Genres

Visitors Review

Mark Scott 2012-05-25 22:36:57

Classy and convincing thriller

The translation of this BBC mini-series from a UK to a US context hasbeen done so well that it fits perfectly into a Washington context. Thecasting is impeccable, resulting in a totally believable set ofcharacters. The cinematography is thoughtful and contributes greatly tothe storytelling, with some memorable small details in the openingsequences -- for example, a shot of one of the characters walking pasta shop window as the security shutters are being taken down perfectlyconveys the time of day.The pace of the storytelling is nicely judged, as is the way thecharacters nd their relationships evolve in response to the twists andturns of the plot. And just when it all seems to be nicely sewn up, thefinal few minutes bring yet another twist to deny the cosy ending thatlooked to be on the way.I was lucky enough to see a free preview of this film prior to itsrelease in the UK, but I'd have no hesitation to recommend it to anyonelooking for a couple of diverting hours.

2012-05-25 02:10:52

Movie Lover

This review is from: State of Play (DVD) The movie was intense and was shared with others that could not stop talking about the movie. Well worth the purchase.

2012-05-19 12:40:44

Can a brother get an editor?

/start rant/Considering that I might have saved myself two hours, five bucks and several thousand calories, it's a shame I didn't come here BEFORE watching State of Play - after reading a sampling of the top reviews, I'm sure I'd have skipped this film. Seriously, isn't it amusing that a plot about journalism generates so much error-ridden, grammar-abusing, typo-laden, comma-slinging copy? This review page badly needs an editor. (oops)/end rant/In a film that can't decide between a half-dozen lead stories, Russell Crowe anchors it just enough to make it watchable. His character's old-school approach to investigative journalism, especially as contrasted with the slick, wiz-bang appeal of online "truthiness", provides the only compelling storyline. The remaining 9/10ths of the plot is borrowed from character Della Frye's news blogs - implausible, overwrought and lacking substance. This film had great potential, but fails to deliver.A couple of side notes: First, Jason Bateman shines as the sleezy PR operator; the film is almost worth watching just for that performance alone. Second, anyone living in or near Washington D.C. will enjoy most of the outdoor scenes for the recognizable landmarks. I was disappointed that one particular scene of Ben Affleck's character leaving the Washington Globe offices was deleted - my 10 year-old son filmed the crew as they filmed that scene!

stensson 2012-05-19 03:12:19

According to an old American tradition

This concept is well known since long ago. The reporter hero, withoutfear and with high morals, fights manipulation, corruption, power. Isthere anything stronger than a free media? Not according to thetradition.So this movie is a way to put life into the old movie times again. Andit's made in an intelligent and clever way. Russell Crowe dominates thescreen completely with his usual charisma and that's no problem. He canmake almost any movie better than it is.This ends in an unexpected way. It's obvious who the bad guys are, butwho are the worst? Find out for yourself.

2012-05-13 00:40:36

a solid, chilly-evening, popcorn-flick

There are good movies, there are great movies, and there are movies that may not fall into the latter category but are so damn entertaining they deserve 5 stars. This is one of those movies. I'm not going to get into the quality of acting and dialogue. Its there. It may not win an Oscar, but its solid, and if you look at the cast list, you'll know why. This is a great cast. Coming in at 2 hours, this movie moves surprisingly quick, and barely boggs down in any real part. The requisite twist ending, frankly, wasnt even needed, it was fine without it, but added another layer to an already pretty layered-up movie. If you like political thrillers, you will be surprised as I was that you didnt see this movie already. Great flick.

John DeSando 2012-05-12 17:16:45

Intriguing stew.

