Drinking in Leeds

State of Play

State of Play
127 mins
Dir: Kevin MacDonald
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren

It's unsurprising that a conspiracy thriller centred on a journalistic investigation has gone down so well with, er, journalists. State of Play follows Washington Globe reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) and his young, attractive sidekick Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) uncover a story of corruption in the capital's corridors of power; the reporting is dogged, the investigation intriguing and dangerous - it's a journalist's cinematic wet dream.

That said - and Itchy's cinema companion, a non journalist, concurred - State of Play is a triumph. Adapted from a British TV series (the BBC's 2003 six parter of the same name) the plot has made the leap from small screen to international blockbuster with laudable ease.

The film opens with two seemingly unconnected murders; a junkie and a Congressman's researcher. We soon discover that Congressman Collins (Ben Affleck) and his researcher did more than just research together, and that McAffrey and Collins shared a room in college. Oh, and the congressman also happens to be heading a state enquiry into the role of the multi-billion dollar private security industry.

state of play, russell crowe, conspiracy

The plot moves along at an unrelentingly gripping pace. One moment Frye is being shot at by an unnervingly deadpan killer (who looks like a clean cut Javier Bardem from No Country For Old Men), the next it's McAffrey jumping off fast-moving vehicles in underground car parks, again dodging the bullets of Mr Emotionless. This is all aided by the constant hum and occasional glimpse of helicopters roaming the city's airspace.

In fact, this is Itchy's only minor gripe: the helicopters only feature in the film as an inter-scene device (similar to the photocopiers in The Office), and yet the trailer makes it look as if journalists and politicians do nothing but have gun fights and fly helicopters. It's an unnecessary, and thus annoying diversion - the film is exciting enough so there's no need to pretend that rotor blades play any part in it.

State of Play is - along with 2009's other British TV adaptation, In The Loop - one of the best films to hit cinemas this year. The cast is excellent: Crowe replaced Brad Pitt as the lead at the last minute, and lends the role a gritty, determined, believable edge; Helen Mirren is superb as McAffrey's wizened editor, even if the working relationship feels exactly the same as that of Judi Dench and Daniel Craig in Bond; while Jason Bateman relieves some of the tension with an entertaining cameo as a cowardly PR man.

What with politicians in the UK lurching from one shitstorm to another - and newspapers questioning their values, worth, and financial future - this is a timely and apt thriller. And it's definitely more than just journo-porn.

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