State of Play (2009)

Cast: Katy Mixon, Rachel McAdams, Russell Crowe

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Genre: thriller, drama, crime

I attended a pre-release screening of the new film, State of Play, with
anticipation of seeing both quality work from actor Russell Crowe and
screenwriter Tony Gilroy. I also entered the theater with a degree of
apprehension about how well this feature length film would measure up
to the brilliantly acted and crafted six-part BBC series that was the
basis for the film. Crowe well-embodied the tenacious old-school
investigative journalist that we've come to know from classics, such as
"All the President's Men." However, the multifaceted ensemble of
journalists, portrayed by a rich range of actors from the BBC series
(John Simm, Kelly MacDonald, James McAvoy), is missing from this
feature film where Russell Crowe does all the work. The complexity of
the plot, which includes the competing professional interests and
emotional needs of the characters in the British miniseries, is largely
eliminated in this big screen version. Ben Affleck and Robin Wright
Penn do not seem to appreciate and respond to the high stakes events
that could turn their lives inside out and upside down. What this film
shares with the miniseries is the glimpse into the mechanics of running
a journalistic investigation under the pressure of time and editorial
interference, but the personal stories suffer from not being fleshed
out and made to feel real and compelling to watch. It is not fair to
compare one piece of art to another, but when two productions are
related, and you've seen the original, it is difficult to view the
second production without prejudice. It is like trying to unring a
be…

Trailer State of Play