"Society bristles with enigmas which look hard to solve. It is aperfect maze of intrigue." Honore de Balzac Political thrillers come and go, most just fade quickly, unlike greatssuch as the Manchurian Candidate (the 1962 version), Three Days of theCondor, and more recently Spartan (unforgettable of course is All thePresident's Men, more history than thriller). So I was pleased to enjoyState of Play, a stew of political intrigue wherein Congressman StephenCollins' (Ben Affleck) mistress has mysteriously died, much to thechagrin of his wife, Anne (Robin Wright Penn) and the importantinvestigative committee he chairs. Based on a six-hour BBC series,without the quirky character-depth, it all works well enough althoughit's boilerplate right down to the last clue disclosure.The shabby, overweight but competent Washington Globe reporter CalMcAffrey (Russell Crowe) does the Washington-Post Woodward/Bernsteinsnooping, and cub reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) handles the newjournalistic wrinkle, blogging and on-line. Besides Crowe's undeniablecharisma even when his long hair gets in the way of his fatty food, therelationship between the two reporters evokes in a small way the oldscrewball comedy repartee of Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, in whichthe exhilaration of the job comes long before any emotional connection.Although the usual low drum rolls under scene changes, not everyone isas he seems, editors push deadlines, and political power brokers arethe nexus of evil—it's all been done before, yet director KevinMacdonald shows a sure hand at keeping the twists credible and ample.Allegorically the malicious company at the center of the investigation,PointCorp, hired to do heavy killing in the mid-east, is as close toBlackwater, or maybe Halliburton, as could be.That all these suspicions could be so neatly figured out by these tworeporters contending with a corporate machine more crooked than agovernment headed by, say a Dick Cheney, is my most serious complaintabout an otherwise entertaining crime story. The halls of Congress area slippery slope and reporters are not always solid citizens, but, hey,we knew that from other movies.Relax and enjoy; reality is much scarier.

2012-05-09 15:56:05

Barely watchable

I had heard this movie was bad, but I didn't know it was this bad. Ten minutes in they have set up this Blackwater type company that you either know will be the bad guy or is just a big ol' red herring. The best mysteries give you several red herrings, but "State of Play" makes it obvious that it will either be one thing or the other and then it just becomes boring. None of the actors are particularly bad in it including the killer who looks like Steve Carrell's cousin, but it meanders. Two stars.

ZeeXy 2012-05-09 08:56:25

Had great potential - ruined by over-twisting

It started well, built up the tension quite well (could have used sometightening like cutting out Russell Crowe's cooking) and had thepotential for at least two great, epic endings. And then - flop.The whole extra twist to turn the whole thing into personal-somethingand then forced, down your throat journalism-something sequencecompletely ruined it and reduced the whole film to not much more than a5-act TV series episode. It probably made the "Washington Post"consultant feel all mushy and melodramatic but killed all momentum andleft the movie in a rubble.That's how little it takes to ruin great potential - not knowing whereto stop and trying to shove a fixated "point" down everyone's throatinstead of thinking about the film as a whole.

anchorman360 2012-05-06 14:33:38

A Near Perfect Movie!

I think that is one of the best movies that has come out so far thisyear. In my opinion third best performance after LA Confidential andThe Insider. Affleck was also gave the second best performance of hiscareer behind Hollywoodland. Helen was also great as the bitchy boss inthis movie and stole all her scenes. As for McAdams she does a greatjob as Crowe's partner and I think she is one of the cutest women I'veever seen. There really aren't any parts of this movie that drag andthere are a lot of intense moments in there. I have to agree withpeople who are defending Affleck since he has been in several movies Ihave enjoyed like Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Boiler Room,Changing Lanes, Hollywoodland, and directed Gone Baby Gone which was agreat film. I also think I'm going to see every movie McAdam's doesfrom now on because she is really interesting to watch. So go ahead andwatch this there is now way you'll be disappointed.

2012-05-05 22:15:55

love the plot twists

This review is from: State of Play (DVD) We don't buy a lot of videos after we watch them-once is usually enough- but this has been added to our library. Russell Crowe fills the journalist role so completely, reminding me of the typical hard-driving journalist with a nose for news and a golden pen who can barely make himself publicly presentable and pushes on for the truth of a story even as it promises to bring down those closest to him. The charmingly corrupt politician is played well by Ben Affleck and is food for thought regarding the self-destruction of a political career.

