State of Play

Starring: Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Harry J. Lennix
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Studio: Universal Studios
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 128 minutes
DVD Release: September 1st 2009

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DVD Review

Academy AwardŽ-winner Russell Crowe leads an all-star cast, including Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams & Helen Mirren in the blistering thriller about deception, manipulation and 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).

User Reviews

...not great but entertaining nonetheless - Rating: 3/5

I have not seen the UK series. 3.5 stars.
You won't walk away saying this is a great film..it get's jumbled along the way.
We don't really care about anyone except maybe..Rachel McAdams (I have a crush on her..she's Canadian). Helen Miran's character is most unforgetable.

Even Crowe Can't Save This Underwhelming Suspense Film - Rating: 2/5

Russell Crowe usually gives a movie his all and manages to pull it off. He tried here but he single handedly could not save this film. It has way too many characters for him to be able to dominate this movie (like a stage play) and cudgel everyone else into submission. First big problem: this is based on a UK miniseries for tv. I saw the UK series and it was excellent. So this film tries to shoehorn an entire television series into a feature film length. This was managed with TRAFFIC but not here. Second big problem: the other major character is played by Ben Affleck. Supposedly his character and Crowe's roomed together way back when in their salad days. It must have been like ODD COUPLE'S Oscar (Crowe) and Felix (Affleck) judging by their personal hygiene habits in the movie. I cannot picture these two as buddies in any circumstances. Crowe is a journalist and Affleck is a politician. Affleck's assistant is murdered and Crowe uncovers an affair between Affleck and the victim. Affleck's career is now in great jeopardy and he is also a suspect. We could care less since Affleck adds nothing to this movie other than smarminess. Crowe has a journalist sidekick, a female. She is cute and ok but they do NOT become like Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in HIS GIRL FRIDAY, an excellent, earlier journalism-murder movie. No, romantic chemistry and sparkle are missing here. Worse, this is aiming to be like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and it doesn't even come close to achieving the suspense and taut energy and crystal clear plot line of that film. I held in there and watched this film till the end, strictly for Crowe, and I wish I hadn't. He was wasted here despite his efforts to save it. I can't recommend it.