State of Play – Movie Review
Director: Kevin Macdonald (How I Live Now)
Writer: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray (Screenplay)
Writer: Paul Abbott (TV Series)
Cast
- Russell Crowe (Unhinged)
- Ben Affleck (Gone Girl)
- Rachel McAdams (Wedding Crashers)
- Helen Mirren (The Queen)
- Robin Wright (Unbreakable)
- Jason Bateman (Arrested Development)
Plot: When a congressional aide is killed, a Washington, D.C. journalist starts investigating the case involving the Representative, his old college friend.
Runtime: 2 Hours 7 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: State of Play starts when a murder case being investigated by reporter Cal McAffrey (Crowe) takes an unusual turn. His old college roommate and congressman Stephen Collins (Affleck) gets his name dragged through the mud when his affair is exposed. The woman dies in an accident which looks like suicide.
Cal gets approached by Stephen to investigate, teaming up with rookie journalist Della Frye (McAdams). The pair put their differences aside as they look to discover the truth. However, it ends up putting their lives at risk to expose a bigger cover-up.
Verdict on State of Play
State of Play is a mystery thriller following a journalist trying to help his political friend deal with his life getting exposed. It follows a death which exposes his affair, but it is only the beginning of the much bigger story.
This movie is a thriller that shows corruption within a political system. It highlights the dangers of connections and favours, which proves people will do what they want to get power. The story is filled with twists and turns which keep things on edge. We get a strong cast, who all give great performances throughout the movie.
Where to Watch
Final Thoughts – State of Play is a tense political thriller.
One reply on “State of Play (2009) Movie Review”
A great review of a forgotten gem. Russell Crowe is one of those actors whose career has recently faced a decline. He’s no longer the successful movie-star that he once used to be. “State of Play” was a great thriller that showcased the actor at his best. It’s also a poignant reminder of an era when Crowe was making great films that demonstrated his passion for Cinema. Recently, I had a chance to rewatch “Gladiator” which was a fantastic film. It’s a sad reminder of how Crowe once used to be a great actor.
Here’s my thoughts on that movie:
https://huilahimovie.reviews/2024/05/19/gladiator-2000-movie-review/