State of Play is a political thriller directed by Kevin Macdonald and released back in April of 2009. I initially wanted to see it in theater due to the deliriously star-studded cast but ended up not going so I was quite thrilled to get my hands on the DVD. State of Play stands in sharp contrast with the movies we have seen the last few months (or years in fact) because it’s a smart and engaging adult movie about something meaningful and current. Sadly, State of Play could be the last of a dying breed of movies about investigative journalism. Heck I don’t even know if that even exist anymore in real life.

The movie takes place in Washington D.C and starts with the murder of a petty thief and the apparent suicide of an attractive aide intimately involved with rising star congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). Russell Crowe plays Cal McAffrey, Collins’ friend and an old-school investigative reporter for the Washington Globe who tends to do his job the good old way: with a pen, a notepad and his 16-yr old computer. He is investigating the seemingly unrelated deaths and can’t help but see a big corporate conspiracy in the works. Cal is teamed with Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), a young naive and inexperienced writer who is his complete opposite. She is hip, using the latest technology, and (gasp) blogging away on the newspaper website. Their uneasy rapport evolves as he takes her under his wing, and they attempt to uncover the truth behind those murders. Let’s see: sex, politics, corporate conspiracy, corruption, current events, and a couple inquisitive journalists asking the right questions? Quite different from the mindless comic books movies, bland romantic comedies, and animation films we have seen as of late, isn’t it?

Although State of Play has an intriguing plot, it is more than anything, one of those classy political thriller meet old-school journalism reporting and how this is clashing with this recent culture of blogging and instant news gratification, which is causing the death of newspapers as we know them. This struggle between old and new journalism is represented by the apparent initial tension between Cal and Della. He is a seasoned, middle-aged, reporter who takes all the time he needs to write a story, carefully investigating every lead and getting all the facts needed to print a story. On the other hand, young hip blogger Della comes cheap, churns out stories all day long, and doesn’t necessarily care about getting all the facts straight. Cal doesn’t see Della as a real journalist and has little respect for her initially. This all changes when editor-in-chief Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren) teams them together on the story, expecting little from Della. Cal quickly finds out that young Della is smarter and more dedicated than he expected, and realizes that no one really showed her what investigative reporting really is. He decides to take her under his wing and she rises under the challenge. The movie also gets you to feel the pressure of having to print sensational stories to sell newspapers in the current environment and the rush of having to meet a deadline.

The main issue with the movie was the ending. Don’t worry, I will not spoil anything but let’s say I was expecting something grandiose and meaningful, not some contrived conclusion after all this major conspiracy development. Worst of all is that we almost got that ending, Cal and Della were already celebrating it, drinking whiskey in paper cups in the wee-hours of the morning but … no! They had to add that questionable twist to conclude the film. Another potential issue is that the plot is very dense and thick which could leave inattentive viewers confused. Lastly, supporting characters could have been developed further but the movie runs at 123 minutes already (It was a 6-hour BBC mini-series by the way)

The movie was finely acted with very solid work from a ridiculously star-studded cast. Russell Crowe turns in a good performance as the crusty and scruffy Cal, carrying some extra weight, sporting long hairs, and displaying some of that wisecracking skills he is so good at (wish there was more). He is torn between loyalty to his friend, and the need to publish a meaningful story. while having to baby-sit a cub reporter. In supporting roles: Helen Mirren played the tumultuous and foul-mouthed editor-in-chief Cameron Lynne convincingly. Rachel McAdams is underused but captures the essence of a cub journalist in over her head, showing that Della is smart and ambitious but at the same time, clueless as a naive rookie reporter who has never done any real field investigation. Robin Wright Penn was given very little screen time but conveyed a ton of subtle elements about her character. Jason Bateman was fantastic as a cynical and slimy PR guy who panics after he realizes he knows too much, and finally it was nice to see Jeff Daniels looking sharp and menacing as the power-broking congressman. Ben Affleck was the only one turning in a less than good performance but he was still OK, a bit too young for his role as a congressman but he did not ruin it like he usually does with one of his trademark expressionless performances. Needless to say, an impressive collection of talent and the main highlight of the movie.

State of Play is a well-acted, well-directed, and smart thriller which is also meaningful and will make you ponder the future of investigative journalism in the age of blogging. Highly recommended!

B+

Notes: The credits were really cool! PG-13, 127 minutes.