Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #547 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-09-21
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 122 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Taking the excellent BBC mini-series of the same name as its starting point, State Of Play is a terrific political thriller, and one of the most intelligent blockbusters to come out of Hollywood in some time.

Transplanting the story from Britain to America, State Of Play finds Russell Crowe taking on the role of Washington reporter Cal McCaffrey (played by John Simm in the original mini-series), and he starts to look into a mysterious series of murders. One such murder is that of Congressman Stephen Collins’ researcher, and with the backing of his editor (played by Helen Mirren), McCaffrey starts poking his nose into some increasingly dangerous business.

Directed with consummate skill by Kevin McDonald (who last helmed The Last King Of Scotland), State Of Play is a twisting, terrifically written thriller that benefits enormously from the strength of its cast. Both Crowe and Mirren are on excellent form here, but plaudits must also go to Ben Affleck as Collins, as well as Rachel McAdams as McCaffrey’s co-reporter.

Does it beat the miniseries on which it’s based? It does as fine a job as you could ever possibly expect, taking a six-episode television programme and distilling it into a compelling two-hour Hollywood thriller. State Of Play, in whatever form you catch it, is some piece of work. And the movie version? It’s one of the finest mainstream releases of the year. --Jon Foster

DVD Description
Oscar winner Russell Crowe leads an all-star cast in State of Play, a blistering thriller about a rising congressman and an investigative journalist embroiled in a case of seemingly unrelated, brutal murders. Crowe plays D.C. reporter Cal McCaffrey, whose street smarts lead him to untangle a mystery of murder and collusion among some of the nation's most promising political and corporate figures, in State of Play, from acclaimed director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland).

Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is the future of his political party: an honourable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defence spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party's contender for the upcoming presidential race, until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out.

McCaffrey has the dubious fortune of both an old friendship with Collins and a ruthless editor, Cameron (Oscar winner Helen Mirren), who has assigned him to investigate. As he and partner Della (Rachel McAdams) try to uncover the killer's identity, McCaffrey steps into a cover-up that threatens to shake the nation's power structures. And in a town of spin-doctors and wealthy politicians, he will discover one truth: when billions are at stake, no one's integrity, love or life is ever safe.

Synopsis
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND director Kevin McDonald teams with screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan for this American adaptation of the hit BBC miniseries, which concerns the suspicious circumstances that set a rising congressman and a dogged reporter on a dangerous collision course. U.S. congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is handsome, unflappable, and ascending the ladder of power with unprecedented speed. He's the future of his political party, and as the chairman of a committee assigned to oversee defence spending, he's got all the right connections. As the presidential race draws near, Washington insiders begin to speculate that Collins will earn his party's nomination for the country's top job. The prospect of Collins becoming president seems less and less likely, however, when his research assistant/mistress is viciously murdered, and some unsavoury truths begin to surface.

Collins was once a close friend to Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), now a top reporter in the nation's capitol. Assigned the task of investigating Collins by his ruthless editor, Cameron (Oscar-winner Helen Mirren), McAffrey recruits fellow reporter Della (Rachel McAdams) in order to track down the truth and identify the killer. But McAffrey has just walked into a cover-up of unprecedented proportions, and in a game where billions of dollars are at stake, life, love, and integrity are luxuries that simply cannot be afforded.

Customer Reviews

A Worthy Addition To The Newspaper-Movie Canon
At the time of writing there are 2 reviews of this film posted here, a 1-star and a 2-star. I must protest! I loved this movie. I found it to be that rarity: a wholly satisfying grown-up thriller. The story moves along at a fair clip, the characters are highly likeable (whilst having more in common with real people than the usual movie types), the acting is good all round and the cinematography is beautifully effective - grimy streets, austere corridors of power and lots of deep, dark blacks like it's a lost 70s Gordon Willis paranoia film. I haven't seen the original series yet, didn't like the director's last film, thought the trailer looked rubbish and don't usually like Russell Crowe but I came out of the theatre thinking this is one of the best 2 films of the year so far (okay, we're only 4 months in at this point but I'm including all those oscar films from Jan/Feb). For me, amidst all the intrigue, suspense and bursts of action, it is the surprisingly likeable, laid-back Crowe performance coupled with the seductive, romantic portrayal of classic journalism that truly makes this film. State Of Play deserves a place in the canon of great newspaperman noir thrillers - it's not quite up there with All The President's Men or Zodiac, but it comfortably holds its own alongside The Parallax View (overrated), Foreign Correspondent (ditto), Capricorn One, Call Northside 777 and The Paper (a very underrated film in my opinion).

State of Play
The Plot
Following the death of a young Washington intern, crime reporter Cal McCaffrey (Russell Crowe) gets caught up in the murky world of politics and big business.

The Review
At the time of broadcast, the original BBC series State of Play was critically acclaimed and has remained one of the best pieces of television this decade. For the big screen transfer, London becomes Washington, an oil company becomes a private security firm and Bill Nighy (somehow) becomes Helen Mirren. The story has also been updated to reflect issues such as the battle' between old and new journalism and the influence of media conglomerates over news agendas.

Russell Crowe is well suited to the role of slobby journalist Cal McCaffrey, with his straggly hair and expanding waistline; much more so than Bard Pitt, the original occupant of the role. Ben Affleck is slightly stilted as the chisel-jawed Congress, but he was another late entry, replacing Ed Norton. Furthermore, although both are meant to be old college friends, there is very little chemistry between the two, which thus distracts from the morale quandary Cal finds himself in. There are well written roles for the two lead females, Rachel McAdams as journalist 2.0 and Helen Mirren as the ball-breaking editor, although at times, the roles do feel slightly clichéd.

Last King of Scotland helmer Kevin MacDonald does struggle though with his first big Hollywood film. For a political thriller, there isn't much thrilling about it, and when the action finally does come, it feels forced, as if it has been inserted to fill an `action quota'. Also, the final twist at the end of the film feels tagged on just for the sake of having it there.

The Verdict
Despite strong performances, the watered down State of Play is a political thriller strangely lacking in thrills.

Buildup to a Letdown
I am happy that I did not see the original BBC series before I saw this Blu-Ray American version on my son's widescreen-with-all-the-surround-sound-trimmings-telly, or I probably would not have enjoyed it as much as I did. And I did enjoy the film immensely until about the last ten minutes, when an otherwise taut suspense thriller seemed to fall flat like a souffle that had been left too long in the oven (And I'm not even sure of the reason for the film's sudden deflation.).

Helen Mirren and Russell Crowe have a way of making any character they play seem exciting (although the latter's scruffy persona kept prompting me to try--unsuccessfully--to imagine his present rotund self in his old gladiator role). I found scenes between Crowe and the political wife with whom he had a troubled romantic past to be effective. Mirren and Crowe's performances are so solid that although they compensated for any possible miscasting of the young blog-reporter, I fear that also they cast a dazzling light on Ben Affleck's shortcomings as an actor. Of course, that is a matter of personal opinion.

Since I love political thrillers, especially those with a whiff of conspiracy about them, the movie kept me on the edge of my seat, but now that I have been made aware of the BBC mini-series, I feel compelled to purchase it in order to get a whiff of the genuine article.

P.S. [November] I just sat riveted through all six episodes of the BBC series, which made me realize how second-rate this Hollywood version is [really, two stars are adequate]! Why does Hollywood, which seems bereft of originality, insist on nicking someone else's ideas and ruining them???? [And I ask this as a native Californian.]