Review: State of Play (2009)

Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck Star in BBC Political Thriller Remake

Apr 18, 2009 Dominic Messier

In this intricate whodunit, Russell Crowe plays a seasoned journalist who uncovers a deeply rooted political scandal involving Ben Affleck's congressman character. 8/10

In adapting most major elements from the popular BBC 6-hour miniseries of the same name which aired in 2003, director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom, Lions for Lambs) manage to retain the same intense and consistent story, that of a complex set of relationships, which finds one friend investigating another, with career and lives on the line.

State of Play Synopsis

Cal Mccaffrey (Russell Crowe, Body of Lies) is a seasoned journalist working at the Washington Globe; Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is a decorated soldier, now in office as a congressman involved in an oversight committee over the questionable practices of a defense contractor named PointCorp.

When Collins' lead research assistant on the PointCorp investigation, Sonia Baker (Maria Thayer) dies in some bizarre yet coincidental subway shoving accident, many secrets emerge, namely her secret affair with Congressman Collins.

This murder (or possible suicide), along with recent unexplained professional hits on seemingly random people in Washington, leads to some further journalistic investigation by McCaffrey, at the behest of his stern and driven editor Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren, The Queen). With hungry and eager rookie Globe blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams, Red Eye, The Notebook) along for the ride, both journalists start to piece together the available evidence and facts, while remaining as objective as possible, given that McCaffrey and Collins were college roommates and former best friends.

With printing deadlines looming, and some unknown external forces threatening the journalists' lives (usually a sign they are actually onto something juicy), McCaffrey and Frye parallel the police's investigation, in solving this murder, while making sure they get the scoop on their competitors. The question remains, is this just a random Washington homicide, or is there a conspiracy at play?

State of Play tries to answer these questions, taking the audience right along, in this well executed, fast paced political thriller.

State of Play Overall Analysis

Fans of the original BBC miniseries, which featured some well established names such as Bill Nighy and James McAvoy, will have no trouble piecing together this clever mystery. Nevertheless, this American adaptation still knows how to maintain a consistent pace, and manages to keep its audience guessing, and riveted to the edge of their seats.

Had the plot been more militarily aimed towards the congressional investigation itself, this thriller could easily have been compared to a thick Tom Clancy thriller. Instead, very much like its British source material, director MacDonald and screenwriter Carnahan focus on the moral and ethical implications of seeking out the truth, all in the name of journalistic integrity.

This brings us to themes not unlike past political thrillers such as All the President's Men, where personal reputations are at stake, despite corporate pressure to try and quell the truth. This type of mystery isn't always successful on screen, but works here.

The filmmakers had a relatively easy task, given their high caliber task on this project. With most of the top marquee names being Oscar winners, the film is virtually guaranteed a moderate amount of success.

With Helen Mirren, Harry Lennix, Rachel McAdams delivering excellent performances, the film is truly another brilliant outing for multiple Oscar winner Russell Crowe. His portrayal of McCaffrey is a well-worn one, offering a sarcastic journalistic lifer, whose pursuit of the truth of a piece, often comes at a personal price. As for Ben Affleck, his performance is a refreshing one, though he falters about two thirds of the way through.

A separate mention is notable, in the presence of Jason Bateman, as informant Dominic Foy. Though he holds a minor role in the film, he steals the spotlight, with his portrayal of a high-living, paranoid Washington power player.

Make sure to follow State of Play intently during the viewing. Its plot development is rather complex, and to miss even one scene for a bathroom break could make viewers miss a key element to the mystery.

State of Play is a solid thriller, worthy of its televised predecessor, and an engaging film likely to appeal to fans of corporate intrigue, political scandals, or of a really good whodunit.

8 out of 10, for being the first great thriller of the 2009 film schedule, with a powerful cast delivering captivating performances.

The copyright of the article Review: State of Play (2009) in Action Films/Thrillers is owned by Dominic Messier. Permission to republish Review: State of Play (2009) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

State of Play Movie Poster