a clear contrast, in a crescendo of pathos that manages to involve even without twists. And in the end, patience for poor Andrea and his stuffed animals: it is thanks to the journalists who did not give up that many victims of Epstein and his associates today have a name and are fighting for recognition of their rights.
