State of Play - Movie Review and Synopsis

A petty thief is gunned down in an alley and a Congressman’s assistant falls in front of a subway – two seemingly unrelated deaths. But not to wisecracking, brash newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey who spies a conspiracy waiting to be uncovered. With a turbulent past connected to the Congressman and the aid of ambitious young rookie writer Della Frye, Cal begins uprooting clues that lead him to a corporate cover-up full of insiders, informants, and assassins. But as he draws closer to the truth, the relentless journalist must decide if it’s worth risking his life and selling his soul to get the ultimate story.

You couldn’t ask for a better cast for this thriller: Affleck is spot-on, Crowe finally gets to flex his acting muscle without mugging (in a role that was considered for Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks), McAdams finally gets to act period, and Mirren is every reporter’s worst nightmare boss. The original 2003 BBC miniseries was fantastic television (once you could understand everyone’s accents) and if they don’t mess it up, this could be stellar, especially once you add in director Kevin Mcdonald (The Last King of Scotland). Our only question: why the April release? This could be a perfect adult option for the sequel-friendly days of summer.

Rated PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content.

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Stars: Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 17 April 2009 (USA)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller