Russell Crowe Movie:

		List Price: $39.98		Label: Universal Studios Salesrank: 361 Released: September 1, 2009
		Our Price: $11.99
		Used Price: $10.98
		MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: Blu-ray

Editorial Review:
Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe leads an all-star cast, including Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams & Helen Mirren in the blistering thriller about deception, manipulation & corruption. When D.C. Reporter Cal McCaffrey (Crowe) is assigned to investigate the murder of an assistant to an up-and-coming politician (Affleck), he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to bring down the nation’s power structures. In a town of spin-doctors and wealthy power brokers, he will discover one truth: when fortunes are at stake, no one’s integrity, love or life is safe. From director Kevin Macdonald of The Last King of Scotland, State of Play brings together gripping performances, riveting suspense and is “sophisticated, intelligent and powerful” (Shawn Edwards, Fox-TV).

Description of State of Play [Blu-ray]:
The superlative British miniseries becomes a smart, soap opera-free film courtesy The Last King of Scotland's Kevin Macdonald. His writers, including Tony Gilroy (the Bourne series) and Billy Ray (Breach), haven't simply condensed and Americanized the six-hour series--they've reinvented it. Now set in Washington D.C., veteran journalist Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe, replacing Brad Pitt, who dropped out over script changes) still collaborates with editor Cameron Lynne (a delectably imperious Helen Mirren) and junior reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) on a story involving Cal's politico pal, Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), but there's a new subtext behind their plunge into sex scandals and corporate malfeasance, since this State of Play also eulogizes old-school beat reporting, and in interviews, Macdonald has acknowledged the influence of newsprint classics like All the President's Men (the Watergate Hotel even shows up as a location). So, while Cal and Della, the Globe’s blogger, try to determine whether the congressman’s aide Sonia (with whom he was having an affair) died at her own hands or the hands of another, they're also fighting for their careers and the survival of their ailing paper. Stephen's political rival Senator Fergus (Jeff Daniels), does his best to stymie their efforts, but PR flack Dominic Foy (Jason Bateman) becomes a reluctant ally. Though fans of the series may miss a few characters, like Cameron's son (played by James McAvoy in the BBC version), Oscar-winning documentarian-turned-filmmaker Macdonald remains true to its spirit. Be sure to stay through the poignant end credits, during which he returns to his doc roots. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from State of Play (Click for larger image)

State of Play [Blu-ray] Reviews:
Good, but not fantastic
2009-11-30 - The plot was complicated, but not overly complicated. The acting was good. I thought Affleck was a little miscaste. I didn't think he came off very well as a powerful congressman. Although, his questioning of the executive at the hearings was very good. I thought Crowe was great. Helen Mirren was very good. The rest of the cast works. The plot was well paced. The topic was timely. It brought in the demise of newspaper being replaced be online blogs. The atmosphere was very appropriate and the sets were good.

The problems were slight. The friendships were complex, but some of the history was overly complicated. Crowe's character at one time slept with his best friend's wife. This was an unnecessary complication I thought. The problem was the denouement. We had the big revelation and the case is solved, but the movie kept going. So we knew something else going on and it wasn't hard to guess who was involved. It was a slight let down.

In summary, I recommend the movie. I liked the topic, the pacing, and the actors. The plot was good, but not great.


Enjoyable if forgettable
2009-11-22 - The Bottom Line:

When you walk away and think about the plot of State of Play there are a dozen plot holes and the denouement falls rather flat, but it works as a solid thriller while you're watching it, providing two hours of fast-moving entertainment without seeming to insult your intelligence; if you want a disposable 120 minutes of movie fun, by all means check this film out.

3/4

Good fun political thriller
2009-11-21 - This was a good political thriller after a while. If I may digress a little bit, how come there are never enough good political thrillers?
Crowe as usual is good. Rachel McAdams is believable and Ben Affleck and Robin Wright Penn turn in good performances. On the Blu-ray disc, the dark recesses of DC and the dark nature of politics appeared as they should- dark and creepy. Good transfer. Great sound. I have a minor peeve about the extras on the disc or lack of thereof but still enjoyed a good thriller. Now I want to see the BBC miniseries which it is based on.
For folks looking for an adult political thriller, here is one. Enjoy!

Crackling Political Thriller
2009-11-15 - For the first two-thirds or so I thought this flick was teetering toward predictability. In the last third is when some decent twists and red herrings start to kick in. At this point you find yourself riveted to the screen. The denouement is plausible and definitely not a cop-out. The film is distinguished by top-notch direction, writing, and acting particularly Ben Affleck as a disgraced congressman. I note Affleck becuase lately he's been making his mark not only in this film but in "Hollywoodland" where he was stupendous as the late actor George Reeves. "State of Play" isn't a particularly great film but better than the average fare.

A thriller for adults.
2009-11-13 - An intelligent thriller about journalistic integrity and political corruption.

Russell Crowe leads an excellent ensemble cast in this story of a corrupt Congressman and the challenges of traditional news gathering in this age of blogs and the 24-hour news cycle. Ben Affleck is surprisingly good as the Congressman ... perhaps he should stick to ensemble pieces like this and shy away from leading man roles. Helen Mirren is a standout as the beleagured newspaper boss, caught between her corporate bosses and her desire for journalistic excellence. Robin Wright Penn and Jeff Daniels round out the excellent cast.

Tight plotting, a shocking twist near the end, a welcome lack of explosions, and just a small amount of R-rated language make this an excellent adult thriller, very welcome in this age when most movies are aimed at 15-year-old boys.