Mark Reviews Movies: SCANDALOUS (2019)

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Review by Mark Dujsik | November 21, 2019

Director Mark Landsman presents a broad history of the National Enquirer in Scandalous. It takes the tabloid to task, of course, but the documentary also gives at least parts of its mission and its coverage their due. That makes the movie's final condemnation of the paper feel hollow—both in terms of sentiment and actual investigation.

To be clear, there's much more to condemn about the tabloid than there is to applaud, and that fact becomes perfectly clear throughout the course of the movie. In trying to come across as even-handed, though, Landsman deflates his argument to the point that we might believe the real problems with the Enquirer only emerged about three years ago.

The narrative is chronological, beginning with the tabloid's purchase by Generoso Pope Jr. in 1952 and ending with its involvement—both blatant and secretive—in the 2016 presidential election under its current ownership. Along the way, Landsman provides a series of talking heads—former employees and other news figures—who explain the tabloid's mission (to sell a lot of copies with celebrity gossip), its methods (some actual and questionable journalism), and its appeal (People like to know that famous folks are really just ordinary).

Former writers and editors tell about the operations out of the paper's headquarters in Lantana, Florida, and the draw of the job (good pay and paid trips around the globe), as well the downsides (an authoritarian boss who routinely fired at least one person every Friday night). After Pope's death in 1988, the paper started to gain some credibility—its investigation into O.J. Simpson—only to be lambasted with the rest of the tabloid press after the death of Princess Diana.

Landsman digs into particular stories with the sensationalism of his subject, offering praise where he and some believe its worthy, while also letting others decry how the tabloid style slowly infected the mainstream press. The director doesn't seem willing to take a side—until 2016 comes along, that is.

Undoubtedly, there's an entire movie to be made about how the Enquirer became very close with on presidential candidate, burying stories until they became old news. That, though, would take some real courage, an actual stance, and a lot of investigative acumen. In other words, it would take some genuine journalism, and Scandalous will have none of that.

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