2012-05-05 15:41:16

Five Star Final

When this big screen American version of the addictive and celebrated BBC mini-series sank without a sound at the box office, despite a stellar cast, people began writing off the whole notion of the grown-up movie as popular entertainment. Hope the rumors of its death are greatly exaggerated, and by all means catch up with this terrific film.The story, inspired by the Gary Condit episode, revolves around the apparent suicide of a congressional researcher in the D.C. metro, and how her death is interconnected with her boss (Ben Affleck), the Blackwater-like military outsourcer he's investigating, and two seemingly motiveless street shootings. These crimes are being covered by a reporter for the Post-like Washington Globe, a paunchy and bedraggled throwback played by Russell Crowe. The editor at his newly conglomerate owned paper eventually pairs him up with a blogger from their online arm (Rachel McAdams). These two form an unlikely partnership and their journey from wary colleagues to a cohesive, mutually respectful team, is just one way this film pays tribute to the classic ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. Crowe is low-key, yet sensational. His lines touting the power of the press, might be hokey coming from a less compelling actor, but I bought it all from him. He's simply great in what's an old-fashioned star turn. And he builds a wonderful dynamic with McAdams, who deftly shows us her path from smug newbie to resourceful reporter. As usual, she's also completely adorable, with a ravishing smile and a beautiful voice. The relationship between these two characters, and what they represent in terms of today's media landscape, are the heart of the story, and the issues addressed are really interesting. The film is more a high-tension drama than a thriller. The one kind of suspense set-piece is that old standby, our hero being menaced in an underground garage, another allusion to ATPM. It's well done, if fairly standard, but Crowe does have a pretty novel escape. The reporter's investigation is complicated by Crowe's friendship with the Congressman under suspicion as well as the congressman's wife, played by Robin Wright-Penn. She's a bit underused compared to her counterpart in the mini-series, but she has some biting and effectively played scenes with Crowe.I'm not a Ben Affleck hater, but if there's a weak link in the cast, he's it. He's a good seven years too young to be a contemporary of both Crowe and Wright-Penn; their characters all went to college together. And he doesn't convince as a congressman who's going places. More importantly, as the stakes in the story increase, we don't get a sense of his responses escalating with the crisis. He's good, but frankly, everyone else is better. That includes Helen Mirren as the paper's editor, in a role that was originally owned by an in-the-zone Bill Nighy. Jason Bateman brings his serio-comic perfect pitch to the part of a sleazy source, but as in UP IN THE AIR, he's almost too strong a presence to keep playing these cameos.This is a great D.C. movie, and vividly captures the feel of the city. The production design is also terrific, though it's amusing to note that character's apartments and offices are comically crowded with tchotkis that tell us where they're from. The film also has a really good musical score.This is a sophisticated entertainment delivered with filmmaking style and well-played scenes that have real dramatic heft. Perhaps it makes a somewhat sentimental case for the press by bringing back the muckraking newspaper picture. But, at the same time the movie doesn't shy away from the fact that the reporter's actions have consequences. They're clearly imperfect and they make mistakes. And despite his lofty justifications, the Crowe character is really pretty anti-heroic in some of his actions. And the underlying conspiracy here is pretty bold in it's real-world implications as well, and pulls fewer punches than more explicitly Iraq War themed films like THE GREEN ZONE. Crowe's understated magnetism and McAdams high-wattage charm ensure that I'll re-visit this picture again from time-to-time.

montag813 2012-05-05 01:32:36

Very disappointing and predictable

After seeing the excellent BBC miniseries, I had high hopes for thisAmerican-made film version. Especially when seeing Russell Crowe andHelen Mirren on the cast list. Alas, seeing Ben Affleck gave me pause,because it is hard to recall a film which hasn't been ruined by hispresence since the excellent "Good Will Hunting". And unfortunately itwas the case yet again, but you can't blame just Affleck. The writingwas very predictable, and then "shocking ending you won't seecoming"...well, you easily saw it coming. It seemed that everyone inthe theater today saw it coming. Also there were more than a fewsnickers regarding the heroic portrayal of PRINT journalism in thisfilm. It seemed about 5 years out of date on that score. Every day youread about the death of another print newspaper, and much of the hotnews and investigative journalism is now done by online sources andblogs. Yet to the producers of this film, they don't seem to evenexist. Gives it a dated feel and adds to the boredom of thisdisappointingly dull "thriller". If you want real thrills this weekend,you're better off with "Crank: High voltage". Or better yet,"Oblivion", which I saw at an advanced screening and was fantastic.

