Follow the plot...if you can
Spencer Mills
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
"State of Play" offers viewers a twisting, but solid political thriller. The movie is based on a British television series of the same name. The plot follows the story of Cal McAffery (Russell Crowe) and Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), journalists at the Washington Globe, as they investigate a double murder. They find that there is much more to the murders than they originally believed. The dead druggy was found to be intertwined with Representative Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), McAffery's old college roommate. The married Collins was investigating a company for their role in the war in Iraq, and later became romantically involved with one of his assistants on the case. She too turned up dead. The investigation takes McAffery and Frye on a journey during which they are forced to deal with many different informants, each giving them different stories before asking not to be revealed. As they continue their investigation they realize that they are getting in much deeper than they ever intended, but their desire for the truth aabout story will not let them stop.
This movie is effective in its quest to make its audience think. The plot twist and turns making connections between characters, corporations, and story lines, in ways that one would never see coming.
The story is easily the most compelling part of the piece. Whether one enjoys the acting and cinemagraphic qualities of the movie is a matter of personal opinion. Russell Crowe outshined the rest of the cast. Crowe is believable as the old-fashioned, scruffy, tough headed journalist. His performance was truly compelling and towered over those of his co-stars. Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams attempt to share the screen with Crowe but their acting detracts from the compelling story. Helen Mirren, Robin Penn, Jason Bateman and Jeff Daniels all have respectable roles in the film. All do sufficient jobs but are not given the screen time to potentially outshine by Crowe.
The camera workers attempted to create drama when it was not there. There were enough points of interests in the movie that zooming in and shaking the camera at the few points that did not contain a suspenseful moment detracted from the over all experience.
This film would be perfect for someone looking for an intellectual thriller. You have to think harder than you would in most movies, but almost all the loose ends are tied up in the end. It is hard to be sure because there are so many story lines to try to follow. Be careful when purchasing your snacks prior to the movie. One bathroom trip could ruin your movie watching experience.
This movie is not good enough to transcend generations and all kinds of movie viewers. However, if you like thrillers and political espionage this will movie will definitely give you your fill of both. The casual movie viewer would enjoy this, and is almost guaranteed to think about this movie long after you leave the theater. The movie is not great but it is enjoyable.
This movie is effective in its quest to make its audience think. The plot twist and turns making connections between characters, corporations, and story lines, in ways that one would never see coming.
The story is easily the most compelling part of the piece. Whether one enjoys the acting and cinemagraphic qualities of the movie is a matter of personal opinion. Russell Crowe outshined the rest of the cast. Crowe is believable as the old-fashioned, scruffy, tough headed journalist. His performance was truly compelling and towered over those of his co-stars. Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams attempt to share the screen with Crowe but their acting detracts from the compelling story. Helen Mirren, Robin Penn, Jason Bateman and Jeff Daniels all have respectable roles in the film. All do sufficient jobs but are not given the screen time to potentially outshine by Crowe.
The camera workers attempted to create drama when it was not there. There were enough points of interests in the movie that zooming in and shaking the camera at the few points that did not contain a suspenseful moment detracted from the over all experience.
This film would be perfect for someone looking for an intellectual thriller. You have to think harder than you would in most movies, but almost all the loose ends are tied up in the end. It is hard to be sure because there are so many story lines to try to follow. Be careful when purchasing your snacks prior to the movie. One bathroom trip could ruin your movie watching experience.
This movie is not good enough to transcend generations and all kinds of movie viewers. However, if you like thrillers and political espionage this will movie will definitely give you your fill of both. The casual movie viewer would enjoy this, and is almost guaranteed to think about this movie long after you leave the theater. The movie is not great but it is enjoyable.
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