Customer Reviews

State of Play

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Finally a great adult suspense film about several timely subjects . It 's about the dying newspapers and political corruption.
Russell Crowe is excellent as an overweight ,slightly shabby journalist ,who is flawed personally,but an excellent journalist.
Helen Mirren is good as his stressed boss.Ben Afflek is surprisingly good as his old friend and US congressman. Rachel
McAdams is fine as the new face of the news,a blogger for the newspaper. There is suspense, that grabs you and holds you til the end. I saw it with friends and discussed it through and after dinner. Always a sign of a good movie. How in the world does Crowe manage to be so appealing in messy clothes and overweight? I highly recommend this movie.

"Guess Ive got that old travlin bone, cause this feelin wont leave me alone.
But I wont, wont be losin my way, no, no
long as I can see the light."
Cleerance Clearwater Revival

No Way, 'State of Play, the BBC miniseries was the best series I have seen since 'Wired'. No Way, was the American version going to be as good. I was right, it is not as good, but Almost!

Russell Crowe as Cal McCaffrey, the old time journalist who works for truth and justice, brings that justice to this film, like no one else could. He makes this film what it is. Rachel McAdams, as the Capitol Hill blogger, is fine in her role, but it could have been anyone. Helen Mirren, as the editor of this fine paper, is ruthless and mean and fine, as is her wont. But, it was Russell Crowe who made this film fascinating. The dirty long hair flowing as he walked and ran down corridors. The paunch from eating all those fast food meals and drinking the Irish wine, Scotch. Yep, this was the real deal, the newsmen of yesteryear.

The aide to Congressman, Stephen Collins, played by Ben Affleck, dies suddenly, an accident or suicide or was it murder? Cal and his newspaper blogger, Dela, start snooping and find that one and one don't make two, it adds up to five. Four murders and an investigation into a security group that hopes to control the world. As time moves on and clues begin to come together and stories unravel, we have a fast paced mystery, here. It is full of suspense and intrigue and just when we think we know who done it, the circle moves. That Russell Crowe, he could be one of the best actors around, you know that?

Recommended. prisrob 09-01-09

Body of Lies (Widescreen Edition)

The Insider

The Queen

Man About Town

Based on the BBC mini-series, director Kevin McDonald's "STATE OF PLAY" blends the two most reliable, favorite ingredients of an effective thriller; a political-conspiracy thriller mixed in with a journalism drama with a touch of a murder mystery mixed in. The film's direction can be taut, clean and energetic that plays on the moralities of politics and the responsibility of credible reporting. Kevin McDonald maneuvers the film's script in a meaty web of intrigue and suspense that is nicely acted and honest in its execution.

Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) is a seasoned reporter working at a struggling newspaper called "The Washington Globe". When the research assistant (played by Maria Thayer) and lover to a congressman named Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is killed, her mysterious death provokes a lot of speculation for a high-profile story. Cal has a history with Collins and his wife Anne (Robin Wright Penn), so he is the natural pick to tackle this story. But Cal becomes conflicted with what story he wants to tell the longer he digs for the truth; which leads him to team up with a young inexperienced reporter named Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to sort out the mystery full of political intrigue to avoid further bloodshed and uncover the real story behind all the rumors and deceptions. Cal now finds himself face to face with his own `crisis of conscience' as his own proven investigative skills may not coincide with the needs for profit and that the real story may alienate his own friends.

"State of Play" is a thriller that tries to keep its toes by mixing in elements of a political thriller that touches on some real world events after the tragedy of 9/11 and the responsibilities of credible fact-finding. The script by Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton), Matthew Carnahan (The Kingdom) and Billy Ray has its share of good dialogue delivered by characters that has some layers and dimensions that proved interesting. Cal represents the old-school style of reporting; he checks his facts, looks for credible sources and ignores the unnecessary hidden stories. His dislike on young inexperienced blogger Della comes absolutely natural. Cal sees her as the spoiled reporter who may write appealing articles who happen to have a better computer and a better office. The two are representations of the signs of the times and the internet phenomenon. It was also nice to see the script avoid the trappings of a perfunctory romance between the two reporters but instead director McDonald uses a sort of a mentor-student type of relationship between the two after they realize that they are both after the same thing.