2012-05-04 09:33:30

Shake and Bake

This film held my interest throughout. Russell Crowe presents an outstanding performance as a slightly slovenly but totally savvy Washington reporter who works the crime beat. Ben Affleck is very convincing as a Congressman whose committee is investigating a huge Blackwater-type operation.Rachel McAdams adroitly plays a rookie reporter who works with Crowe. They look for links between Affleck's high-stakes investigation and the violent death of his girlfriend. Helen Mirren is most impressive as the battle-hardened editor who is under pressure to come up with hot stories to boost declining circulation. The only thing I did not like about the film was the heavy use of a handheld. Some of the shots seemed hurried and, literally, shaky. Maybe they were trying to create the feel of a documentary, but I found much of it distracting. However, the acting and storyline were strong enough to stand up.

isabelle1955 2012-05-03 14:21:35

State of Play? A Waterlogged Pitch and Indifferent Crowd

Another rather blah movie this week.While thriller State of Play isn't actively bad, it's really not thatgood either, and I was left disappointed and rather indifferent,especially considering the high caliber cast (Russell Crowe, RachelMcAdams, Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck.) I haven't yet caught up withthe BBC TV series it's based on, but a friend tells me it was verygood. So maybe I need to rent that and have my faith in the creativeprocess restored. Because this is yet another movie trying to makedecent and valid points about what's been happening in government overthe last decade, but really just not getting it right. Perhaps it's toosoon to expect great movies to come out of the Bush era and the Iraqwar? We've had Lions for Lambs, Rendition, W and now State of Play andnone have been very good (although personally I think W was the best ofthe bunch.) I see it was written by Matthew Michael Carnahan who alsowrote Lions for Lambs and The Kingdom, both of which I saw and both ofwhich I disliked despite basically agreeing with the intent. Someoneneeds to give Carnahan a few lessons in subtlety.State of Play – in this version at least – is a thriller about the longtentacles of corporate corruption reaching into government. It's set inDC. Crowe plays an old school investigative journalist trying to rootout the connection between some drug related murders, the supposedsuicide of a married congressman's researcher/lover and a megacorporation which may be taking over homeland security and isanswerable to no one. McAdams plays his side kick, a new schoolinternet blog type reporter on the same paper who would like to betaken more seriously. Alongside the main story is the side issue of aprint newspaper struggling to survive in the internet age (which is atleast very timely as several print papers have gone out of businessrecently) and an editor (Helen Mirren) driven by her bosses to achievebetter sales at the expense of quality journalism.So yet again I have to analyse why this movie failed to move me? Thesubject matter is apposite and the script is reasonable, if notactually award worthy, although the ending was very weak. The settings,direction etc. all seemed OK. For me, this time, it's really all downto the cast. I used to really admire Russell Crowe as an actor. I lovedLA Confidential, Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind. I haven't likedanything he's done lately and I can't warm to him here as a scruffy,dowdy and rather podgy journalist living in bachelor chaos. His CalMcAffrey is a scowling, uncompromising and really very unattractive man– and he's the hero! The part was originally set to be taken by BradPitt but he dropped out over script problems (and who can blame him?)At least if Pitt had taken the part, we'd have had some man candy todistract us from the clichéd plot.Ben Affleck is OK-ish but dull as a stereotypical, outwardlystraight-up congressman, Collins, who was bonking his researcher. Shewas being paid to spy on him but predictably turned out to have a heartof gold, and fell in love with him, hence she ended up pregnant anddead. I think Edward Norton was originally slated to play Collins.McAffrey and Collins go way back together. Robyn Wright Penn is fine aswifey but of course, being only wifey, doesn't have a whole lot to do.She has a past with McAffrey too. We never find out much about her asshe is defined totally in terms of her relationship to the guys.McAdams seems to me to be wildly miscast here as Frye. I loved her inRed Eye and Married Life, but in State of Play, skinny as hell andpert, she could be substituted for any number of other skinny, pertstarlets around, and it's not a type I find convincing as a journalist.Mirren is cast as the ball breaking boss, and there are a few otherrather hackneyed characters lurking on the fringes.Leaving aside the script limitations and weak ending - well explainedby other reviewers - I find myself wondering yet again why movies areso blatantly misogynistic in casting? Try and imagine a movie beingmade about a heroic yet slovenly, frumpy, middle aged female reporterwhose side kick is a male cutie. Every female here is good looking,well groomed and svelte in appearance. The men are not, with thepartial exception of Affleck's suited congressman (and he has a reallybad haircut.) But who is the target audience here? Not the youth marketI'm sure. I'm middle aged, female and I spend a lot of my hard earnedcash at movie theatres, and I'm fed up with being given a diet of pert,skinny females opposite dowdy blokes, and being told that as anaudience I'm not worth considering! I'd have much preferred it withPitt and Norton. Blah!

