State of Play

5 stars

A twisting thriller for mature audiences.

Rating: PG
Stars: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren

What’s the story?
When a congressman’s mistress is murdered, a group of investigative reporters (Crowe, McAdams, Mirren) work together with detectives and a congressman (Affleck) to uncover the mystery and get the story. As the case unfolds, it becomes apparent that the mystery is bigger than it first appeared, and goes far beyond a simple murder.

Why see it?
The exceptional cast is reason alone to see this film. It is superbly acted with Crowe and Mirren dominating every scene. Even the supporting cast (including Jason Bateman who has fine-tuned the role of a public relations person) was outstanding. State of Play is an intelligent thriller with lots of plot twists and turns, and I particularly enjoyed its portrayal of how the media handled this story.

Problems?
On the downside, I couldn’t take Ben Affleck’s role seriously or find his character believable. Rachel McAdams’ character was also less than engaging at times. This film also goes on for a bit longer than it should. As far as thrillers go, this movie best falls under the political thriller category, which might bore some people. This is an early contender for my best-films-of-the-year list, but its themes are mature, complex and at times confusing.

All in all:
This is an interesting, well-acted thriller perfect for a mature night out. If you want something light, Fast and Furious is still playing.