The film's political side comes from the character of Stephen Collins who may have the best interests of the country at heart, although he made some mistakes on some decisions such as bedding his own research assistant. The screenplay is a little cautious, but it does point an accusing finger at certain corporations who make huge profit from a war. Apparently the privatization of soldiers in the war against terror is one profitable industry, and these soldiers are just mercenaries answerable to no one. The moral responsibilities of fighting a war are touched upon as well as maintaining the image of a clean public figure. Smear campaigns, damaging rumors and speculations are used to manipulate Congress to satisfy the needs of big corporate America.

Director McDonald does get the atmosphere and the fast-paced feel of a newspaper right. I liked the old-school `press room' with the editor looking above the reporters. McDonald is to be commended that he remembered to bring such late night hurdles into exposition; although frankly, the stereotypical character of Cal's editor in the person of Helen Mirren should've been abandoned. Mirren does a good performance as Cal's impatient and overly cautious editor, but her character has been overused in other films in this genre. The shady, corrupt politician in the person of Jeff Daniels has also been done to death. I also have issues with the age factor between Cal and Collins; Affleck and Crowe just don't fit as former college buddies. Affleck is decent as the congressman but Crowe just looked so much older than him, I couldn't really buy into the idea that they're the same age. The relationship between Cal and Anne isn't really brought into fruition; quite frankly, it felt a little forced to add some spice to the screenplay.

The manner of which the plot unravels is full of various storylines that come to a satisfying ending but some elements feel unnecessary. The script should have been more compact and some scenes dragged a little bit. It doesn't really hurt the film but Jason Bateman's scenes should have been more efficiently played out. It also seemed to try too hard on satisfying its audience in both the cerebral conspiracy thriller fan base and the action junkies; it does work on some levels but I thought the script may have had the fear of becoming too talkie that it needed to bring some gunplay into the mix. Some of the scenes just didn't match the film's tone at times.

"State of Play" does have some nice touches such as an old-fashioned workhorse in the face of "blogger-space", it explores the morals of profit gain and the responsibilities of public officials; the problem is, sometimes, it just felt that the film didn't have confidence enough to stay within the realms of a journalistic drama. It tries to be too complex just for the sake of becoming complex, that it felt like it threw too many ideas that slowed the film's pace. It does feel predictable in the middle of the film, but I did appreciate the effort in delivering a credible thriller. It does deliver the goods and the effective revelations do hit the right spots.

Recommended! [3 ½ Stars]

Video/Audio: 2.35 ratio anamorphic widescreen. The picture looks pristine even when the colors looked a little restrained. The quality of the picture matches the film's tone. The 5.1 Dolby Digital track is clear enough and well channeled.

My husband brought home this DVD and I'd never even heard of it. Why wasn't this a huge hit? Was it only in theaters for a minute, or what? My theory: this is another movie that fell victim to a terrible, awful title. I challenge you to remember the title "State of Play" while you are watching it, without cheating and looking at the DVD case.

As for the movie, five hearty stars, two thumbs up, GREAT suspenseful, smart thriller with a terrific all-star cast. A love letter to the dying/ changing newspaper industry, a nod to the Watergate era and the movie "All the President's Men" (a great movie title!), and a taut political drama. I actually hugged my fleece throw at a few places, it was very tense.

Recommendation: Absolutely. Our whole family watched it (two teenagers, two parents) and enjoyed it. Great movie led by stellar cast.

A solid entertaining, mature thriller. As usual Crowe and Mirren are their absolute best. McAdams and a surprising Affleck are also good. Some good plot twists, an interesting story, exceptional acting, and witty dialogue make this a winner through and through.