2012-05-02 09:02:29

Good for insomniacs

All I could say is that this was one of the most boring movies ever.

gumby_x2 2012-05-01 19:54:18

Not Worth The Plastic It's Recorded On

Sometimes a movie tries to do too much and its screenwriters try tomake the movie appeal to too wide an audience. This is one of thosefilms. The plot is complicated beyond belief and stretches credulity tothe breaking point shortly into the film. The behavior of thecharacters is predictable. The screenwriters of this film would havedone well to first have watched "All The President's Men" beforesubmitting this screenplay. Sometimes less is more. All the acting inthe film is second rate. The one (and bright) exception is RachelMcAdams, who plays the feisty cub reporter Della Frye. She is a brightlight and one to watch for future performances.

Michael O'Keefe 2012-04-30 15:22:36

Political thriller.

A crusading Congressman Stephen Collins(Ben Affleck)finds himself onthe lip of a boiling pot of trouble. Controversy is not the problem,possible proof of corruption is. Sure his career needs a spin doctor,but as a man he needs a friend. That friend is his old college roommateCal MacCaffrey(Russel Crowe), a hardened D.C. crime reporter, whodoesn't back away from a challenging story. Collins' pretty intern isfound dead under mysterious circumstances and he is not the only onewho wants answers. His wife(Robin Wright Penn)is not standing too closeto her man. MacCaffrey's editor(Helen Mirren)wants the old schoolinvestigative reporter to team up with the paper's internetblogger(Rachel McAdams)to find out what hasn't floated to the surfaceyet. What ends up uncovered is a conspiracy that could have thenation's power structure collapsing.This gripping thriller also stars: Jeff Daniels, Jason Bateman andMichael Berresse. Crowe is perfect for the role and the chemistry withMcAdams is refreshing and playful.

ehullzip 2012-04-30 03:36:20

A great suspense thriller !!

If only newspaper reporters would work this hard on climate-gate, you'dhave the next Watergate. Truly a great plot line. The twists and turnsmake this a very enjoyable ride. Working in the fact that mostnewspapers are in dire financial straits makes it a fresh side storywith implications for today. Russell Crowe proves again why he is insuch high demand. In fact, the all star cast makes this movie a topchoice for its genre. Director Kevin MacDonald (Last King of Scotland)seems to have the knack for splicing together a story with buildingsuspense and continuity. It unfolds in a predictable manner for a sceneor two then suddenly diverges to an unanticipated twist which justpulls you in deeper. A must see for all conspiracy buffs.

eric-1803 2012-04-25 10:27:33

Great Movie - Bad Marketing - Damn Star Trek!

This movie didn't open to its full potential and I blame two things:Bad Marketing and Star Trek. Heck, the only reason I knew of the filmwas because I believe it was on Apple Trailers. But I went in withskepticism and came out incredibly impressed.GREAT writing, DEAD ON cinematography and the production's use of DClocations were perfect. I've never seen DC utilized in a movie quitelike this, and to me it made it even more real. None of those shotsfrom the National Mall - they get into the gritty hardcore areas of DC.When you do see the monuments on the Mall, you see them from angles youwouldn't normally see in a movie (which are normally the post cardangles).I especially love the ending - where you see the process a newspapergoes through from print to shipping. Seeing the offset press processbrings me back to my Graphic Arts days at voc.

ArthurDental 2012-04-25 03:21:12

A must-see for the American public

Character-wise, this movie doesn't have the complex figures of the bestpolitical thrillers. Dialogs are the brightest. Editing is great andthe music's appropriate without being too prominent. But those aresmall quibbles when it comes to one of the most honest major featuresto come out in a long time. You'll hardly know where the facts end andwhere the fiction begins, because so much of it, barely obscured by achange of name, is real. As much a fiction this movie is, it may aswell be a documentary.I watched this in a mostly empty theater on a Sunday night. Americans,they told you so.