Wow! Such a good movie.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Best part of the movie are the credits, showing a large city newspaper being published (the Washington Post disguised as the Washington Globe; sort of like "All the King's Men", without the kings and without the men).The story is muddled. The "surprise" twists are difficult to track, and seem very contrived. Too many "deep throats."The Congressman is arrested, for causing his mistress to be killed by his psycho military buddy, who also kills a briefcase thief and a pizza delivery man on a bicycle. Who also tries...twice...to kill reporter Russell Crowe, but fails. In fact, Psycho Ops guy has to make a second attempt to kill the pizza delivery man, in a hospital room. Now, there is a disservice to the vaunted killing skills of a Special Ops guy!Ben Affleck, as the Congressman, is more sympathetic than Russell Crowe, the reporter. At least, he seems conflicted and sheds a tear when he hears his mistress was killed. Did he or did he not order his mistress killed? Not clear, but any decent DC lawyer should be able to get his case dismissed for lack of evidence. When near the end the Psycho Ops guy talks on his cell phone to announce, "he'll finish the job," is he talking to Affleck or to the majority whip? That could be determined, not from the cell phones he tosses down the garbage disposal, but from the cell carrier under subpoena by the cops. Alas, not in this movie.Regardless, Russell Crowe just nails his best friend, without remorse. His expository article is not even honest. He writes that Psycho Ops guy is found dead in his apartment with a self-inflicted bullet wound, but only seconds earlier we see him killed in the street by the cops.The paper announces the arrest of Ben Affleck. The CeO of the evil corporation (Blackwater?) resigns....but is he arrested and charged? At this point, who cares about any of this? A final puzzle; Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck both have a large pimple on their face. Is that meaningful? Who knows. Like the entire plot, who cares?

This was a bit of a surprise hit for me as I'm not usually one for the political thrillers or Russell Crow but the well thought out, slowly unravelling (and clever) story hooked me.Lots of twists I didn't see coming as a Washington D.C congressman (Affleck) and a reporter (Crowe) become locked on a dangerous collision course when the journalist starts investigating a case involving the murder of a congressional aide and his old college friend. Conspiracy theories, corporate cover-ups, informants and billions of dollars are about to be uncovered.I enjoyed Crow in this toned down role along with his ambitious protégé Rachel McAdams. Ben Affleck does a decent job too. Actually the entire cast was fantastic, including Robin Wright, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis. I couldn't single out any one great performance. A well thought out thriller. 06.13 (2)

A druggie thief is gunned down in a dark tunnel along with a pizza delivery guy on a bicycle by a mysterious assassin with a suitcase. The delivery guy survives. Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) is a gruff cynical beat reporter checking out the story. Meanwhile a young female staff to congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) dies falling off the subway platform. Collins is assumed to have had an affair with that aide. Ambitious young writer Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) from the newspaper's online side wants to write something about Collins. McAffrey was Collins' college roommate. As Cal investigates, he uncovers a complicated corrupt Washington political system and a connection between the thief and the political aide.There are great actors being directed by the first rate Kevin Macdonald. There are all kinds of things being jammed into this. There is the newspaper world. There is the Washington political world. There is the military industrial complex. There is an assassin. There is personal history between the characters. It is a lot but Macdonald keeps it all understandable. Russell Crowe keeps the story moving with the attention on him. It's a firecracker thriller although it is a little long.

State of Play starts out as a mystery. The main character, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), is a reporter for the Washington Globe. For years he has been friends with Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck), a politician who is making his mark in D.C. by serving on a committee that is investigating the Department of Defense regarding the way they hand out contracts.When one of the congressman's staffers is killed in a subway accident, that story casts a shadow over the politician, leading--in a domino effect--to repercussions on his activities, the congressional investigation, his marriage, and his relationship with McAffrey.As McAffrey is drawn into the story, he must analyze his relationship with Collins and his wife. Accompanied by cub reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), he is drawn deeper into the mystery as murders occur and deadlines impend.The film's very real story gains further authenticity by the fact that 1/3 of the film was shot in D.C. The newspaper set built in California is amazing. All of the actors performed well. Watch for Jason Bateman as a sleazy guy who helps connect the dots, and Helen Mirren as the tough, pragmatic newspaper chief.In the end, dollars drive this drama. It's a cautionary tale for all Americans who see greed driving the government, with corruption a necessary consequence.