You are taken on quite a ride with 'State of Play' where Ben Affleck and Russell Crow play friends, Affleck a very involved Congressman and Crow a very active Journalist who seems on the last legs of a career with the paper he works for going more to the web. His editor, who is attempting to squeeze every dollar out of the paper gets more and more delirious about McAffrey (Crow) as he tries to track down the truth behind a scandal involving congressman Collins (Affleck).

There are a few twists and you get a feel of the issues that the News Media faces with balancing getting the story, versus getting the truth. (See the Book 'Losing the News'). Then you have a congressman who is overseeing the committee for reviewing a new national security consulting firm. The plot thickens as McAffrey pulls back the layers of information using all of the sources he can dig up. Great bit on investigative journalism. I think it gives a little of a sense of what went on in the Watergate era with Deep Throat and Woodward and Burnstein.

The junior reporter/blogger Della Frye, played by Rachel McAdams, is vying for getting noticed in her career giving us a sense of play between Generation X and the quickly getting behind the times Baby Boom Generation.

You have a couple of interesting threads blending marvelously into one, issues of Government and corruption, Journalistic excellence and the current state of the News Print medium and internal generational differences.

This really makes for keeping you on the edge of your seat and having to really stay in tune with what is going on. Interestingly, everyone is questioning everyone elses integrity throughout and you really feel for McAffrey when everyone questions his motives for his approach in digging and digging for the truth.

Definately one of my favorites for 2009, State of Play is a must for the DVD library.

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STATE OF PLAY is a good sound thriller of the conspiracy type that will remind many viewers of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. The plot concerns an evil corporation that has, for all intents and purposes, been hiring worn-out soldiers and employing them directly, running on the government's money. (The corp's name is changed in the movie but look for its logo, which is similar to the real thing.) So well-backstopped is this menacing entity that it has effectively squelched the news media from using the term "mercenaries," which of course is exactly what privately-employed soldiers are.

The cast boasts Russell Crowe as the crusading reporter who gets in over his head, a last-minute sub for Brad Pitt. The investigation becomes so convoluted and complicated that he needs a rookie reporter (Rachel McAdams) to help. Along the way the pair have to deal with a bottom-line-oriented editor (Helen Mirren, somewhat reminiscent of the Glenn Close character in THE PAPER), an idealistic young congressman conducting an investigation into the company (Ben Affleck) and his mentor, a fellow congressman who turns out to have more sides than we first thought (well underplayed by Jeff Daniels). The plot blooms nicely with the emphasis on gathering paranoia -- not only who knew what when, but what was their motive in doing what they did? The reporters have to deal with the spectre of electronic eavesdropping and physical danger (I'd rather not spoil that part.)

This is a good evening's entertainment. The movie is solid and the plot will keep you guessing. It has a minimum of the kind of sudden-attack violence to which this film genre seems increasingly addicted. Russell Crowe's character is well portrayed but disheveled to a fault; nonetheless I feel if Brad Pitt had played a clean-cut version of this role as originally cast, the overall movie would not be vastly different. STATE OF PLAY is not an outstanding flick like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN but it has its moments and holds interest. It also takes some interestng looks at the non-federal part of the District of Columbia, the parts tourists don't see but locals know well.

For the sake of home viewers I should note that we saw the first DVD release and it is surprisingly skimpy on bells-and-whistles, just two brief deleted scenes and a fairly standard making-of documentary with director, screenwriter and actors. No Commentary as of yet.

We don't buy a lot of videos after we watch them-once is usually enough- but this has been added to our library. Russell Crowe fills the journalist role so completely, reminding me of the typical hard-driving journalist with a nose for news and a golden pen who can barely make himself publicly presentable and pushes on for the truth of a story even as it promises to bring down those closest to him. The charmingly corrupt politician is played well by Ben Affleck and is food for thought regarding the self-destruction of a political career.

