State of Play

State of Play (2009) begins with a journalist in Washington connecting two deaths: a thief shot in the street and a congressman's aide who died on the metro. The aide was also the congressman's mistress, and the congressman is the reporter's former flatmate. The film sits where journalism and friendship collide. The source is the BBC's six part series of the same name from 2003. Compressing six hours into two explains both the film's speed and its gaps. The profession itself is in the background. The paper has been sold, the new owners want clicks, and a veteran reporter and a young colleague who blogs chase the same story in different ways. In 2009 that argument was fresh. Kevin Macdonald directed. Russell Crowe plays the reporter, Ben Affleck the congressman, Rachel McAdams the younger reporter and Helen Mirren the editor. Brad Pitt had the lead originally. He left shortly before filming, with disagreements over the script cited, and Crowe stepped in quickly. Edward Norton had also been in contention. It runs 127 minutes. Good for: journalism thrillers, political intrigue, and a strong cast. Less good for: because the series plot is compressed, the last twenty minutes stack up explanations. The final turn strains belief. The private military contractor subplot starts and is never developed.