I always have a hard time remembering the name of this one. It’s a little bit generic-sounding, but the movie is not. Just be sure to bring along your brain for it. The action begins early with an opening scene shootout on the streets of Washington, D.C. Disheveled and disorganized Washington Globe newspaper writer Cal McAffree (Russell Crowe) shows up to get the scoop.
Meanwhile, a young woman on her way to work is killed in a train station when she falls onto the tracks in front of a train. Her death is reported to Senator Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) just prior to an important committee hearing. He breaks up on camera, leading many to speculate on what the nature was of the young woman’s dealings with him. Under mounting political and media pressure, Collins shows up at McAffree’s apartment that night. They are old college buddies, and the senator is in need of some advice on his sleazy actions from his expert dirt-digging friend.
What follows is a complex expedition into an ever-growing web of political corruption and suspense, peopled by a slate of colorful characters. There is Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), the young upstart Washington Globe blogger who, like her or not, “churns out copy every hour”; Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren), the newspaper editor whose only high-stress concern is being in front of the story and not behind it; Anne Collins (Robin Wright Penn), the senator’s long-suffering wife whose personal feelings tend to complicate things for McAfree; Senator Furgiss (Jeff Daniels), a stuffy political foe of Collins’; and one of my personal favorites, Dominic Foy (Jason Bateman), a PR guy with slicked-back hair who goes around snapping his fingers and demanding “Compensation. I need compensation.” Nah, no stereotypes here. But he is fun to watch.
I did start out with the question in my mind of, what new thing can they bring to a thriller about political corruption? Can’t we just turn on the news for that? But with such interesting characters, combined with the fast-paced, deadline-conscious world of journalism, “State of Play” really is an intriguing ride. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Shelly Greenhalgh-Davis is the author of two published historica fiction novels, Eagle Shadow and its sequel Eagle Rising. Visit her at www.shellygreenhalghdavis.com
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