Take an excellent cast, a smart director and an accomplished screen writer, throw them into a room and let them go at it and you'd swear you'll walk away with a masterpiece, right. Well, a masterpiece `State of Play' is not, but what it is is a very, very good movie; a great movie even. With noteworthy performances, a tightly woven plot and engaging camera work that keeps us glued throughout, `State of Play' did more than just hold my attention; it grabbed it and flung it across the room.

I knew I was going to see this movie before I knew anything about it; I am that devoted to Russell Crowe. Then I read that it was a remake of a BBC min-series. I still have as of yet to see that, but I will now that I've seen this film.

I don't want to spoil too much of the movie, since Tony Gilroy worked real hard to make this an engaging and exciting thrill ride with twists and turns that are not predictable (even if you think they are). All I'll say is that it starts with a murder, and then a presumed suicide. Reporter Cal McAffrey is working on the murders, while blog reporter Della Frye is working on the suicide. The suicide happens to be of a woman who worked for Congressman Stephen Collins, an old college buddy of Cal's. When Cal starts to look into the young woman's death he unveils that the murder he is working on and this `suicide' seem to be related; but it goes much deeper than that.

Like I said, I really don't want to give too much away.

The acting here is spot on across the board. Crowe is always a reliable source for quality entertainment, and he doesn't disappoint here. He also doesn't out act his co-stars (which wouldn't be hard for him to do when matched with McAdams or Affleck), so the film never seems uneven. This isn't to say that he drops the ball, for he is always in character and acting his tail off (just watch the way he processes information, that look on his face), but he knows the type of film he's in and the type of performance needed to sell this.

A pleasant surprise is the fact that some actors who are less than brilliant really up their game here and deliver wonderfully.

Ben Affleck shocked me with his ability to really `act', something I've rarely, if ever, seen him do. Rachel McAdams is one of the most beautiful women on the planet (seriously) and she has shown much potential in her career. She doesn't blow anything out of the box here, but she is consistent and believable. Helen Mirren is a firecracker and steals her every scene. Robin Wright Penn is touching and moving, yet forgettable. Jeff Daniels was a nice touch, and his final confrontation with Crowe was stellar ("SON!"). For me though, this movie belongs to Jason Bateman, an actor I am not very familiar with who just blazes the screen in his few short scenes. He is witty, charming (in a very creepy sort of way) and wholly believable. I just wish they had written him into a few more scenes.

Like I said, this is not a masterpiece, but it is an enthralling and captivating political thriller that makes good use of its cast and its timeframe, injecting a rapid fire pace that keeps us glued to the screen, never wavering for a second or losing our interest long enough for us to get confused or give up.

"State of Play" is a complex whodunnit set against a backdrop of political intrigue in Washington DC. There are crosses and double crosses that keep the viewer interested until the very end. This is a good sign for a film of this genre.

Yet, for all its virtues, "State of Play" manages to fall short of the mark. My suspicion is that it was simply trying to cram too much detail into a two hour film. Perhaps it would have been better in its previous incarnation as a mini-series. In this way, the various threads could have been tied together more carefully. In the film, the viewer is compelled to play close attention. One missed detail could easily create confusion.

As to the acting, Russell Crowe again steals the show. Crowe is the complete actor. No matter what the role, he always manages to rise to the occasion. Here, he plays the role of an old fashioned, crumpled newspaper man. He is overweight, unkempt and so very plausible. He is supported by some fine acting by Ben Affleck as a congressman of questionable motives, Rachel McAdams as the young newspaper blogger and Helen Mirren as the paper's editor. Mirren seems to get better with age. Yet, it is Crowe who is truly larger than life.

While I enjoyed this film, I am unable to recommend it with anything more than four stars. Go and see it, enjoy it as a good murder mystery but don't expect to leave the cinema with a sense that you have seen anything absolutely remarkable.