Film Pick of the Week: Scoop - review by Yvette Huddleston

Gillian Anderson is on commanding form as Maitlis, capturing her mannerisms, her professionalism and steely, forensic interviewing style. And the actual encounter at Buckingham Palace is a compelling centrepiece to the film. Rufus Sewell, under a lot of prosthetics, is totally convincing as the prince, exuding the kind of entitlement, arrogance and expectation of deference that comes with the territory when you are a senior member of the royal family. There is a scene in which Andrew confidently reports a conversation he has had with his mother about doing the interview, saying that she gave him her blessing and trusted his judgement.

Peter Moffat’s script inevitably embellishes the reality but sticks fairly closely to the facts that are known. Billie Piper is excellent as tenacious producer Sam McAlister, a bit of an outsider on the team, who has a nose for a good story and through some deft negotiation with the palace and Prince Andrew’s press office manages to bag the interview. McAlister responds to a press release about a new business mentoring initiative that the prince is looking to promote and from there begins to pave the way to an interview.

The always dependable Keeley Hawes gives an intelligent, layered performance as Amanda Thirsk, Prince Andrew’s loyal private secretary. She believes that there is some merit in a candid interview to confront the criticism that has been levelled at the prince who, it is suggested, she genuinely believes is innocent of any wrongdoing. She agrees to there being no questions off-limits which spectacularly backfires when Maitlis steadily focuses in on his longstanding relationship with a known paedophile.

Such was the prince’s arrogance, he clearly thought the interview would be a breeze. Sewell is spot-on in his portrayal of this and in his bumptious, totally inadequate, responses. Incredibly, afterwards he seems to think it “went rather well” and is not prepared at all for the subsequent fallout which led to him being forced to “step back” from his royal duties and stripped of some of his titles. Uncomfortable but riveting viewing.